Unlock the Secret to 100 Referrals a Year as a Real Estate Agent
Table of Contents:
- Becoming More Referral
- Creating Your Top 100 List
- Building Your Referral Partner Team
- Utilizing Daily Instagram Stories
- Engaging Your Audience with Weekly Facebook Live Videos
- Repurposing Your Videos for Maximum Impact
- Sending Monthly Mailers to Your Top 100
- Making Monthly Phone Calls to Stay Connected
- Scheduling In-Person Meetings to Strengthen Relationships
- Implementing a Birthday Program to Show Appreciation
- Sending Handwritten Thanksgiving Cards to Express Gratitude
- Providing an Annual Real Estate Review
- Hosting Two Client Appreciation Events per Year
Becoming More Referral
To generate more referral business, real estate agents need to establish themselves as authorities in their community and build strong relationships with past clients, sphere of influence, and referral partners. By becoming a person of integrity and providing exceptional value to clients, agents can position themselves as trusted individuals worth recommending. Building this reputation should be the first step in any referral strategy. Pros: Establishes credibility and trustworthiness.
Creating Your Top 100 List
The next step in generating referral business is to create your top 100 list. This list should consist of your favorite 100 people on the planet, including past clients, friends, family, sphere of influence, and referral partners. These are the individuals you have a strong relationship with, and it wouldn't be weird to call them and meet up at any given time. If you don't have 100 people yet, start with who you have and work on expanding the list. Cons: Requires effort to identify and maintain relationships with 100 individuals.
Building Your Referral Partner Team
To strengthen your referral network, it is essential to establish a referral partner team. These are professionals you build long-term business relationships with, and their names come up automatically in conversations with clients. It is recommended to have two of each of the following on your team: divorce attorneys, probate attorneys, estate attorneys, financial planners, CPAs, accountants, insurance agents, and mortgage loan officers. By collaborating with these professionals, you can enhance your credibility and provide valuable resources to clients. Pros: Expands your network and provides additional resources for clients.
Utilizing Daily Instagram Stories
In today's digital age, content marketing is crucial for real estate agents to succeed. Daily Instagram stories can help agents establish their presence in the market, engage with their audience, and build influence. By sharing snippets of their day-to-day activities and providing insights into the real estate market, agents can grab the attention and earn the respect of their audience. Cons: Requires consistent effort and creativity to produce engaging content.
Engaging Your Audience with Weekly Facebook Live Videos
Video content is an effective way to communicate and engage with your audience. By hosting weekly Facebook Live videos, real estate agents can establish a consistent schedule that allows their audience to anticipate their content. These videos should cover various topics, including real estate market updates, interviews with referral partners, specific tips, and educational webinars for buyers and sellers. Each video provides valuable information and helps agents build influence with their audience. Pros: Creates a personal connection with the audience and establishes expertise.
Repurposing Your Videos for Maximum Impact
To maximize the reach of your videos, repurpose them across different platforms. Start by uploading the videos to your YouTube channel, ensuring a wider audience can access them. Next, send weekly video emails to your database, sharing the video content and providing a brief summary. This regular correspondence keeps you top of mind with your clients and strengthens the relationship. Cons: Requires additional time and effort to repurpose videos for different platforms.
Sending Monthly Mailers to Your Top 100
Direct mail can still be an effective marketing tool, especially when targeted towards your top 100 list. Sending monthly mailers that include market updates, real estate tips, spotlights on referral partners, and personal updates can help you stay connected with your clients and maintain top-of-mind awareness. Pros: Increases visibility and provides tangible, personalized communication.
Making Monthly Phone Calls to Stay Connected
Regular phone calls with your top 100 list are essential for building and maintaining relationships. These calls should focus on genuine conversation, asking about their business, family, and any areas where you can provide support. They should not be solely aimed at asking for referrals. By leading with contribution and showing that you genuinely care, you strengthen the connection with each individual. Pros: Deepens relationships and demonstrates your commitment to their well-being.
