Finding new clients in the real estate industry may be a challenge, however keeping them is another story. According to the Real Estate Connect San Francisco, a mere 17% of people reuse their agents in the future. How do you ensure customers come back to you? Any business owner will tell you that no matter how small or large your business is, the secret to keeping and growing your business is through engagement. Instead of finding the next big client, focus on maintaining the relationships you have formed so far.

Stay in the Loop

There is one primary difference between posting and sending out information to past clients versus new ones: your past clients know you and how you work. Your goal is to keep them interested in you. As the close on a house approaches, send them a memorable closing gift and a thank you note. This establishes a great relationship even after the traditional agent-to-client dynamic may end. From then on, stay interested in their lives and they will stay in yours.

If you’re aware of a family member’s birthday, send them a quick celebratory message. Upon any holiday, keep them in mind and send them an email. If you have a few extra minutes, go a step further and send them a handwritten letter. This shows personal efforts and sincerity while not spending much time on the business side.

Use Your Reputation to Your Advantage

When a deal closes with your client, you have developed a relationship with each other. According to the National Association of Realtors, 42% of buyers and 64% of sellers have used an agent referred by someone they knew. Take that opportunity to stay relevant in people’s lives so that they can recommend you in the future. If those clients have given you a referral, this is your chance to pick up the phone and thank them. Whether the leads have followed through or not, show appreciation for the referral. If the deal follows through, be sure to send a second thank you note the client. Thanking the referee demonstrates appreciation for the past client.

When you have them on the phone to thank them, ask about their work or their family and examine if any opportunities arise to stay in touch. If they have an interest in a home renovation, use your own connections to help them out. The goal is to establish a relationship and find reasons to keep them connected, benefiting both parties.

Have an Online Presence

If you or your agency are not already utilizing social media, you’re wasting the use of an easy platform. Creating posts allows for interactions with your followers. Use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Answer your follower’s questions and keep them up-to-date on your newest deals and events. Remember that an online presence keeps you in the minds of past clients while establishing new relationships as well. Always respond back to clients and post as if you were speaking directly to them, just like a face-to-face relationship. The online connections do not stop there; newsletters are a great way to stay in touch with past clients.

Newsletters allow you to reach out to your past clients and remember your name. The content of your newsletters is critical. Don’t use up the client’s attention span by bragging about yourself. Instead, provide content that is beneficial to them. Send one out no more than once a month, no less than once per quarter. This keeps the clients looking for more while not overbearing them with spam emails. The best way to start is to design your newsletter once and then use the same format every time, just changing your 4-5 chosen articles.

Host Events, Be Personal

Emailing, calling, and sending letters to clients are all ways to keep you relevant in the client’s eyes, however, networking face-to-face is equally important. Hosting events is the perfect way to do this. The events do not have to be grandiose parties, yet, get the community interested in your event. By inviting pasts clients or hosting open-invite events, you will not only interact with past relationships but also form new ones.

Events are your chance for people to associate a face with a name they once knew or will now know. Examples of these events include client appreciation parties directed to past clients, neighborhood barbecues, or a holiday event. These would allow for networking opportunities between your clients and your own recommendations with your families.

Regardless of the size of your real estate company, your main focus after a closed deal is to have the clients remember you long after. By staying relevant through direct messages and phone calls, social media posts, and the hosting of parties, you will be able to do just that.