Referrals are the lifeblood of a real estate agent’s career, but how do you get them? Asking clients for referrals seems like a great idea, but it can be tricky to execute well. You don’t want to be too pushy and ruin a good relationship, but you also don’t want to miss a perfect shot. To help with this, here are three tips for asking clients for referrals:
1. Offer incentives. There’s a reason “give a little, get a little” is a popular expression. You could offer things like gift cards, a donation to their favorite charity, or being entered in a drawing to win a prize. Also, make sure to return the favor—you can offer them referrals for a contractor, lender, insurance agent, and more. There are so many options with this; just make the referral worth their while.
2. Build value first. Again, why would someone give you something if you don’t make it worth their while? Maybe you could send out informative emails or even release a new product or service that would help them. Make sure you have gone above and beyond to earn that referral. Then, talk to them when they’re happiest. Like any service, if you talk to someone when their gratitude is still fresh, they’ll be more likely to help you.
3. Stay in touch. It’s possible that your client doesn’t know anyone at the moment who needs your services. However, it’s extremely unlikely that they’ll never know someone. Therefore, make sure you continually follow up with your clients. Remind them that you’re still there, helping people with real estate. Do whatever you can to continue providing value for them and ensure they don’t forget you. Then when they do have someone to refer to you, you’ll be at the top of their minds.
It’s easy to be intimidated by asking for referrals, but you don’t have to be. These three tips are great ways to keep things casual and preserve important relationships. If you need more help with referrals or anything else, don’t hesitate to call or email me. I would be happy to help you with your real estate needs.
