What's Holding You Back?

Too many of us are letting business slip through our fingers because we hesitate to ask for referrals. It's always been amazing to me how many agents would rather cold call for hours than ask their past clients for the names of anyone else looking to buy or sell. 2024 is going to be a great year for referral business, so let's start by figuring out how to ask for them.

Something that I've become really passionate about is making easy changes to how we already communicate with our clients to have better outcomes. A great book to read on this is called “Exactly What to Say for Real Estate Agents.” This entire book is all about “magic words” that eliminate the consumer’s ability to shut you down.

For example:

Instead of saying “Do you know anyone looking to buy or sell this year?” you change it to “Who do you know that's looking to buy or sell this year?”

The first option allows that person to simply say “no” and continue on without ever thinking about it again. The second option forces them to think about who in their life needs the help of a great agent.

Ridding your communication of yes or no questions creates an environment where people naturally think before answering. It’s similar to walking into a store and the worker asking “Can I help you find something?” Almost everyone’s go-to answer is an immediate “no, just looking.” If that language were to change to “What can I help you find?” there’s an opportunity to help at a higher level.

Next, think about timing. As you reach out to your past clients and sphere of influence regularly, you should end every nurture call, email, or text asking who they know who needs help. This is how success builds and snowballs into a fully self-sufficient real estate business. It doesn't have to be over-the-top sales-y, and you know your people well enough to know if the time isn’t right. But, a closed mouth doesn’t get fed. The more reps you put in asking the questions, the less forced it will feel.

Are you looking to increase your referral business? Here’s the link to my calendar to schedule a one-on-one meeting to talk through mental blocks, scripting, or anything else that’s limiting your business from its potential.