Your Ideal Client and Knowing When to Refer
This has come up twice in the last few weeks so it feels like it’s worth revisiting.
We all have those moments:
Maybe you’ve been super slow and are feeling like you would take any client that comes your way, just so that you can have something to do, and hopefully make some money.
Or maybe you are referred to someone, and you know you aren’t the right fit.
In both cases, there are many reasons saying yes might not be the right answer. Note: none of this has anything to do with whether or not they are nice people, or you have the same beliefs that they do.
I’ve certainly said yes to clients, when I knew I shouldn’t only to have it all fall apart. I’ve said yes to showing property in areas that I know nothing about, or maybe it’s a type of property that I don’t enjoy. Looking at 100 houses with an investor to find the best deal is draining to me. While others enjoy the adventure of it.
In all of the instances that I said yes, when I knew I shouldn’t things fell apart before the property sold, or they found a place to buy. The saddest part about all of it isn’t that I didn’t get paid, but that the client didn’t get the level of service that they truly deserved.
Fortunately, I’ve been able to experience the flip side of it to. When I knew I wasn’t the right fit, and referred them to someone else. I can’t tell you how many times they have come back to thank me for helping them find the perfect agent. It’s the best feeling ever!
How do you know when to say yes, and when to refer? It’s worth spending time getting clear on who your ideal client is. Even if you’ve done this exercise before, it’s worth revisiting from time to time.
There are lots of different ways to approach this, but here are some ideas to get you going:
- What areas do you like working?
- Is there a property type that you like best?
- Is there a segment of the market ie. 1st time buyers, move up, downsizers?
Once you’ve figured out the segment of the real estate market, it’s time to think about the clients themselves:
- What do they do for work?
- What do they do for fun?
- What amenities are important to them?
Have fun with this. Make it as detailed as you can.
Once you have this, it’s really easy to know when you are, and when you aren’t the right fit with a client.
It’s easy to worry that saying no means you will end up missing out. But, just remember, what you focus on expands. The more you focus on your ideal client, they more they will show up.
To your success!
Nicole
Signup to receive Nicole's blog posts via email weekly:
Other Posts
Collaboration Over Competition, This Is Your Chance To Learn From The Best
What if you could stop over thinking how to run your business? What if you knew exactly what other agents do to attract clients? This is your chance! Season 2 of Secrets of Attracting Clients starts January 27th and I’m super excited for this years line up! We have 12 amazing sessions, all with ideas…
Read More
How Lowering Your Bar Can Help You Reach Your Goals
January holds a special mix of big dreams and deep insecurity for a lot of agents. If you find yourself toggling between the two – know that you’re not alone. We usually associate big dreams with big actions. So we make long to do lists as proof of our commitment to increasing our income. Often…
Read More
Success Secret: Do Less of What You Like and More of What You Love
This post was inspired by my good friend Valerie Garcia. She shared this note in her newsletter this week: Love by Jon Acuff Want a simle goal you can accomplish in 2025? Do less of what you like and more of what you love. I like watching Netflix. I love holding a book I’ve written…
Read More
Is How You’re Working Really Working For You?
Welcome to 2025! I love New Years Day – the feeling of a fresh slate, a world of possibilities available with 365 beautiful days ahead to create magic. As we embark on a new year, set goals and make plans here’s one question that’s worthy of pondering: Is how your working really working for you?…
Read More
Do All Things With Great Love
Do All Things With Great Love As we head into next week with Christmas and Hanukkah this feels like the perfect reminder. Whether you celebrate the holidays or not, next week can be a bit much. It’s easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of what you ‘should do’ or ‘have to do’. Before…
Read More
Wondering about 2025? Relax, You Already Have Clients Ready To Go, I’ll Show You Where To Find Them
Spoiler alert, you already have clients ready to go for 2025 – but you might not realize it yet. Right about now agents start looking to the new year wondering: Where will your clients come from? Can you do this again? What new marketing plans do you need? How much will they cost? Before you…
Read More
The Real Reason We Started Experiences vs Stuff for the Holidays
We’ve been doing experiences vs stuff with the boys for years. This year we are in Palm Springs loving the sunshine. It’s a tradition we all look forward to. We’ve gone all sorts of places: Maui, Boston, New York, Costa Rica, and Ireland just to name a few. On the last night, we pick a…
Read More
Action Plan vs Business Plan
Is it just me, or does business planning overwhelm you? I’ve tried doing a traditional plan over the years. One where you: Set an income goal Figure out your average price point and income Use that to calculate the number of sales required Break it down to how many referrals to convert to appointments to…
Read More
A Common Misconception About Mindset and Energy Work…
It doesn’t mean you’re happy all the time. Pretending that ‘it’s all good’ when it’s not isn’t helpful. I’ve been doing a lot of teaching around this in my masterminds lately, and it really hit home for a lot of people this week. Emotions are meant to be felt – all of them. They are…
Read More
The #1 Question Agents Don’t Ask, But Should
If I told you one question could lead to happier clients, and more sleep for you would you add it to your conversations? I’ve coached hundreds of agents, and every time I bring up this one question it ends up in a blank stare followed by – I never thought to ask that. Ready for…
Read More