Directly requesting a referral sends most people into a polite panic. Immediately, they begin to disqualify people out of fear that any name they share will fall victim to a full-court press “hard sell.”
Remember, client referrals are a “big ask.” A true referral is when someone you’ve worked with will stake their reputation on recommending you as their agent of choice. Moreover, the referral puts pressure on someone to come up with a person they know who might be in immediate need of real estate services.
Instead of asking for a business referral, why not ask for professional introductions? The introduction can be non-specific to real estate, focusing instead on recreational and community connections.
Often small business owners maintain informal business groups where they share problems, news, and brainstorm solutions. Here’s a sample prompt for introductions:
“I’m looking for a group of business people to trade ideas with. Do you know of anyone who might be a part of a group looking for new members?”
Transparency within contact groups builds trust. Once you’ve secured general introductions through contacts, it’s often easy to spot opportunities when your real estate expertise might be just the sort of help they need.
It’s important that the first time you meet people, you don’t have your hand out. Instead, build the natural relationship. The money will follow.
