Setting the Stage for More Real Estate Referrals from Clients

You’ve worked hard for your client. You gave him great advice and helped sell his home quickly — and for over asking! On several occasions, he said he was thrilled with the service you’ve provided. During the selling period, you were consistently attentive, helpful, and skilled. Truly, a referral-worthy real estate agent.

It’s a slam-dunk that the client is going to recommend you to friends or neighbours.

But will he?

The biggest mistake agents make when they conclude a transaction, and the client is satisfied, is assuming that real estate referrals will just come.

Sometimes they will. But most often, they won’t — unless you’re proactive and set the stage for getting real estate referrals from that client.

There are many ways to do that, but the prime time to set the stage is during the first 90 days after the sale. That’s the critical period when a client will decide if you’re the kind of agent who collects the commission and disappears, or the kind that stays with the client and builds that relationship.

Here at Morris Real Estate Marketing Group, we’ve worked with thousands of clients over the years. We’ve found that to maximize client referrals, the best after-sale follow-up schedule is as follows.

• A visit the day of the move.
• A call or visit a week after the move.
• A call or visit a month after the move.
• A call or visit three months after the move.

That frequency may seem like a lot. But look at it from your client’s perspective.

The first 90 days after the move tend to be stressful for clients. When they hear from you on moving day, get a check-in call to see if everything is okay a week later, get another call or visit after the first month, and then a visit at the three-month point, it’s reassuring. Your client sees that you have their best interests in mind, always.

And that’s the kind of agent most sellers want to recommend.

So, what do you say when you check in during those first 90 days? Here are some ideas.

• Congratulate them on their move.
• Ask if there are any problems or concerns you can help them with.
• Enquire how their new home is working for them.
• Drop off a card or house-warming gift.
• Explain that, like a doctor or accountant, you’re their real estate agent and are available whenever they have questions or need help.
• Offer to recommend a professional or company, such as a painting contractor.
• Invite them to receive your real estate newsletter each month, packed with tips and insights that will help maximize the enjoyment of their new home.

The real estate newsletter is key. That keeps you in touch in a way that adds value, so the client increasingly sees you as their go-to agent.

Interested in a real estate newsletter proven to boost client referrals? Check out our automated, done-for-you real estate newsletter here.