Referrals are a real estate agent’s best friend. Leads who’ve been referred to you are much more inclined to view you in a positive light. Set yourself up for success by making sure you can answer “yes” to all these questions:

Are you easy to find?

Real estate referrals often come years after an initial interaction. This is one of the reasons that followup is so important – not just keeping your name top-of-mind with previous clients, but keeping it easy to find! If you’ve sent a previous client an email in the last couple of months, or a postcard, then your name will be fresh in her mind. Even better, if you’ve given out some business card magnets or sports schedule magnets, your information could be just a couple of steps away.

Are you easy to work with?

Being easy to work with goes beyond being good at your job (although both are important!). It’s often said that people are more likely to remember how you made them feel than the the specifics of what you did for them. Certainly clients are happy when they are able to buy or sell a house quickly, and at a great price. But they also want to feel heard and valued by their real estate agent. They want to feel like they are partners in the process, that they understand what is happening with the sale or the marketing and they know what the next steps are. In an imperfect market, clients are a lot more likely to refer their real estate agent to a friend if they feel that he or she was on their side the whole time.

Are you easy to refer?

One of the easiest ways you can get your clients to refer you is by asking them to share the link to their home’s listing on their social media profiles: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram – anywhere they’re spending time. Not only will this help with marketing for their property, it can also be a boon to your other listings. People are often curious about real estate, so once they click on your client’s listing, they’re almost certain to check out another house or two linked from the listing page. It’s also a great credibility-booster. When your client’s friends need to buy a sell a house of their own, even months or years down the road, your name will already have recognition for them.