The 4 reasons Referrals are important:

You didn’t provide high quality service. Providing high quality service isn’t enough to guarantee a recommendation, but think of it as a prerequisite. If you’re not providing high quality service, you can spend endless time and money on boosting recommendations and referrals without seeing any results. Get this squared away before you move on to other issues.

You didn’t ask. This is a big one. If you’ve provided great service, most of your clients would be happy to recommend you. But they might not even realize that’s a big part of your business. Plenty of clients have no idea how the business of real estate operates, so it might not even occur to them to refer business to you. They might even think you’re too busy for more business. One way to make it crystal clear is simply to ask. Don’t be aggressive or pushy, but make sure they know that you’d love to help out any friends or family members who need real estate assistance.

You didn’t acknowledge a past referral. People want to feel appreciated. If one of your clients gives you a glowing recommendation, and they never hear anything from you, they are unlikely to do it again. Make sure you convey your sincere gratitude not only for the referral and the business, but for their faith in you. A small gift along with a thank you note is a great way to let them know how grateful you are that they would recommend your services.

They don’t remember you. If you provided exceptional service, your customers will remember you… for a little while. But two, three, or five years down the road, they may not immediately think of you when a friend is looking for a realtor. Ideally, you want your clients to associate you so strongly with real estate that when they hear about someone selling or buying a house, they jump in with, “I know a great agent!” Make sure they do by staying in touch on a regular basis, sending small gifts or notes for major occasions, and providing ongoing useful content via newsletters. Remember to get to know them during the real estate transaction- their birthday, families, hobbies, etc. This will help you in sending small gifts with personalized notes.