You’ve put in the work and landed an awesome real estate referral from a client. Now what? How you follow-up after receiving a referral is as important as what you do to encourage clients to refer their friends to you.
Here are five steps to make sure you’re capitalizing on client referrals.
1. Research the lead
Learning more about a referred lead before you reach out sets you up for success later on. Use Google search and social media to find out more about the person or family referred to you. Facebook’s Advanced Search allows you to search for people in a specific city. You can also look through your client’s list of friends to help you find the referral’s page.
Another option? Ask for insight from the referring client. Have them write a quick email introduction with a few details about their friend. If you have a referral form on your website, give people the option to add a quick description about the person they’re referring and why they think you can help them.
Gathering these details gives you a leg up in personalizing the conversation and impressing new leads.
2. Make referral outreach a priority
Buyers and sellers value real estate agents who are responsive. Follow up with a referred lead as soon as possible, while the conversation they had with your client is still fresh in their mind.
The longer you wait to reach out, the colder a referred lead becomes. Demonstrate that you’re eager to help them and quick to act.
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3. Continue to follow up
Not all immediate follow-up notes will get a response. Don’t give up. The referral may be a fit for you, but they just aren’t ready to kickstart a conversation.
Set a schedule to continue outreach to non-responsive referrals over the next six months, following up over email at the one month, three month and six month marks. If you still don’t get a response, you can put the referral to bed knowing that you did what you could to build a relationship.
4. Send a thank you note
Remember to send a thank you note to the client who referred you. If their connection leads to a successful real estate deal, let them know and send a gift card or flowers.
Thanking clients for their help makes them more likely to send additional referrals your way.
5. Do stellar work
This is a no-brainer, but it bears repeating. Your client has staked their reputation on you and your services, which makes it crucial that you live up to their word and deliver top-notch real estate services.
Referrals come with a lot of added responsibility. If you’re actively pursuing referrals, make sure you’re ready to consistently exceed expectations.
Converting referrals into clients takes hard work and dedication. In return, you get a client base that trusts and respects your work. Take time to invest in those relationships to get better leads and sell more homes.
