Best Ways to Increase Your Real Estate Referrals in 2023

• Why Referrals?
• Being A Memorable Realtor
• Requesting Real Estate Referrals
• Reaching Out
• Nurturing Relationships

If you’re a real estate professional in the UAE, you’re probably thinking of multiple ways to increase your leads. Outside your online listings, how do you connect with potential clients?

Your answer, referrals! When a previous client refers you to their friends or acquaintances, there’s a higher chance they’d want to work with you. 

We’ve spoken to the professionals and created a list of top things you can do to increase your referrals, along with improving your reputation in the real estate market. But first, let’s look into why you need to increase your referrals.

Why Referrals?

As discussed earlier, referrals from friends or acquaintances may seem quite compelling to a client looking for a real estate agent. Having many referral clients pouring in could help reduce the time spent prospecting for new clients. You also have a higher chance of closing a deal with a client that’s been referred.

Mastering the art of referrals (yes, it is an art!) takes time and practice. Here are some things you can do to kick things off.

Offering Good Customer Service

…Basically, be good at your job.

No, really; if you want your clients to remember you, the customer service they receive needs to be beyond ‘expected’. Going above and beyond is a surefire way to be a memorable realtor. 

Some of the basics in offering good customer service include being a good listener and ensuring that all your client’s needs are met. Give them a fair idea of the real estate market, and take the time to understand their budget and what they can afford.

We cover customer service for realtors at Bayut Academy, where we discuss the six levels of customer service and how you can achieve unbelievable service. Join us for the next session, or check out the highlights from the session to find out what you can do to hone your customer service skills.

Asking For Referrals

Small gestures of gratitude can go a long way in building relationships and can open the doors to you asking for referrals.

Send a housewarming gift to your clients after they move into their new homes. Or, thank your clients if they have referred you to someone by sending them a gift. Some examples of things you can send include:

• Clock
• Personalised bathrobes
• A goldfish
• A picture frame
• Personalised pens
• Gift cards for Alshaya or Amazon

Reaching Out

Now comes the important part – building relationships with people you’ve worked with.

• Before you decide to stay in touch with people, ask for their consent. This is crucial because not many people would like to be contacted often. It could be by asking, “Would you be okay with me contacting you three months/six months/a year later?”
• Send them emailers and newsletters on sales trends, using last sold transaction data from Dubai Transactions on Bayut
• Wish your previous clients on their birthdays, or send them a small gift – this could be a gift card or a box of cupcakes.

Nurturing Relationships 

You can manage your contacts with a CRM or Customer Relationship Management Software. Use your CRM to save the details about your clients, their criteria for property and their contact details. 

‘Previous clients’ isn’t restricted to people that have purchased a property with you. In your real estate career, you may come across several people who may back out midway. Stay in touch with them – they might reach out to you later on when they’re ready.

Reach out to them once in a while; send them data, greetings, or just reach out to them asking about their wellbeing. You might have a potential referral in every contact.

Express Your Gratitude

Rewarding your past clients for referring your real estate business can motivate them to bring more referrals. Let your client know that their referral means a lot to you, by expressing your gratitude for even the leads that don’t close with you. You can show your gratitude with gifts, such as gift cards and a thank you note. Ensure you know your customer well and come up with an incentive that appeals to them. 

Maintaining relationships and increasing referrals isn’t something you can do in one day – it takes time and effort to build relationships and trust. Find out more ways to hone these skills and elevate your real estate career with our exclusive resources for agents in our Content Corner on the Agent Portal.

You can also attend our in-house trainings at Bayut Academy, where we delve into skills every top real estate agency in the UAE needs to know to excel in your real estate career.