An agent’s real estate CRM database is one of their most prized processions. It’s the backbone of a sales professional’s business, being the source of repeat and referral business.
The more quality contacts in your real estate CRM database, the more repeat client transactions and referrals will likely come your way. No wonder most real estate agents are always interested in building their list as quickly as possible.
Perhaps you’re a Rookie Real Estate Agent and don’t have a large sphere of influence (SOI) yet. Or, maybe you’ve been in the business a while but don’t have as many contacts (leads, clients, business-to-business referral sources etc.) as you’d like.
Some agents choose to purchase leads from online services, which can be a hit or miss strategy. Instead of gambling with your funds by buying leads, why not build up your list organically? Here are 4 ways to build your real estate CRM database:
1. Take inventory of your personal and professional networks.
Spend some time jotting down everyone you know who are not currently in your database. you’ll likely realize that you know a lot more people than you think!
Consider your friends, colleagues, neighbors, family members, and business professionals you’ve come in contact with, such as contractors, mortgage brokers, attorneys, florists, and so on. Then, add them to your real estate CRM, where appropriate.
Remember that your real estate CRM acts like your own personal assistant, reminding you of tasks, appointments, and even your contacts’ birthdays. By including your friends and family in the CRM, not only are you keeping them in the loop for your real estate business, but you’ll never forget an important birthday again!
2. Hold client appreciation parties.
Everybody loves to be appreciated, and client events are one of the best ways to acknowledge your SOI. Your event could be a wine and cheese party, a cooking class, a family movie night or a hot air balloon ride. It’s a terrific way to build client loyalty and meet new people to add to your real estate database.
Your client appreciation events should be an ongoing part of your real estate marketing plan. They take less than 5 minutes to schedule in your real estate CRM using the system’s Keep in Touch dashboard. You can also send out personalized email invitations with your CRM in a very short time.
3. Introduce yourself to local businesses.
Other local businesses can be a great source of referrals for you. Take a look around your city or town and make an effort to introduce yourself to business owners who may not know you yet. One new business-to-business referral source can generate dozens of referrals over the coming years.
Try reaching out to general contractors, interior decorators, landscapers and caterers. When you reach out to other professionals, make sure the conversation with them isn’t all about you. Ask how you can help them and make a concerted effort to learn about what they do.
Use the Business Directory in your real estate CRM to manage your list of local businesses so that you can easily refer your contacts’ to them if you’re ever asked for a recommendation.
4. Reconnect with long-lost contacts.
Don’t be shy, take the initiative to call those contacts you’ve lost contact with. It’s never too late to reconnect. The key is to take action now to re-establish the relationship. Once you’re reconnected you can start sending those past clients your newsletters or assigning them to a real estate drip email campaign.
When you reach out to a former contact, be sure to reintroduce yourself and apologize for falling out of touch. Remind your contact of who you are, ask to update their contact information, and gently remind them how much you appreciate referrals.
Don’t make the same mistake of falling out of touch again. Once you’ve reconnected with your past client, assign them to your monthly e-Newsletter so they consistently receive email communications from you. Read the ultimate script for reconnecting with past contacts.
Takeaway
You want your real estate database to be constantly growing. Be conscious of people you can add to your database, host events, get to know local businesses and reconnect with those you’ve fallen out of touch with.
Try setting a goal of adding one new contact every day, you might surprise yourself!
Need some help with managing your real estate database and keeping in touch with your contacts? Start your FREE 5 week trial of IXACT Contact real estate CRM now.