Scheduling In-Person Meetings to Strengthen Relationships
In-person meetings are a powerful way to solidify connections and further engage with your top 100 list. While phone calls are beneficial, face-to-face interactions help build stronger bonds. Schedule coffee meetings, grab lunch or dinner, go for a run, or engage in activities that align with their interests. These personal interactions show your dedication to the relationship and provide opportunities for deeper conversations. Pros: Enhances personal connections and builds trust.
Implementing a Birthday Program to Show Appreciation
Remembering and acknowledging your clients' birthdays is an excellent way to demonstrate your appreciation and strengthen your relationship. Develop a personalized birthday program that includes a phone call, a handwritten card, and a small gift. The gift can be as simple as a dollar scratch-off lottery ticket. By making your clients feel special on their birthdays, you ensure they remember you and your services. Pros: Increases client loyalty and fosters positive word-of-mouth.
Sending Handwritten Thanksgiving Cards to Express Gratitude
In addition to holiday cards, sending handwritten Thanksgiving cards to your top 100 list allows you to express your gratitude for the relationship. Take the time to write a personalized message that conveys your appreciation for their support. This small gesture shows that you genuinely care and value the connection. Cons: Requires effort to write and send handwritten cards.
Providing an Annual Real Estate Review
Schedule an annual real estate review with each client on your top 100 list. This face-to-face meeting allows you to provide a full market analysis of their property, assess their mortgage and debt situation, review their property taxes, discuss any life changes that may require a move, and identify necessary property improvements. By offering this comprehensive review, you position yourself as a trusted advisor and maintain a strong connection with your clients. Pros: Demonstrates expertise and strengthens client relationships.
Hosting Two Client Appreciation Events per Year
Show appreciation to your clients by hosting two client appreciation events annually. These events should be fun and engaging, with activities for both adults and children. Consider bounce houses, face painting, balloon toss, and catering. By inviting your top 100 list and encouraging them to bring guests, you expand your network and create opportunities for future referrals. Pros: Boosts client loyalty, expands network, and generates future referral business.
As a real estate agent, maintaining a strong referral business requires consistently executing these strategies and building genuine relationships. By becoming more referral, creating a top 100 list, building a referral partner team, utilizing social media, engaging with live videos, repurposing content, staying in touch through mailers and phone calls, scheduling in-person meetings, implementing an appreciation program, and hosting client events, agents can ensure continuous growth and success in their business.
Resources:
- YouTube channel for real estate tips and ideas.
FAQ:
Q: How often should I make daily Instagram stories?
A: You should aim to make daily Instagram stories, at least five days a week, to keep your audience engaged and interested.
Q: What kind of content should I include in my weekly Facebook Live videos?
A: Your weekly Facebook Live videos can cover various topics, such as real estate market updates, interviews with referral partners, specific tips for buyers and sellers, and educational webinars.
Q: How can I repurpose my videos for maximum impact?
A: Repurpose your videos by uploading them to your YouTube channel and sending video emails to your database, summarizing the content and providing a link to the video.
Q: How often should I send monthly mailers to my top 100 list?
A: You should send monthly mailers to your top 100 list to stay connected and provide valuable information about market updates, real estate tips, referrals, and personal updates.
Q: How often should I make monthly phone calls to my top 100 list?
A: You should make monthly phone calls to your top 100 list to check in, ask about their well-being, and offer support. The goal is to maintain a genuine connection and not solely ask for referrals.
Q: How can I strengthen relationships with my top 100 list through in-person meetings?
A: Schedule coffee meetings, lunches, dinners, runs, or other activities with individuals from your top 100 list to deepen the connection and show your commitment to the relationship.
Q: What should I include in my annual real estate review?
A: Your annual real estate review should include a full market analysis of their property, a mortgage and debt analysis, a review of property taxes, discussions about life changes, and identifying necessary property improvements.
Q: How often should I host client appreciation events?
A: You should host two client appreciation events per year, one in the summer and one in the winter, to show your gratitude to your clients and create opportunities for networking and referrals.
