Every real estate agent knows that the best source of new business is a referral from a happy client. New clients that are driven to you from a positive referral will be more motivated to work with you, than clients who are looking around for the best agent. Increasing your referral business is one of the best ways to boost your business, but unfortunately many real estate agents leave referrals up to chance.
While 85% of homeowners say that they would use the same agent again, less than 15% do because they forget the name of their agent. Most clients are willing to send referral business your way, but it’s important that you make it easy for them to do so. Generating referral business should become part of every touch point you have with your clients.
Here are five referral generators to boost your business.
- Help your clients promote you on social media
You’ve just delivered significant value to your client by helping them to buy or sell a home. Chances are your client would be more than happy to refer you, but it may not come to mind, or they may not know how. Social media is one of the best avenues to make it easy for your clients to endorse you and send referrals your way. For example, once you’ve made the sale, offer to take a picture of your clients to post on social media. You can also offer to make the post and add a link to your website, or share a post from your client, with a personalized message that conveys how much you enjoyed working with them. Make sure that you integrate your social media share buttons into your email marketing – this makes it that much easier for your clients to refer you!
- Follow up a client referral with a thank you
If a client has gone out of their way to provide you with a referral, you should absolutely send your client a thank you. By thanking your client, you are showing them that you value their personal contacts, laying the foundation for them to send more business your way. Use your real estate CRM to keep track of who is sending referrals to you and to set-up reminders to send them a personalized thank you. With IXACT Contact, you can keep track of important client information, including referral history, so that you always have a complete record of your client history.
- Stay top of mind by sending a monthly e-newsletter to your contact list
It’s been just over a year since you helped a client and they have a friend who’s in need of an agent, but they are struggling to remember your name. Help your clients remember who you are, your contact information and the great service you provided by staying top of mind through a monthly real estate e-newsletter. Email marketing is one of the best ways for you to continue to highlight your expertise and keep your contact information a click away for your clients. IXACT Contact’s real estate e-newsletter makes it easy for you to stay in touch with professionally written content and set-it-and-forget-it automatic sending.
- Make keeping in touch personal
Give your past clients another talking point when they go to refer you. Sending a personal greeting on their birthday, or move-in anniversary is a touch point that both impresses clients and reminds them of your excellent service. IXACT Contact has a new library of greeting card email templates that make it easy for agents to reach out to clients on special days. You can choose to customize the card, or send it out as is, showing your client that you enjoyed working with them and are here to build a long, lasting relationship for when they might need you again.
- Capture leads automatically online
While personal referrals from past clients are golden, it’s vital that agents build other avenues to capture leads. Your website is one of the best ways to help your business grow by using a lead capture form. With IXACT Contact’s CRM, every lead captured from your website can be automatically enrolled in a drip automation program so that you can nurture the lead and connect with new business right away.
Creating a strategy to build stronger relationships and a referral-based business is easy with a real estate CRM, like IXACT Contact.
Generate new leads, maximize referrals and build better client relationships. Start your FREE 5 week free trial of IXACT Contact now.
