How to Turn Happy Clients into Referrals

The real estate business runs on word of mouth. Most agents know it, and most still treat the closing as the end of the relationship rather than the point where it starts paying off.

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A testimonial is the natural first step. A client who has just put their experience into words is a client who's ready to recommend you – what happens over the following months decides whether they actually do.

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Ask While the Experience Is Still Fresh

When to ask for a testimonial? Well, the sooner the better. Testimonials are best when they are hot from the oven, so don't waste time and ask right after closing the deal. If you're not sure how to frame the request, what to say when asking clients for a review has examples you can borrow.

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To make sure your client isn’t caught off guard, mention the testimonial request to them face-to-face after the closing. This way your client will expect it and will be more likely to write it on the spot. 

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If a client forgets, a gentle reminder by text or email is usually all it takes.

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Once you have the testimonial, it needs to go somewhere clients will actually see it. Building an online presence with testimonials covers where each one belongs, from your Google Business Profile to your listing presentation.

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Staying Top of Mind After Closing

Most referrals don't happen at the closing table. They happen months later, when someone asks a friend whether they know a good agent. Whether your name comes up depends on whether you're still somewhere in that client's mind.

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Say thank you. A phone call or a small gift card after someone writes you a testimonial costs very little and is remembered far longer than it should be. A client who felt appreciated is the one who goes out of their way to recommend you.

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Mark the anniversary. A short message on the anniversary of their closing is one of the easiest touchpoints there is, and almost nobody sends one.

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Be useful rather than promotional. A note about what homes on their street have sold for, or a heads-up about a local deadline, lands better than a newsletter.

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Ask for the introduction directly. Most clients are glad to recommend you and simply never think to. Naming what you're looking for – someone in their office relocating, a friend who has outgrown their place – gives them something specific to notice.

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Keep the door open both ways. A client who knows they can text you a question two years later is a client who remembers you when someone asks.

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How RealSatisfied Helps You Get New Referrals

RealSatisfied® is a testimonial collection platform that helps real estate agents easily generate new testimonials and automatically share them online.

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The solution offers several different types of surveys and automatic publishing of testimonials to Realtor.com and your website, as well as social media. RealSatisfied creates a beautifully designed graphic of each testimonial and allows you to customize the color to better fit your brand.

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RealSatisfied also gives you a customizable profile page that contains all your testimonials and allows you to “Say Thanks” to your clients by sending them coffee gift cards directly from the platform. 

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If you'd like to see how that works for your own client list, take a look at RealSatisfied for real estate agents.