Studies show that recommendations from friends are considered the most credible form of advertising.
As a real estate agent, you’re probably not surprised by this finding. You know how quickly great service can lead to word-of-mouth. But to maximize the number of referrals you get, you also need to be a great digital communicator.
I’m not just talking about how you conduct conversations through email. Every action you take speaks volumes to your clients. In order to get more referrals, you need to continually remind the buyers and sellers you work with of the value you provide. And you need to let them know how much you appreciate being recommendedâwithout seeming pushy.
Most agents communicate these messages through phone calls, emails, and face-to-face conversations. But why not use every tool in your toolbox? If you aren’t boosting your efforts to get client recommendations with digital technology, you’re missing out on a valuable opportunity.
In this post, we’ll look at four, easy-to-use, online techniques that you can start leveraging to get more referrals.
1) FACEBOOK
Facebook has over 2 billion active monthly users. And these users aren’t just young people anymore. While the social networkâs largest demographic is still 25-34-year-olds, itâs popularity with seniors is rapidly growing.
In other words: whoever your potential leads are, theyâre probably on Facebook.
Here, weâre going to focus on a quick and easy way to get real estate referrals on Facebook: by enabling reviews on your company page.
THE VALUE OF FACEBOOK REVIEWS
You know the drill: users see what their friends like, and theyâre influenced by it. Thatâs why positive reviews on your Facebook Business Page can act as direct real estate referrals, attracting buyers and sellers. This page also appears in Google search results, which means it may be highly visible.
 HOW CAN YOU START GETTING REVIEWS?
The Facebook page that represents you or your team probably includes a business address. Unless youâve disable reviews in the past, you donât have to do anything to enable them. Having a business address on your Facebook page is enough.
Of course, thereâs a difference between enabling reviews and actually receiving them. But there are a few things you can to encourage clients to tell fellow Facebookers what they think of your services, like…
⢠Ensure your profile is completely filled out
⢠Befriend your clients on Facebook
⢠Message clients and send them a review request and link
⢠Run Facebook ads targeted at your contact database
Understandably, some agents are worried about the potential downside of enabling reviews. Yes, clients can leave negative feedback. And no, you canât delete it (unless it’s legitimately unfair…more on that below).
BUT PUBLIC REVIEWS ARENâT AS RISKY AS YOU THINK
If you provide consistently good service, your reviews will reflect that. And if you do get the occasional bad review, look at it as an opportunity to both improve, and show potential leads that you take client satisfaction seriously.
Unfortunately, making things right with an unhapy client can be tricky. In real estate, itâs not as simple as providing a voucher or replacing a defective product. What you can do is provide a thoughtful response at the first sign of a problem. The gesture will make a positive impression on new leadsâespecially when youâve got a ton of positive reviews outweighing the complaints.
WHAT IF A REVIEW IS UNFAIR?
Of course, some reviews are legitimately unfair. Examples include reviews left by people who have never been your clients and reviews that donât accurately reflect events.
If you think a review is unfair, you can report it. If itâs found to violate Facebookâs community standards, it will be removed.
2) BLOGGING PLATFORMS
Have you ever created a killer neighbourhood guide? Have you used an in-depth blog post to showcase your knowledge of reverse mortgages or the downtown condo market? If the answer is no, then you might want to learn about the many benefits of real estate blogging.
If you have taken the time to write some amazing blog content, you should share it far and wideâand encourage your readers to do the same.
When a reader decides to share your blog post on social media, it acts as an endorsement. Theyâre telling their friends that that the post (and the agent and team that created it) is trustworthy, knowledgeable, and helpful.
Thatâs a referral. And your new reader could become a fan or followerâand eventually, a lead.
Why not help more potential leads see your blog content by making it easy for your readers to share it?
HEREâS HOW TO DO IT…
Try adding social-sharing buttons to every blog post. They allow your readers to share your posts with a single click or tap.
At this point, there are many buttons to choose from for all of the major social platforms, and they all serve different purposes. But here, Iâll focus on the buttons that serve a basic sharing function for Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
First youâll want to customize the way your button looks. You can also control components of the tweets that the button creates, such as the text, URL, hashtags, attributions, and more. You can do all of that right here.
Once itâs customized, copy the HTML code for your button and paste it where youâd like it to appear in your blog post. Itâs that simple!
Most of us have used Facebookâs Like Button. If you havenât used the platformâs Share Button, hereâs the key difference: the Share Button is similar to the Like Button, except it allows users to add their own comment to the the link theyâre sharing.
