As a REALTOR®, the business of representing clients seeking to buy or sell a home is just that—business. But for agents intent on gaining every edge possible to land future leads and clients, personal interactions can (and should) go deeper.
The real estate profession is different than most in one major way. Unlike working in an office, where you’re with mostly the same staffers day in and day out, as an agent, you’re constantly meeting new people. And since enjoying personal interactions is a must for success, it’s natural that you could establish relationships that transcend the buying and selling process.
The bonus of a new friendship established organically is that it’s very likely to lead to friends and/or relatives who are looking to buy or sell. We asked REALTORS®, brokers and agency owners whether they’ve found that former clients and current friends were a great source of new leads. Here’s what they had to say:
“100%! Our agents invest so much of themselves into their clients. They take them on as part of their family. I have seen our agents babysit, do yard work, do handyman tasks, be an Uber driver, cook, paint and listen to difficult conversations. When a client sees that you’re not just interested in them during the transaction, it really shifts their view of you and makes it easier for them to refer you to their friends and family.” – Nikki McCarthy, Director of Marketing, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Lifestyles Realty, Jacksonville Beach, Florida
“Absolutely! While not always the overall intention, I have found that my most profitable lead sources are also my close friends. When I categorize my top referral sources, this is always the case, so much so that I’m able to predict a six-figure annual gross commission income on these sources alone. My most profitable referral source has brought in over $200,000 in GCI in the last seven years.” – Jemila Winsey, Broker/Owner, ERA Legacy Living, Richmond, Texas
“Yes. Maintaining regular, personal contact with past clients is an unspoken requirement for great future business. People want to feel like you care about their well-being beyond a transaction.” – Heather Hanlon, REALTOR®, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate The Masiello Group, Hampton, New Hampshire
“Yes, I have gained a lot of business by nurturing my current and past clients.” – Liz Moreno, REALTOR®, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Connections, Crown Point, Indiana
“Totally! People respond to genuine people much more positively, so allowing relationships to unfold naturally over time yields a much better response and likelihood for referrals, not to mention long-term friendships.” – Leslie Price, Broker/Owner, ERA Venture Real Estate, Crossville, Tennessee
“Making friends organically with clients definitely results in gaining new business leads and listings. Getting to know your friends/clients on a personal level allows you to develop deeper connections, which help keep you top of mind, and everyone likes to refer people they know, like and trust. Most friends want to help and support other friends’ businesses.” – Suzanne Dye, Associate Broker, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate S.J. Fowler, Mesa, Arizona
“Working in real estate leads itself to creating friendships organically with much success! Not only does it open the door to listings, clients, buyers and showings, but it also provides lasting relationships, which can and do lead to referrals of family members, neighbors, coworkers and friends.” – Stacey McFadden, Broker Associate, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Kansas City Homes, Basehor, Kansas
“Sometimes the client relationship can become a friendship, but on other occasions, it can be short, and it ends within the frame of the sale/purchase process. It depends on the client’s nature.” – Ruba Wight, Property Advisor, ERA Cayman Islands, Cayman Islands
“Yes! Over my years in the industry, I have made quite a few close friends. I make it a point to be myself all the time, and my clients-turned-friends love that about me, and that really cements our relationship. That in turn has gained me many referrals from clients to work with their family and other friends. It goes to show how important personal relationships are. When a relationship that started out as business grows so strong that a personal friendship starts, your friends are going to speak highly of you.” – Tim Grant, REALTOR®, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, Atlanta, Georgia
“Absolutely! I get invited to weddings, birthday parties and kids’ birthday parties, and that makes my relationship with clients turn to friendships and getting real estate leads from them to just me.” – Jenniffer Burnley, Agent, ERA Legacy Living, Richmond, Texas
“Yes, trust is the key, and marketing to your sphere of influence in a meaningful and genuine way will result in prolonged business, especially in a downturn. But professionalism must be strictly adhered to. If your friends refer you, they expect that their referral will be attended to 110%. If you don’t, say goodbye to your friend.” – Scott Beaudry, Broker/Owner, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Universal, Las Vegas, Nevada
“We have many clients that we have naturally become friends with through the transaction. This does not just happen; it is when your buyer and seller know that you are working for them…not just for yourself. Buyers are not simply buying a home; it is a lifestyle. As an agent, you are connecting them to the community. A transaction is far more than just brick and mortar. Keeping that in mind, working with them through a transaction, and connecting them to the things they need develops both friendship and trust. From this, you also develop a reputation. That reputation or hard work, honesty, and caring about them and their family’s needs organically leads to other good things. If you do a great job protecting their buy or sell, working through everything carefully, then the buyers and sellers will talk to their friends, business partners and associates and you end up with referrals. They are not referring you just out of friendship. You are being referred because they know you will do the same thing again and again. A client base should come from who you are, what you represent, and how you behave. A large client base comes from referrals because you care and always think of the client first.” – Judy Zeder of The Jills Zeder Group, affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty, Coral Gables, Florida
