27 Ways to Get Listings

● Drop By to Deliver a Gift or Helpful Resource This is another old-school method a lot of people don’t do as much anymore, but it’s still a powerful gesture. Maybe once every six months or so, stop by a former client’s house and deliver a pumpkin for Thanksgiving or Halloween, or drop off sweets for Valentine's Day. There are so many holidays and so many cool ways you could do this. You could buy flowers, some succulents, or even teddy bears. You could get them all in bulk, drop by the former client’s home, and then deliver the gifts and tell them to stay in touch. Little gifts like these could go a long way, and they don’t have to be expensive. If your budget is really small, you could forego the gift route and instead just deliver resources. One idea would be to find a reputable florist in the area and get a bunch of their business cards. Stop by your former clients’ homes and speak well of the florist and give out the business card. The florist will certainly appreciate the potential business and could hook you up with discounts or freebies in the future — and you’ve spent no money at all. Something to keep in mind with this method is that you shouldn’t do this with every client you’ve ever had. When you're going after referrals, you should set up some kind of grading system for your clients: Which clients are very likely to refer you, and which ones are likely never going to refer you? Obviously, you should spend your time and money on the ones who are going to give you the most business and send you the most referrals. ● Parties, Events, Networking & social functions Most everyone enjoys parties and gatherings, so go ahead and throw an event and invite your former clients. You could even do this at one of your open houses. If you belong to a local club, that’s an easy way to get your clients into a social gathering. If you’re a golfer, have a golf outing. Even if your former clients don’t attend your event, the invitation is what counts. ● Break Bread Over Coffee or a Meal Events and parties described in the previous point might be too extravagant or large for your business. That’s OK — you can throw a dinner party instead. This won’t cost you much and can be done in your own home, or even a friend’s home, if needed. Even if that’s too much for you, you can always offer to catch up with former clients over coffee, breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The core idea here is to involve your clients in no-pressure gathering that will show you care about them as people and not just as clients.