| Lead Generation 3 Min Read

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 recommended—without 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 network’s largest demographic is still 25-34-year-olds, it’s popularity with seniors is rapidly growing.

In other words: whoever your potential leads are, they’re probably on Facebook.

Here, we’re 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 they’re influenced by it. That’s 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 you’ve disable reviews in the past, you don’t have to do anything to enable them. Having a business address on your Facebook page is enough.

Of course, there’s 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 can’t delete it (unless it’s legitimately unfair…more on that below).

BUT PUBLIC REVIEWS AREN’T 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, it’s 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 leads—especially when you’ve 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 don’t accurately reflect events.

If you think a review is unfair, you can report it. If it’s found to violate Facebook’s 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 wide—and encourage your readers to do the same.

When a reader decides to share your blog post on social media, it acts as an endorsement. They’re telling their friends that that the post (and the agent and team that created it) is trustworthy, knowledgeable, and helpful.

That’s a referral. And your new reader could become a fan or follower—and eventually, a lead.

Why not help more potential leads see your blog content by making it easy for your readers to share it?

HERE’S 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, I’ll focus on the buttons that serve a basic sharing function for Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

TWITTER

First you’ll 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 it’s customized, copy the HTML code for your button and paste it where you’d like it to appear in your blog post. It’s that simple!

FACEBOOK

Most of us have used Facebook’s Like Button. If you haven’t used the platform’s Share Button, here’s 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 they’re 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 you’d like the button to appear in your post.

LINKEDIN

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 post’s “share count” (the number of times it’s 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, you’ve suggested another professional’s services to a client—and your connections have done the same for you.

Connections who provide real estate referrals aren’t doing you a favour. They’re 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.

Here’s how…

SEEK OUT HELPFUL CONNECTIONS

As a real estate agent, you’re probably a pretty savvy communicator. But you’re 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 “People You May Know.” To find it, simply click the “My Network” tab in LinkedIn’s navigation menu. You’ll 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 connection’s network, simply click “See Connections” 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. “mortgage brokers”) into the search bar at the top of your LinkedIn homepage. On the search results page, select “Groups.”

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, they’ll be more likely to connect with you—and 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 they’re looking for referrals. But asking once usually isn’t enough. And let’s be honest: no matter how great a client’s experience with you is, it won’t 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

Here’s 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 “refer a friend” 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 you’re 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.

Here’s 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!

 

DON’T FORGET…

The most important part of getting real restate referrals is following up. When you’re the one who’s reaching out, you’re bound to reach people who just aren’t interested. But being courteous, direct, and respectful of your lead’s time can greatly increases your chance of success.


Want to drive traffic, build your brand, and engage your target audience? Download our eBook: ‘The Ultimate Guide to Real Estate Marketing’. It’s a collection of some of our best marketing articles, tips, and tricks that we’ve collected over the years.
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