Almost every real estate agent spends the first years of a career building a referral network. One reason why Homesale Realty emphasizes this is because referrals keep your business going while you establish your marketing.

Eventually, successful agents shift from seeking new referrals to serving clients drawn by their website, social media, and digital content. In the beginning, the referral network is the foundation that makes it all possible.

Here's how to get started strong with a referral network.

1. Provide Exceptional Customer Service Every Time
   Customer service is a defining part of the buying or selling experience. Clarity, honesty, and genuine interest in your clients help them feel more confident. Once someone finds the agent they trust, they're likely to keep recommending you. So, treat the recent college grad seeking a modest starter home the same way you would a "marquee" client looking for a luxury property.
   
   
2. Connect With Former Clients on Special Dates and Anniversaries
   Learning more about your clients will serve you well all throughout your career. In addition to the anniversary of closing day, you can also find out facts like birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and so on. A quick card with a handwritten note makes a huge impression on special days like these. This will make your other outreach efforts even more effective.
   
   
3. Keep the Conversation Going on Social Media
   A few months after closing day, many buyers will have forgotten their agent's name. Stay "top of mind" by getting your satisfied clients to follow you on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the rest while the good memories are fresh. This gives you a quick way to keep track of clients and to respond to their future needs at their new property.
   
   
4. Share Plenty of Useful Content for Your New Homeowners
   Every home a person buys throughout life is a snapshot of their needs at a particular moment in time. Whatever the case may be, there'll always be more for them to learn: about renovation, home maintenance, and all kinds of other things. Share helpful, informative content on these topics on social media, and don't hesitate to email your best content to clients who can use it.
   
   
5. Maintain the Relationship Through Email Marketing
   Email marketing is a powerful way to stay in former clients' lives in a positive, productive way. Your clients should be on their own email list segment where they get the best homeownership content, hearing from you at least once a week. Email also enables you to be more creative in how you reconnect: For example, inviting subscribers to a client appreciation event.

Developing Your Referral Network Now Means Big Results Sooner

Every agent has a referral network. In today's fast-moving world, you need the right combination of online and in-person client contacts to build relationships that lead to future business.

Integrate these five tips into your business development strategy and you'll soon find a higher percentage of your customers send their friends and family members your way.

Your best clients already know you and like you. When you proactively reach out, it helps them to trust you even more – the key step in going from a transaction to a life-long partnership. Over months and years, you can become known as the premier local real estate agent in your field.

BHHS Homesale Realty helps you do it faster. With our leading agent education resources and commitment to mentorship, you don't have to reinvent the wheel. You can learn what works from agents who've been where you are and are where you want to be.

Contact BHHS Homesale Realty to discover more today.