Real Estate Agents: Win Referrals From Your Past Clients in 10 Simple Steps

By Jason Baker

Jason is a full time agent who enjoys training his agents on how to think big and live an incredible life, while providing the best experience for their clients.

How do you get more closings from the people you already know? We’ve learned that some of the most consistent deals come not from cold leads or paid ads, but from the people who already know us.

Today, we’re revealing how we generate closings from our sphere of influence and past clients. Whether you’re on a team or flying solo, these systems and habits continue to drive repeat and referral business for us.

1. Use a CRM and work it. A good CRM helps you keep track of your contacts and interactions. My team uses Brevity to upload our entire database and set up a 90-day follow-up plan. This plan involves reaching out to your sphere every 90 days. Following this structured approach is often what separates successful agents from the rest.

2. Host client events. Plan client events three times a year. We’ve rented out venues like the Willman for concerts or booked the right field at the organ field for a catered event with a couple of hundred people.

These events give you a non-salesy reason to call your sphere and invite them to something fun. By doing this, they’ll associate you with positive experiences, not just real estate pitches.

3. Send weekly market updates. Send a weekly neighborhood market update using your CRM. Draw a map or input a zip code to share reports on off-market properties, pending sales, and new listings. That’s 52 touches a year, keeping you front and center without being pushy.

For example, in Missoula, we cover all eight zip codes to ensure everyone gets relevant updates. In states like Montana, we can’t share sold data due to non-disclosure laws, so check your local rules.

4. Leverage social media. Build a social media presence with 5,000 connections on platforms like Facebook or Instagram, targeting your specific avatar or the people you’re marketing to, not just random friends or family.

Use your social media account to share valuable, non-salesy content. For example, our team sends out a wealth series created by my business partner, who went from a log cabin with no running water to a net worth of over a billion. It’s free, valuable, and positions you as a resource.

5. Practice your scripts. Before calling your sphere, know what to say. Practice your scripts and role-play them. Most agents wing it and stumble, which kills their confidence and results. Get this right, and your calls will feel natural and productive.

6. Minimize admin time. Don’t let admin tasks eat your time. A listing has about 150 tasks, and a buyer deal has slightly fewer. If you’re doing all of them yourself, you’re spending 80% of your time on busy work and only 20% on lead generation.

Get leverage by hiring an assistant, or you can use a software to handle the grunt work so you can focus on finding your next deal.

7. Give memorable closing gifts. Thoughtful closing gifts make you memorable. Skip one-and-done gifts like wine that’s gone in a week. Choose something they’ll use repeatedly, like a branded cutting board or a seasonal item. My team covers the cost of these, but if you’re solo, budget for gifts that make an impact.

8. Send monthly newsletters or postcards. Send a monthly newsletter or postcard with market updates or local events. It’s a simple way to stay relevant and keep your name relevant to your sphere.

9. Invest in professional marketing. Don’t waste time designing your own materials. Instead, invest in professional editing or marketing for videos, newsletters, or other content. This frees you up to talk to more people in your sphere instead of spending a week on a single project.

10. Find accountability. Get a * * broker, mentor, or coach to hold you accountable. They should track how many calls you’re making daily and what results you’re getting. Having someone guide you can make or break your business.

Do these steps consistently, and you’ll likely pick up one or two extra deals a month just from your sphere. It’s about staying structured, intentional, and focused on lead generation. Stick with it, and you’ll build a business you’re proud of.

We’ll cover more ways to generate business in future trainings, like how to convert open house leads and online leads. But for now, if you apply even half of what we talked about today, you’ll start seeing results.

If you need help with strategy or systems, call (406) 552-4443 or email jason@jasonbakerteam.com. We’d be happy to explain how we do it.