Whether it’s after you first list a seller’s home for sale or start showing a buyer property, the highest rate of real estate referrals always comes from ongoing working relationships with clients in the process of moving.
The more times agents remind their clients that they work by referral during a transaction, they increase the likelihood of receiving real estate referrals. This is why top agents will ask early and often in a systematic fashion throughout each transaction. Numerous reminders to ask for real estate referrals become a part of their Listing-to-Contract and Contract-to-Closing checklists. This ensures that they always bring up the topic at the listing consultation, after successful open house, after an offer is accepted, after inspection repairs are completed, after a home appraises, at closing, and after many other steps in the typical transaction are completed.
Choose Comfortable Real Estate Scripts
The key then becomes familiarizing yourself with tested real estate scripts that you are comfortable with. Most agents shy away from the use of real estate scripts for fear sounding too pushy. However, effective real estate scripts should never come off like a sales pitch, but should instead feel comfortable with use over time.
How to Ask Existing Clients for Real Estate Referrals:(Samples)
- “By the way, the majority of my business comes by word-of-mouth from past clients. It’s how I prefer to run my business. So if you know anyone that is looking to buy or sell a home this year, would you mind referring them to me?”
- “I want to work with more clients like you, and I find that people looking to move know others in the same position. How would you feel about referring my services to them?”
- “It’s been really great working with you thus far, and I feel really grateful to (Client X) for introducing you to me. If it wasn’t for her/him/them, I would’ve never met you. So I just wanted to take the time to ask you if you know anyone else that is looking to buy or sell a home, and if you would feel comfortable introducing them to me?”
- “Who else do you know that needs to move right now?”
- “You are so great to work with, and I find that people typically hang around similar people. I would love to work with more people like you, so do you know anyone looking to move in the near future?
- “Because you are in the process of moving right now, you will overhear a lot of conversations from different people looking to move when you are out and about. When you do, would you mind giving them my phone number and ask them to call me?”