The added comment can make sharing feel a bit more authentic. If a user is willing to go beyond simply clicking the Like Button, your content must be worth reading, right?
To add a Share Button to your blog post, use this page to customize your URL. Then simply paste the code in the spot where youâd like the button to appear in your post.
The LinkedIn Share Button makes it easy for readers to share your post with their connections. Because real estate agents rely so much on word-of-mouth, any action that encourages your audience to share your content with their professional networks is really helpful. More on that shortly.
Visit this site to generate a LinkedIn Share Button for your blog post. Here, you can customize the look of your button, the URL it links to, and whether you want your postâs âshare countâ (the number of times itâs been shared) to appear near the button.
3) LINKEDIN
When you think about getting real estate referrals, you probably think of past clients. Many agents forget that their professional networks can also help them get business.
Think about it. Have you ever referred a client to a great real estate lawyer or home stager? Most likely, youâve suggested another professionalâs services to a clientâand your connections have done the same for you.
Connections who provide real estate referrals arenât doing you a favour. Theyâre offering a helpful suggestion to their own clients. Everybody wins. But to reap the full benefits of these situations, you need to bring new professionals into your network.
Hereâs how…
SEEK OUT HELPFUL CONNECTIONS
As a real estate agent, youâre probably a pretty savvy communicator. But youâre also busy, and finding new LinkedIn connections might not be at the top of your to-do list.
Luckily, there are a few easy things you can do to find truly useful connections…
EXPLORE YOUR EXISTING NETWORK
One place to find highly-relevant connections in in your list of âPeople You May Know.â To find it, simply click the âMy Networkâ tab in LinkedInâs navigation menu. Youâll see your suggested connections in the page that opens.
You can also look at the people who are connected to your existing connections. This is a great idea, because people are generally more open to contacts that they already have a social connection to. To see a connectionâs network, simply click âSee Connectionsâ at the top right of their profile page.
USE YOUR EMAIL SIGNATURE
Consider adding a link to your LinkedIn profile in your email signature. This will make it easy for new email contacts to invite you into their networks.
PARTICIPATE IN RELEVANT LINKEDIN GROUPS
You can meet new connections in real estate or other helpful industries by joining and participating in relevant LinkedIn Groups. Professionals use groups to post articles, ask questions, and start timely, industry-focused discussions.
To find useful groups, simply type a related word or phrase (e.g. âmortgage brokersâ) into the search bar at the top of your LinkedIn homepage. On the search results page, select âGroups.â
ALWAYS SEND A PERSONALIZED MESSAGE
When you ask other professionals to connect, always write a personalized note to tell them who you are and why you want to connect. It only takes a second, and most recipients will appreciate the effort.
If you start things off on the right foot, theyâll be more likely to connect with youâand refer you to their own clients later on.
4) EMAIL
Email is probably the simplest tool you have for getting real estate referrals.
Most agents focus on the period after closing when theyâre looking for referrals. But asking once usually isnât enough. And letâs be honest: no matter how great a clientâs experience with you is, it wonât take them long to start thinking about other things once your business is wrapped up.
Your best bet is to gently remind clients that you appreciate referrals at every step of the sales process. And one easiest ways to do that is through your email signature.
When you set your email signature, you can include a request for referrals along with your contact information.
KEEP YOUR REQUEST SHORT, FRIENDLY, AND POLITE
Hereâs some sample text:
Know someone who could use my help? Forward my contact information!
If this were a real email signature, the text in blue would link to a ârefer a friendâ page. This page would contain a form where clients could enter the contact information of a friend who might benefit from your help.
On a related note, I sure hope youâre using standalone landing pages with lead-capture forms on them. If you aren’t (and especially if you didn’t understand that sentence), I suggest reading this article.
Hereâs what a full signature containing a request for referrals might look like:
Miriam Bowles | Broker/Consultant
Bowles Realty
(647) 438 ****
22** Dundas Street W
Miriam@bowlesrealty.com
Enjoy working with me? I appreciate your referrals!
DONâT FORGET…
The most important part of getting real restate referrals is following up. When youâre the one whoâs reaching out, youâre bound to reach people who just arenât interested. But being courteous, direct, and respectful of your leadâs time can greatly increases your chance of success.
Want to drive traffic, build your brand, and engage your target audience? Download our eBook: âThe Ultimate Guide to Real Estate Marketingâ. Itâs a collection of some of our best marketing articles, tips, and tricks that weâve collected over the years.
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