Here's a stat that should wake you up: Newer agents get only 20% of their business from repeat clients and referrals. Meanwhile, experienced agents (16+ years) get 70% of their business from these sources.
“The longer agents stay in the business, the more they rely on client relationships instead of chasing cold leads.” – That’s from the NAR 2025 report.
That's not because they're better at selling houses. It's because they've figured out the referral game.
Key Takeaways:
|
|---|
It’s not (only) how many past clients you have
Most agents think: "Well, experienced agents just have more past clients to go back to."
Sure, that helps. But here's the part everyone misses: Having a system to generate referrals from clients matters more than database size.
Even if you only have 10 past clients, each of them knows about 200 people. That's 2,000 potential connections. Some of whom are actively looking for an agent right now.
The question is: Will your past clients think of YOU when someone they know asks “do you know any good agents?”
People refer to whoever they remember in the moment
Unfortunately, all of us have short memories and your past clients are no different.
You could've given them the best home-buying experience of their lives. But two years later? Even if they’ve not forgotten your name, they’re definitely not spending their time thinking about how to send you business. And anyway, they know 15 other realtors through friends and family.
Your job is to get them to a place where when their friend says “I’m thinking of buying a house this year”, they reply “I know just who you should speak to”.
How to be the first person people think of when asked “hey do you know a good agent?”
Being memorable is not complicated. It’s two simple steps.
#1 Show up consistently
#2 Say something meaningful
Let’s break it down.
Reach out consistently:
Everyone does holiday cards and birthday wishes. Those are times with too many and often impersonal messages. To be remembered, you need to ensure you’re reaching out somewhere between monthly to once a quarter.
Several top real estate coaches agree with me on this cadence.
Ideal cadence
|
Now’s a good time to start this clean slate. Set a goal and knock out 10 reach outs this week.
Reach out with personalized & valuable messages:
You know how you feel when you get a generic sales outreach email from a CRM start up? Straight to the bin? Yep. Please don’t make your clients feel that way.
Think about the people you’ve worked with that you feel good about. The plumber who jokes about your sports team. The cheerful barista who asks about your dog.
That’s what you want. You’ve built real relationships with your clients. Try to remember the personal details and check-in with those references and inside jokes. Their favourite sports team, a pet related meme, some local news – surely you can find something that makes them feel good to hear from you.
Read more on sending personal messages here: 7 Ways to Text Past Clients Without Being Salesy
Three other things that help with referrals:
Offer help where you can:
Another simple golden rule that is often quoted. Ask every client: "Is there anything I can help you with? And it does not have to be real estate related." Make the shift from being “their realtor” to being someone in their life and community who cares!
When you help people without expecting anything back, they WANT to help you.
Ask explicitly and don’t be weird about it.
Asking for a referral is NOT asking for a favour. You’re good at your job! They’re helping someone by sending them your way.
"Hey [Name], I really loved working with you. I wanted to let you know—I build my business through referrals from great clients like you. So if anyone you know mentions buying or selling, I'd be honored if you'd think of me. If you have any feedback for me, I’d be happy to incorporate that as well.”
Create a positive loop.
When someone refers you business, respond FAST – it shows that you respect them and will go above and beyond for their contact.
Thank them. Send them a little gift. Making them feel important and good for sending you business. They’ll definitely remember that the next time.
What you need to do this week Today: Find 3 clients that you haven’t spoken to in over 3 months. Write down what you know about them. See what they’ve been up to on their socials. Text them with something personal and contextual. This Week: Set monthly calendar reminders for your top 20 clients. For each one, block 15 minutes to write down context + scan their socials. Next week: Prioritize the top 50-100 people in your network that you’re going to build intentional relationships with. That’s it – that’s the start! |
This article gives you the starting point. But if you want the full system – we’ve consolidated the templates, scripts and step-by-step plans as advised by the top real estate coaches (and adopted by too few people!)
Introducing: The Realtor's Network Multiplier - A strategic guide to referrals, relationships, and revenue
✅ The exact touchpoint calendar to use
✅ 25 non-salesy reasons to reach out to past clients
✅ Scripts for asking for referrals without feeling weird
✅ How to get to your Top 100 relationships
✅ Monthly action plans and accountability tools
Sign up now for early access and get the complete handbook delivered as soon as it drops.
Why we built Regards
I’m bad at staying in touch. Not because I don’t value people. Its a lot of work, and I didn’t have a system. This started as my fix. A quiet assistant that helped me nurture relationships thoughtfully. When people noticed the difference and asked what I was doing, it slowly evolved into a product. And the love has been incredible. Regards, Khuze
