5 SURE-FIRE WAYS TO

5 Sure-Fire Ways to Get More Referrals

Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to market your services? Just serve and help clients all day—it’s why you chose real estate in the first place, right? To help people. But if you ’re like most REALTORS® , you ’re likely working your butt off just to get those clients.

So what’s the answer? Referrals— from your current and past clients, family, friends and acquaintances. Imagine what your business would look like if everyone you knew gave you just one good buying or selling referral. Yeah, savor that feeling for a minute.

Run the numbers. Your average client who sticks with you is worth $25,000 if they move three times (first average commission is $5,000; they move in five years, that’s another $10,000 for the buy and sell. Same with the third move, another $10,000.) Then if the client refers two people, suddenly you ’re talking $75,000. And that’s without marketing, so add in that

by Bubba Mills

savings. Remember this: when you take exceptional care of your clients, they ’ll do your marketing for free.

Referrals are where the money is and here are five tips you can start using today to get more:

1. Make your service downright unforgettable. Past clients can’t refer you if they don’t remember you. Help them remember you by giving them memorable service. Take time to brainstorm ways to increase your service. Remember that referrals are earned, not paid for. By the way, I teach a seminar called Marry Me! Getting Your Clients to Say ‘I Do!’ that gives tips on how to offer service that yields referrals. Visit http://getbubbasnotes.com/marryme and get them free.

2. Cross promote and partner with other businesses. Think about all the local businesses in your city and then ask this question: What can I do to help those local businesses

while promoting my business? Think coupons for your clients and leaving your business cards in their stores.

3. Think A.B.A. —Always Be Asking. If you don't ask, you don't get referrals. Add a P.S. to your email signature. Something like this: “P.S. If you know anyone thinking of buying or selling real estate, please tell them about ABC Real Estate and hit the reply button and tell us how we can help them!” Also, put some serious thought into your closing gifts. I’ ve given Cutco Knives with my name engraved on the blades. Every time they use the knives, they think of me. Give gifts that have a shelf life.

4. Get involved in your community. People are more likely to refer to someone they believe is a good person – someone that gives back to the community. And remember, it’s not your signs all over town that make you a community icon; it’s what you do for your community. Volunteer at retirement centers, help rebuild and paint local parks, serve food at the local soup kitchen, take part in fundraisers and be seen at block parties and street picnics.

5. Show your gratitude when you do

get referrals. Thank your referrers for their help, and keep them updated on how the new relationship is going. The referral system is built on strong relationships and shared value.

Share what’s on your mind. How much time are you spending to get referrals? Can you improve your referral numbers? If not, why not? What’s preventing you from getting more referrals? What successes or failures have you had with asking for referrals in the past? Please send any comments or questions you have to Article@CorcoranCoaching.com or http://www.facebook.com/Corcoran Coaching.

Bubba Mills is co-owner and executive vice president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching. com/programs, 800-957-8353), an international consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and the implementation of sound business systems into Real Estate Companies, Mortgage Companies and Small Businesses. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage companies. To find out more about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1-800-957-8353 or visit us at www.Corcoran Coaching.com.

MELISSA TUCCI

“I provide the highest level of customer service,” Melissa Tucci says, a top agent who services the entirety of San Diego county. “I’m always available to my clients whether they have questions on real estate or non-real estate. If they need an electrician, a plumber, or a gardener, I find an answer. I’m always a good resource for my clients. I care. I’m not driven by monetary reasons. I want to help.”

Melissa has been a REALTOR® for the past twenty years. She started out in yellow page advertising, one of the toughest sells an agent can do. “I was very successful, and I thought I would take it to the next level,” she explains. Melissa has an assistant and markets her properties independently. “I work really hard, and I work a lot,” Melissa says.

It pays off. Melissa has been named one of San Diego’s Most Influential Women in San Diego Magazine, ranked as one of 2019’s Top 100 Agents in The Wall Street Journal, and has also been ranked by Star Customer Service Satisfaction in Forbes and San Diego Magazine. Additionally, she is the only official real estate agent of the San Diego Padres.

