One thing is always true no matter what profession you are in. That’s the fact that having others speak highly of you can go a long way in having the person hearing that commendation come to you for services the same way the speaker did. Referrals are so valuable and especially so if you’re in business as an individual the way a real estate agent will be. The premise behind them is simple; provide excellent service and have your client be entirely pleased with their outcome and they’ll be inclined to recommend you to others.
And referrals are always going to be an integral part of how a realtor does well with real estate lead generation. Those who do best with them will be taking a multi-tiered approach to building their client base, and using an online real estate lead generation system like ours here at Real Estate Leads can be a good place to start if you’re new to working as a realtor in Canada. But you’ll need to use different means too, and as we’ve said before there is a lot of value still to be had with older methods such a door knocking or being available for walk-ins at the office.
Knowing how to generate referrals will really benefit you with building your business. But getting organic referrals and ones from repeat clients from your personal connections does require some strategizing. So with this entry we’re going to lay out 7 different way to get real estate leads through referrals.
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Set Up Client Events
A good way to get prospective clients talking about you as a realtor is to invite them to events, and they don’t have to be anything more than a simple gathering set up your real estate brokerage. There will need to be some type of value proposition for attendees, but there is plenty that you can do to make is so that people stand to gain something if they attend your event. Some part of it will need to involve you promoting yourself as a realtor, and that shouldn’t be difficult if you are confident in yourself as a real estate professional.
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Establish Community Connections via Social Media
It is more unlikely that past clients will give you real estate referrals if you aren’t at the top of their mind when it comes to contacting a real estate agent. The best thing you can do here is share both real estate market and lifestyle content online and encourage your social connections to share it with their friends and family.
Another suggestion is to be active on community websites and have your user profile indicating that you are a real estate agent. Some realtors will even create their own community website and have it serving as both a valuable resource for people living there and a means of promoting themselves as a realtor.
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Distribute Key Market Insights
Realtors shouldn’t think that a clients’ interest in real estate always ends once they’ve bought or sold a home. They may have further interests in the market, and you should assume they do. Keeping in touch with them by sending along market insights a few times a year is highly recommended. Other information you could include might be economic reports, latest interest rates news, or even the latest trends in home renovations to increase sale value.
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Surprise Former Clients with Gifts
You can re establish connections with former clients and increase the likelihood they’ll refer you as a realtor if you stop by their home and bring them a small gift. Try to think of something that will be received well by them, and it can even be something that they can use as a convenience in the home that has your name branded on it.
One idea is to deliver a gift to a client exactly one year after they’ve purchased a home through you.
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Be Timely with Referral Requests
Referrals and reviews go hand in hand, and a good way to get helpful referrals as a realtor is to send consistent, automated touches to your people asking for favorable online reviews. There are companies that will manage online reviews for you, and that may be something you want to consider if you’re an established realtor who has a long list of former clients who would very likely think highly of you.
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Authentically Maintain Client Relationships
You are always going to have more success in getting real estate referrals if you find the right way to tailor a message to that person, and in some cases having them respond at all will depend on it. Be attentive to your client’s needs and prerogatives in real estate purchases, and try to catch onto personal details about them too if you can. All this knowledge can boost your referral rate big time and help with getting real estate leads.
The best way to do this is to have a file on your computer where you can keep notes on your clients, and have it saved in the Cloud so you can access it from your smartphone when you’re out working.
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Join a Real Estate Referral Network
Our last recommendation here is to join a network where agents exchange referrals with other real estate professionals in other markets. Brokerages may also have their own referral networks you can join, like RE/MAX Global Referral, or Coldwell Banker Referral Network. These referral networks can help you find an agent to provide superior service for your clients in that market, and the idea is that they’ll do the same for you if they know of people who are looking to buy in the area of Canada where you are working as a real estate agent.
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Sign up for Real Estate Leads here and receive a qualified, online-generated buyer and / or seller leads for prospective clients, giving you the opportunity to be first in touch with them and explaining what you can do for them when it comes to best outcomes with buying or selling a home. It’s a dynamite way to supercharge your client prospecting efforts, and you’ll soon see it as a solid investment in growing your real estate business.
