5 Ways to Be a More Referral-Worthy Real Estate Agent

As most real estate agents know, referrals are the best kind of leads. After all, a referral means that you’ve been recommended by someone — a client, a business, a homeowner in a community you farm. So that lead is already predisposed to want to hire you. It’s yours to lose!

So how do you get more referrals? One proven way is to improve how “referral-worthy” you are.

Referral-worthy simply means you’re the kind of real estate agent people are eager to recommend. You’re good at what you do, you provide terrific client service (before and after the transaction), you continually add value and — most importantly — you’re remembered.

Here are some tips for boosting your referral-worthy-ness:

 Go the extra mile. Referral-worthy real estate agents pull out all the stops to help their clients sell their home successfully and find their next dream home. In most cases, clients notice. And, as a result, loyalty builds.

• Ask for feedback. At appropriate times during and after a transaction with a client, ask them how you’re doing. Explain that providing the best client service is important to you and that you’re always looking for ways to improve.
• Stay in touch. You’ll generate significantly more referrals if you stay in regular contact with past clients, hot prospects, and homeowners in those communities you target. Calls and visits will only take you so far. In addition, you need to send valuable content, such as a direct mail newsletter, that consistently positions you as their trusted agent.
• Remind them. Numerous studies show that you’ll get more referrals if you simply remind your contacts that you welcome referrals. That can be as simple as occasionally saying, “I build my business on referrals. So, if you’re asked for a real estate agent recommendation, please give them my name. I’d really appreciate your support.”
• Have the right real estate marketing tools. You can’t become more referral-worthy if you don’t have the right marketing system in place to capture, manage, and build loyalty with your contacts.

Of course, you should also be constantly seeking ways to improve the experience clients have working with you. Even seemingly small things, like how promptly you return client phone calls or how you handle scheduling viewings, can make a difference in how clients and others see you.

When you consider that 42% of homeowners find their real estate agent through a recommendation, it pays to put in the effort to become more referral-worthy. Boosting real estate referrals by just 10% will make a sizable difference in your income.