A real-estate agent explains how to build a referral network that actually works. Instead of collecting business cards, focus on finding one person or one piece of information at each event. Three approaches: target agents in outlying counties that feed your market, find specialists whose expertise fills your gaps, and give referrals consistently so the network returns the favor.
Can you build actual referral and business opportunities by going to networking and educational events? Oh, honey, yes you can. But I want to tell you a little secret to it. A lot of people approach events thinking they alone need to get everything in the room. I want you to go to it though thinking about how your business can change with one more opportunity. So I want you to go to any networking event, any conference, convention, Rotary Club, wherever you go, looking for that one piece of information or that one connection that may scale out into something else. The reason I say this is that too often we're trying to collect people, and you don't need to collect people like business cards. I want you to focus on people. Drill it down a little bit tighter. Find the person you're looking for. And in fact, I love going to real estate events looking for a somebody. For example, I'm in North Carolina. I always need people in outlying areas because our state is just so big. And I do have an amazing network network of REALTORS® in other cities and counties and towns. Well, where'd they come from? Friends, they came from volunteering at the trade association. Some of them I met through my former franchise network. Some I've met through a friend of a friend. But the bulk of my network I met through understanding their hearts and their brains through volunteerism. And so if you go to an event, for example, your state real estate convention, our North Carolina convention will come up in October. I would love to find a REALTOR® in County X. So I'm going to go in room and say, "I'm looking for a REALTOR® that serves this county. Who do you know? Who do you know?" And I want to ask that of everybody I see. And eventually I'll find that person. And they're going to be so excited that I was looking for them. And I'll say, "I needed to add you to my map because I don't have any coverage there, just in case I need somebody for a buyer or a seller of real estate in the future." Because you can build a network that's future casting, by the way. You got to think ahead. Where is my business going to be? Let me go find it. I know that North Carolina is a huge growth hotspot. We have people coming here from all over the country. I want to make sure I know agents in the markets that are sending people here. So you can go to these events and specifically look for a geographical area. You might also go to an event and look for an expertise if you're growing your referral network. For example, I'm a residential real estate agent. If I need somebody that understands the commercial market, I got to go find that person. If I need to find someone who's got a greater expertise in agricultural land than I do, I want to go find that person. If I want to get better at the multifamily game, I want to go find find a mentor in that game. Think about it. Your growth and expertise can come from finding a mentor that can teach you so that they're in your network. And while you're learning, you send them referral business, 'cause it'll come back to you one day. You catch the drift on this whole video series? It all comes back to you. It all depends on what you put out there. What are you giving so that in the future you'll be prepared to receive? The last thing I'll leave you with is this. We treat real estate like it is a solo a solopreneur business. And in a sense, it is. You are only going to be as successful as the work that you do to generate people who want to buy and sell real estate. That's absolutely true. It's not on your broker. It's not on your brand. It's on you. But what I want you to know is this: you're going to get lonely, and you're going to start falling apart if you think that your life is going to be better all by yourself. If there's anything I've learned in all these years of real estate, it is that I don't know everything. And when I go make contacts, I have somebody I I can text and ask a question. And they're going to give me a really good answer so that I can get stronger over here. And that means I've got to put it back out there too. For many years, I received information. When I got started in real estate, I went to every event to learn, learn, learn. And then as I became a more and more successful REALTOR®, I felt obligated to give, give, give. So maybe you're in a receiving season of life. Go ahead and receive it. Show up, get to know people. And then when you've hit that moment where you're able to give back, you won't be new to the room. It'll just be your turn.
