Your database is the business
A real estate agent’s clients rarely come from strangers. They come from a past buyer whose sister is relocating, a neighbor who saw your sign, a lender who trusts you to close on time. So the most valuable thing an agent owns is a list: every past client, friend, former coworker, parent from school and professional contact, with notes on who is likely to move and when.
This chapter of our guide on how to get more clients starts with that list, then covers how buyers and sellers who find you online decide, the referral partners worth building, fair housing rules for your marketing, and a 30-day plan.
Work your sphere on a schedule
Put every contact into one CRM or spreadsheet. Tag each one: past client, sphere, professional partner, active lead. Then set a rhythm you can keep:
- Past clients: a note at closing, a home anniversary message each year, and a short local market update each season. Ask for a referral at closing and at the one-year mark.
- Sphere: two personal touches a year, a call or a handwritten note, not only a newsletter. Make sure each person knows what you do and the kind of clients you help.
- Active leads: a reply the same business day, then a set follow-up sequence until they buy, list or say no.
Use the CRM you already have; HubSpot and GoHighLevel are examples agents use. Texts and calls need consent and a way to opt out.
How buyers choose an agent
Buyers often start with a home, not an agent: they see a listing and ask to tour it. Others search “buyer’s agent” or “first-time home buyer agent” with a town. Before they commit, they check reviews, whether you know the neighborhoods they want, and how clearly you explain the process from pre-approval to closing.
Since August 17, 2024, under NAR’s settlement practice changes, agents in MLSs that follow NAR’s rules ask buyers to sign a written agreement before touring a home, in person or virtually. NAR says the compensation in that agreement must be clearly defined, not open-ended or a range, and is negotiable. That makes your first buyer meeting a sales conversation: what you do, how you are paid and why it is worth it. Write a one-page buyer guide that answers those questions plainly, and use it on your buyer page and at every first meeting. Check your state’s rules and your brokerage’s forms.
How sellers choose an agent
Sellers compare two or three agents, usually through listing presentations. They look at your recent sales in their area, how you would price the home, how you would market it, and how often you will update them. Bring a written plan with a timeline, comparable sales, the marketing steps week by week, and your communication schedule. Put a shorter version on your seller page so a homeowner can read it before calling.
Lenders, inspectors and other referral partners
| Partner | Why they refer | How to start |
|---|---|---|
| Lenders | Pre-approved buyers ask them for an agent | Close on time with them; that is what they notice |
| Title and closing attorneys | See which agents keep deals on track | A one-page sheet with your recent closings |
| Home inspectors | Buyers ask them who handles inspection issues well | Send clear repair requests, not adversarial ones |
| Contractors, stagers, photographers | Sellers prepare homes with them before listing | Refer them work in return |
| Relocation and HR contacts at local employers | New hires need an agent who knows the area | A relocation guide to your towns |
Be careful with money for referrals. RESPA (12 U.S.C. 2607) bans fees and kickbacks for referring settlement service business on federally related mortgage loans, with exceptions that include cooperative brokerage and referral arrangements between real estate agents and brokers. State license laws add limits on paying unlicensed people. Ask your broker before you pay or accept anything.
Profiles and listing sites
Google’s guidelines name real estate agents as individual practitioners: you may have one profile of your own, not one per specialty, and support staff should not create profiles. List the towns you serve, add a headshot and recent listing photos, and reply to every review. Keep your profiles on Zillow, Realtor.com and your brokerage site complete and consistent. A short neighborhood video on YouTube or Instagram can reach buyers researching a town. Our real estate agent website design page shows how we set up buyer, seller and neighborhood pages.
Fair housing: the rules cover your marketing
The federal Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. 3604(c), makes it unlawful to make, print or publish any notice, statement or advertisement about the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates a preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.
HUD’s advertising rule, 24 CFR 100.75, applies this to written materials such as flyers, brochures, signs and banners, and lists examples of what is prohibited: words, phrases, photographs, illustrations or symbols that suggest housing is or is not available to a particular group; selecting media or locations for ads so that some groups are kept from learning about housing; and telling agents or others that you prefer or reject buyers or renters from a group.
In practice:
- Describe the home and public amenities, not the people who should live there. Avoid phrases such as “perfect for young couples” or “great for a certain kind of family.”
- Read every listing, caption and video script for words that point to a group before you publish.
- When you run paid ads, do not target or exclude audiences or areas by protected class.
- Give your team and any chat assistant the same rule.
- Use the equal housing opportunity statement or logo your brokerage requires.
Many states protect more groups than federal law does, so check your state’s rules and your brokerage’s policy. This is general information, not legal advice. When unsure about a listing, ask your broker before you publish.
Your 30-day plan
Days 1-7: Build the list. Export contacts from your phone, email and past transaction files into one database. Tag every contact, and flag past clients you have not spoken to in a year or more.
Days 8-14: Touch the past clients. Call or write to every past client with a personal note and a short local market update. Ask each one, plainly, whether they know anyone thinking of buying or selling.
Days 15-21: Buyer and seller pages. Publish a buyer page with your one-page buyer guide and a seller page with your listing plan. Run every page and listing description through the fair housing checklist.
Days 22-30: Partners and sources. Send a one-page introduction to three lenders, two title companies and two inspectors. Ask five recent clients for a review the same way. Record where every new lead came from and how fast you replied.
What it costs with us
A 5-8 page agent site with buyer, seller and neighborhood pages costs from $3,500; a single landing page for a listing or a buyer guide costs from $1,200. CRM setup costs from $1,200. Domain and hosting, new photography, third-party software subscriptions (billed at cost), SMS carrier registration and message fees are not included. See pricing, or ask for a free demo to see how buyers and sellers see your business today.
Published . Updated .