For you agents out there, I’ve got a question: have you mapped home anniversaries for your entire database?

What does that mean? When we help someone buy a home, we automatically record the closing date in our CRM. If you haven’t been doing that, start now. If you haven’t done it for your whole career, go back and do it for every house you’ve ever sold.

When that anniversary date comes up—January, February, March, April, May, whenever—you now have a reason to call those clients and say, “Hey, happy six-year home anniversary. Can you believe it’s already been six years?”

Then you say, “Guess what? It’s your turn for a home equity analysis. I like to update all my friends on how much money they’ve made on their house over the last 12 months.”

You tell them, “Here’s what you’ve made. Percentage-wise, it looks like about $22,000.”

That’s a great present to get every year. Your clients will love this.

Second, you follow it up by saying, “By the way, if you know anybody buying or selli...

Let’s say you got a referral today. What's your next step?

You should have a series of steps you follow every time. When you systemize how you approach referrals, sure enough, more referrals come your way.

Let’s start with what NOT to do: We’re not just going to send a silly little gift card or a coffee card as a thank-you. That would be ridiculous. We should do way more than that.

Think about it—this is the apex point. Everything you do with your SOI (sphere of influence) is leading up to getting a referral. And when you finally get that payoff, when someone actually sends you a referral, wouldn’t it be crazy to just send them a $5 or $10 gift card?

That’s why we're going way bigger than that.

So here’s a list of things to consider:

First, call them and thank them. If you haven’t already, send them a handwritten note: “Hey, thank you so much. I appreciate the referral.”

Then praise them publicly on social media. Make a post thanking them. This encourages others in your SOI to t...

Received a referral lately? What's your reward program for the person who sent it? Not about closing deals, but acknowledging referrals. Let me walk you through a five-step plan to revamp your referral program for the new year. You need a systematic approach to increase referrals and business.

Step one: Upon receiving a referral, thank them with a small, personalized gift—$25 to $50. A handwritten note makes it special. Express gratitude and mention you'd love more referrals.

Step two: After the first appointment with the client, reach out to the referrer via call, email, or text. Share your positive experience and appreciation.

Step three: Follow up when the client takes significant steps—listing the house, making an offer. Keep the referrer in the loop, expressing gratitude.

Step four: After closing, send a larger personalized gift, $50 to $100. Show your appreciation for the valuable referrals.

Step five: Do a social media post publicly thanking the referrer. Acknowledge them b...