Last year, Melissa closed on 175 homes. Her volume per year typically lands between $90 and $95 million. While she works with a wide range of prices, the average value of her properties settles between $800,000 and $1.5 million. Melissa makes sure each client receives the same specialized attention from her. “I treat all my listings as if they’re a $20 million listing,” Melissa says. “They get the same treatment and marketing, because that’s a reflection of me and my business. I want to be the best that I can be.”

When it comes to marketing her listings, Melissa takes a thorough, systematic approach. “I know what works and what doesn’t,” she says, crediting her two decades in the business for her marketing knowledge. She posts extensively on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube, and Snapchat. She’s also a premiere member of Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com. Melissa also uses some less traditional approaches, hosting a live podcast and a radio talk show, as well as appearing on the television show American Dream, aired on Fox and CNBC. “It’s hard work and dedication,” she says, laughing. “I do a lot.”

Melissa is deeply involved with several charities on the national and local level. One especially near and dear to Melissa’s heart is the San Diego Foundation, an organization which funnels money to various charities requesting help. Melissa gives a portion of every transaction to the foundation. Other organizations she gives to include the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Association, and the YMCA. Outside of her real estate business and charity work, Melissa loves to start every day with a run. “It gives me a clear mind,” she says. She also enjoys spending time with her husband and three daughters.

Looking to the future, Melissa is excited to complete work on a project that’s been three years in the making. “I’m building a 29,000 square foot mixed use space. It’s hopefully due to be completed in the next year. It has twenty-two underground parking spots, a restaurant, office space, and five town homes my husband and I will keep as vacation rentals,” Melissa explains. “It’s really exciting to see that come to fruition.”

To learn more about Melissa Tucci, call 619-787-6852, visit www.melissatucci.com or email sold@MelissaTucci.com

KATIE WESTRIN

Top Agent Katie Westrin – of William Raveis Real Estate’s Nancy Hainsworth Team in Guilford, Connecticut – is a talented, hardworking Realtor who is deeply committed to providing her many grateful clients with the very best customer service available in her market. Katie - who has built a stellar reputation for herself on a foundation of honesty, integrity and deep industry knowledge – can boast that almost the entirety of her business is based on repeat and referred clients, a sure measure of the excellent real estate advocacy she provides.

Katie began her journey as a licensed agent in 2016, following a career in construction project management. “My parents, Nancy and Dave Hainsworth,” says Katie, “have been in the real estate industry for twenty-five years. So, I was real estate-adjacent for a very long time. Then, when I had my children, it just made sense to transition into a career that would allow me to spend a little more time with them, so I joined my parents’ team, helping people to buy and sell.” The Nancy Hainsworth Team has long been a top listing team and multi-million-dollar producers, specializing in shoreline residential properties. “I think it’s because my parents have instilled in me that the moves that people are making are milestones in their lives,” says Katie, when asked how she has managed to inspire the loyalty that keeps her clients returning and referring friends and family. “We take our responsibility to them very seriously. Our entire team is very collaborative, and we meet daily to discuss our clients’ needs. I believe our customers sense that they become part of our family during the transaction. The purchasing or selling process can be very daunting for a client, and our goal is to make them feel empowered, to guide them, and to keep ourselves educated so we can in turn keep them educated.” There are many other factors that come into play when assessing Katie’s success story, and chief among them would be expert negotiation skills and a thorough, intelligent approach to marketing that includes exclusively professional photography and deft utilization of social media. The most frequent outcome is a fast sale for top dollar, not to mention happy – and returning and referring – clients.

When she’s not working, Katie enjoys spending time with her family and taking advantage of the outdoor activities available in her Connecticut coastline town. She is also a passionate philanthropist who is very active with the charitable New Haven Mothers of Twins Association, which provides material and emotional support for mothers trying to navigate the world with twins, triplets and multiple births. Katie, who has twins of her own (and an older daughter), was Vice President of the non-profit for two years.

“My plans for the future of my business are to keep serving my clients the best way I know how,” says Katie. “I want to keep moving forward, and to keep working my hardest and in the most ethical way I can to best serve

the people of my community.”

For more information about Katie Westrin, please call 203-509-3619 or email Katie.Westrin@Raveis.com