Imagine that a client of yours is at a BBQ. Chatting over beers and hotdogs someone asks him, “Hey, we’re looking for a home in this neighborhood. Do you know any good real estate agents that could help us?”
Now freeze that picture and ask yourself: Will your client recommend you?
That depends.
According to the experience of top agents throughout North America, a client will refer you to their friends and colleagues only if most – if not all – of the following conditions are met.
1. The client is happy with the services you provided during the last transaction.
2. The client remembers your name, and has easy access to your contact information.
(For example, the client has your phone number and e-mail address.)
3. The client feels that the relationship with you is on-going. (You continue to add value
and are “there for him.” The client doesn’t feel like you disappeared after the
transaction was completed.)
4. The client looks to you as an advisor – someone with a wealth of helpful knowledge
and resources. You are viewed as the “home expert.”
5. The client understands and appreciates that you build your business on referrals.
The client respects you for this and wants to help.
6. When you have asked for referrals in the past, you’ve done so appropriately and at
the right time in the relationship. (You didn’t ask too early, for example, like on the
day of the move!)
A lot of agents stop at #1. They think, “So long as the client was satisfied with my services during the transaction, I’ll get the referral.” But this is a big mistake. Satisfying a client isn’t enough. You have to earn the client’s loyalty.
That’s the great thing about implementing a referral and repeat marketing approach using your IXACT Contact real estate marketing software. It’s a systematic approach to ensuring that you are achieving all the above six conditions with your best clients. That is important when you consider that, according to the National Association of Agents, the average client can potentially recommend three to five people to you each year.
As an Agent, it’s absolutely vital to have in place a web real estate marketing application like IXACT contact. Sign up for a risk free, 5 week trial here.