How to Get More Agent-to-Agent Referrals
Leads come in through past clients or friends and family. However, there’s another segment that agents should consider and take advantage of: agent referrals. Eli Torres, team leader of the One Sixteen Group at Keller Williams Realty in Houston, Texas shares tips on how to increase your agent referrals with some good networking.
When Eli first moved to Texas, he didn’t have a sphere of influence. He came from Puerto Rico and was new to the business. In a class by Keller Williams called Bold, where he attended, he was supposed to make 100 calls in one day to your sphere of influence. Since he didn’t have a sphere of influence, he called two Keller Williams’ agents from each state, totaling 100 calls a day. And that was the start.
Ways Eli Built His Agent Referral Business
In 2014, Eli hopped into social media and created a Facebook group for real estate professionals. It’s a private, invitation only place for real estate professionals to vent and talk about real estate. He expected a couple hundred people would join the group but as of video recording, it has 15,000 members. This Facebook group became part his sphere. If someone in the Facebook group is looking for a real estate agent in Houston, they come to him. Or, sometimes they’ll post that request in the group, and he will jump on it. Others will also add in the comments and say things like “Contact Eli, he’s in Houston.” In a way, it becomes a fan group for the real estate pros inside that group specifically.
Another way to build your agent referral network Eli shared is at franchise meetings. You can do the same at Leading Real Estate Companies of the World or through the state and national Associations of Realtors. Reach out to agents in your database and let them know you’re attending so you can arrange a meeting, or just have a drink.
There are plenty of opportunities to mingle and network with other agents locally. People in Eli’s Facebook group have organized meetups which they call “Llama meetups.” They get at least 120 people at those meetups.
Eli mentioned that they use the same touchpoints with agents that they use with their prospective clients and customers. For example, the out-of-town real estate agents in their database, they sent them a Houston Emergency Kit that included freeze-dried astronaut ice cream and other items related to their city to help them make the connection that they can refer business to us. They’d also send video emails through BombBomb so the agents can put a face with the name.
Building an agent referral network needs to have trust and relationship. Provide great value to other agents and you’ll become the name they think of when they need to refer a buyer or seller to your area. Increase your real estate business with networking.
