Generating referrals as a real estate agent is a tough job. Sometimes it seems like you are never going to get a customer. Here are some suggestions from someone that has enjoyed a career as a real estate agent.

First you must know that there are two types of referrals that real estate agents are looking for. We need both buyers and sellers. Where we generate referrals from differers from agent to agent. Below are the most effective methods that I used to generate my own referrals.

Sellers would often call the office for general information about our fees, or the local market. I would take every opportunity that was offered to me to work "desk time". Desk time is the time each week that the Broker expects agents to work in the office answering phone calls, and assisting walk ins. When I wasn't in the office I would ride around town looking for homes that were For Sale By Owner. I would note the address and attempt to make contact with the owner. If I was unable to make contact, I would drop them a letter in the mail that gave them some tips for selling their property and letting them know that I was just a phone call away if the decided to use the services of a professional. I would also schedule a follow up call or letter every two weeks. I used the same techniques with the listings in the classified section of the local newspaper. I ran ads in the local papers as well, and usually offered some type of incentive like a free one year home warranty for the sellers to offer with their home if they used my services.

Buyers are a totally different story. When I was a brand new agent I spent a lot of time working with buyers that were not qualified and could not purchase. It did not take me long to realize that there is a big difference between a buyer and a qualified buyer. Most of my buyer referrals came from walk ins. Again I will say be in the office as much as you can. If you are not listing a property or showing one, the best way to make contacts is to make yourself available. The general public is not going to know that you enjoy working from the coffee shop down the street. They are going to walk into that office and the first agent that approaches them will most likely going to end up representing them. After I had sold a property, I would send a "Thank You" gift basket to the new owner. Along with this basket I would send a card that ask if they knew anyone else that might be in the market and how I could reach them. I would generally get one or two names from each buyer. I would approach people that I saw with a copy of the current Real Estate Register in public and just ask them straight out if they were considering buying a home, and I would give them my business card.

No matter what techniques you use, I will say this when you choose Real Estate Sales as a career you will learn that it is a dog eat dog world and you have to be bold and look for ways that you can generate these leads, otherwise you will be forced out of the business by people who do.

Learn more about this author, Regina W.
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