Networking Follow-Up Strategies for Real Estate Agents

Most seller-experts freeze up at follow-up. Not because they don’t know what to do. Because they're afraid.. "What if I'm bothering them?" That fear has quietly killed more deals than bad pricing ever could. Here’s what I’ve learned after 20+ years: Silence doesn’t feel respectful. It feels like abandonment. When you go quiet, clients often assume: ❌ You found something better ❌ You weren’t that interested ❌ You’ve already moved on Meanwhile, the data reminds us: ➟ 80% of sales need five or more follow-ups ➟ 44% of professionals stop after just one Your competitor? Still showing up. The truth is, being strategically helpful is never annoying. But going dark usually is. Here are 7 follow-up moves that add value instead of noise: 1/ Share a Fresh Insight “Saw how [competitor] tackled [specific challenge]. Three smart ideas you could borrow...” 2/ Ask a Sharp Question “How’s [initiative] progressing since we last spoke?” 3/ Highlight a Win “Just helped [company] cut [metric] by 30%. The surprising unlock? [insightful tactic].” 4/ Offer a No-Pressure Give “I’ve got 15 mins Thursday. Want to see what worked for [peer org]?” 5/ Reconnect Through a Connector “[Mutual contact] mentioned you’re focused on X. I know someone who cracked that. Want an intro?” 6/ Use a Trigger Event “Saw the [trigger] news. 3 competitors noticed too. Here’s what they might miss.” 7/ Close with Clarity and Warmth “Sounds like Q4 is tight. I’ll check back Jan 15 when you’re planning next year. Sound good?” Every follow-up is a choice. Be forgotten. Or be invaluable. Your prospects are juggling more than ever. They need what you have. But they won’t chase you for it. So pick one stalled opportunity. Make one thoughtful move. Today. Because while others are hesitating, you’re building trust. It’s always your move. Share this to help someone in your network.

How To Turn Networking Conversations Into Referrals (7 Simple Steps): 1. Getting “Stuck” After A Great Call Most of us get stuck in this trap. You worked so hard to get this call. You jump on, ask your questions, and it went great! Then you realize you have no idea what to say or do to keep the relationship going. 2. The “Open Door” Strategy I ran into this same problem during my job search. And I created the “Open Door” Strategy as a solution. Once I began implementing it, I always knew exactly what step to take next. That led to referrals and, eventually, job offers. 3. The Overarching Concept At a high level, the goal of the “Open Door” Strategy is to create a plan to keep the door open for the next step. When you set this as an intention, you can proactively plan around it. This gives you multiple options to “open the door” no matter how the conversation goes. 4. Start With A Brainstorm First, start by brainstorming different ways you could use to create a “Door Opener.” Ex: You could ask for a piece of advice, then you could ask if it’s ok to follow up after you take action on it. You could ask about a specific challenge, then ask if it’d be ok to follow up with some ideas around it. 5. Keep Several Options On Hand When you book your next networking conversation, keep you list of “Door Openers” on hand. When it feels natural in the conversation, introduce one of them and see what kind of response you get. If they don’t bite on one, introduce another option from your list when it makes sense. 6. Get A Follow Up Commitment This is the most important part. After you use the “Door Opener,” ask if it’s ok to follow up by X date. When they say “yes,” you’ve essentially added a placeholder in their mind for the next step in the relationship. Now you can confidently follow up knowing you both agreed to it! 7. Repeat At Each Relationship Stage The best part about this strategy is that it works at every stage and touchpoint. Your goal should be to never leave a networking conversation without leveraging it. If you adopt that approach, you’ll always know the next step you need to take and your contact will have the same expectations set on their end!

Here’s a simple follow-up habit that led to a new listing... eight years later. After I closed a deal, I started doing one thing: I set a recurring annual reminder in Outlook on the anniversary of the sale. Each year, I’d call the client just to say thank you. No pitch. No pressure. Just a quick, sincere check-in. I didn’t think much of it at the time. But eight years later, one of those calls turned into another listing. Lesson: Staying top of mind doesn’t always require a big strategy. Sometimes, it’s just about showing people you haven’t forgotten them. Sales isn’t just about pipeline. it’s about people. And relationships are built in the moments where you’re not asking for anything. Start today: Choose a recent client Set a yearly reminder Make the call next year   You never know where it will lead.