Turn On The Leads
You'll pick the two or three lead models that actually fit you and commit, then build the database that's already sitting in your phone into a referral engine.
Find Your 2-3 Lead Models
The agents who struggle are running ten lead sources halfway. The ones who win run two or three, relentlessly.
The Menu Is Long
Sphere of influence, social media home tours, open houses, portal leads, geographic farming, past-client referrals, and more. You don't run all of them. You find your two or three.
How To Find Your Fit
- Self-awareness, know your personality and your strengths.
- More importantly, try them all, even the ones you think won't fit. That's the only way to actually know.
- From trying everything, two or three will gravitate to you. Those are yours. Commit and go deep.
List every lead model you've actually tried. Circle the two or three that feel most like you. Commit to only those for the next 90 days.
The Database Is The Business
Most agents have a phone full of contacts and call it a database. A database is a segmented, worked asset. That difference is the difference between a career and a job.
Build It
- Every person you know, have met, or have done business with goes in. Start with your phone, your email, your social, your past closings.
- One home for all of it: your CRM. Not your head, not a notebook, not scattered across apps.
Segment It
- A-list: your advocates, past clients, and closest sphere. These get the most touches.
- B-list: people who know you and would refer you if reminded.
- C-list: newer or looser connections you're warming up.
Work It
Now the touches (the newsletter, the postcard, the coffee, the event) have a home and an order. A worked database of 200 people will out-produce a cold list of 2,000 every year.
Export your phone and email into your CRM this week and tag your A-list. Even 100 names, segmented, is a starting engine.
The 33-Touch Referral Machine
I haven't cold-called for business in years. Not because I'm lucky, because I built a machine that keeps me top of mind on purpose.
The Cadence (every month)
- A monthly email newsletter.
- A monthly postcard: just listed, just sold, or a testimonial.
- One coffee date a week.
- A client-appreciation event every quarter, rent the movie theater, invite 100 friends.
Train Them To Refer You
"If you knew anyone thinking of buying or selling, would you feel comfortable referring them to me?" → almost always yes. "Terrific, anyone come to mind right now?" → usually no, but the asking cements it: you work by referral.
This week, send one item of value to your entire database (a market update or a just-sold), and book one coffee. That's touch #1 of the rest of your career.