How to Get More Listings From Your Sphere of Influence: Where Is Your Next Listing Coming From?
By Ken Gould | Real Estate Coach
Let me ask you a pretty simple question.
Where is your next listing coming from?
Not where you're hoping it comes from. Not where you'd like it to come from. Where is it actually going to come from?
Here's what I've found. Sometimes the opportunities we're looking for are a whole lot closer than we realize.
That's what this week's podcast episode is about.
I Looked at Where My Last Five Listings Came From
Not what I thought was generating business. Where my actual listings came from.
A friend asked me to help his father sell his home. A past client I've stayed connected with for years came back, and that one just went under contract. An agent-to-agent referral brought me clients who needed to buy and then sell. A repeat client sold a condo to move back into a single-family home. And an out-of-state agent sent me friends here locally who were moving away.
Five listings. What do they have in common?
Relationships. Every one came from somebody who knew me, trusted me, remembered me, and had a reason to refer me.
In Episode 4 we talked about picking two or three core lead sources. Turns out mine are my sphere, my Clients for Life, and agent-to-agent referrals. So before I reinvent anything, I should ask: Am I still nurturing those?
I'm not saying stop generating leads. Expireds work. Open houses work. But before you go looking for the next shiny object, look at where your business is already coming from.
A Result Isn't a Repeatable Process
When an agent tells me, "I need more leads," I ask: Where did your last three deals come from? What were you doing before that person called?
Then: What are you doing right now to create more of those?
Most agents can tell me where their last listing came from. They can't tell me what they're doing consistently to generate another one. That's the gap. They've got a result, not a repeatable process.
Got a referral from a past client? Wonderful. What are you doing to stay connected with the rest of them? Another agent sent you a client? Are you building those relationships, or was that just a lucky phone call?
I'll take unexpected referrals all day long. But I'd rather not just hope they happen.
Quick test. If I looked at your calendar for the last 90 days, would I see activities designed to generate your next listing? Or just things that kept you busy?
A Big Database Won't Do the Work for You
I know agents with 10,000 names in their CRM. Anybody can collect names.
What are you doing with those relationships? Are you staying connected? Being useful? Giving people a reason to remember you?
People are busy. They're not sitting around thinking about their real estate agent. They might not move for three, five, or ten years. If the only time you reach out is to ask if they're thinking about moving, that's not much of a relationship.
Send Homeowner Stuff, Not Just Buying and Selling Stuff
Here's what I do. You don't have to copy it. Just look at the principle.
I handwrite birthday cards and home anniversary cards. Not an automated "Happy birthday from your favorite Realtor!" email. People notice a handwritten card. I also send a quarterly magazine and a monthly newsletter, and I just talk to people. Sometimes about real estate, sometimes not at all.
Here's the bigger point. I'm not constantly sending people information about buying and selling. I send them information about owning a home.
Market updates, sure. But also home maintenance schedules for our Arizona market. How to review a property tax assessment and whether there might be grounds to appeal.
Every January, clients who closed with me the year before get a copy of their settlement statement for tax time. It's helpful, and it's a touch.
I'm not doing this hoping someone calls tomorrow to list. I want to still be a resource long after closing. So they think, "My sister's moving to Arizona, she should talk to Ken." Not always right away. But over time.
Build a System You'll Actually Use
"Ken, that's a lot. I don't have time." Fair.
The system isn't the birthday card or the magazine. The system is staying connected, being useful, and staying top of mind. Those are just my tools.
Start with a few handwritten cards a week, or one useful homeownership tip a month. You don't need my system. You need one that works for you and that you'll actually use.
A simple system you follow consistently beats an elaborate one you never execute.
Don't Overlook Agent-to-Agent Referrals
People move across the country all the time. Agents in other markets need someone they can trust with their clients. That can be you.
But it's a relationship. Not connecting on social media and immediately saying, "Hey, send me referrals." Build trust. Communicate. When you get a referral, handle it professionally and keep the referring agent informed, consistent with your agreements and client confidentiality. A good one can produce business for years.
New Agent? Start Now
"Ken, I've been licensed six months. I don't have past clients."
Fair point. You can't manufacture 20 years of relationships overnight. But you have a sphere. You can meet homeowners at open houses. You can start today.
Five years from now you'll either have five years of relationship building behind you, or you'll wish you'd started five years earlier. I think you know which one I'd recommend.
Put It on the Calendar
Writing your lead sources on a piece of paper doesn't generate business. Decide what you'll do, how often, and how you'll measure it. Start with your success number and work backward to the conversations and activities that get you there.
Focusing on your sphere? Maybe that's a personal note to someone you haven't talked to lately, or following up with the homeowner who asked about their value six months ago.
Then put it on the calendar. If you only lead gen when you have extra time, you won't do much lead gen. There's always an inspection or a contract issue. That's the real estate roller coaster, and it's exactly why your daily minimum standards matter most when you're busy.
Your Next Listing Might Be Closer Than You Think
None of my five listings needed a brand-new lead strategy. They came from relationships I built and kept up.
Do I still prospect? Absolutely. But maybe instead of asking, "Where am I going to find my next lead?" ask, "Who do I already know that I need to reconnect with?"
Your assignment this week: Have five meaningful conversations with people you already know. Past clients, your sphere, agents in other markets, somebody who's been sitting in your database. Don't call to ask if they know anybody buying or selling. Reconnect. Ask how they're doing. Offer something useful. And listen. Sometimes the most important thing you can do in a conversation is stop talking.
Then write down where your last three to five deals came from. What are you doing consistently to create more from those sources? No good answer? There's your starting point.
So, what are you going to do differently this week?
Ready to Find Your Next Listing?
At Agent Performance Coaching, I help real estate agents ditch the chaos, stay laser-focused, and streamline their business so they can unlock consistent growth.
Ready to take the next step?
Book a Free Strategy Call — Let's look at where your business is really coming from and where the gap is.
Listen to the Agent Performance Coaching Podcast — New episodes every Wednesday.
Prefer to reach out directly? Email me at [email protected].
Ken Gould | Agent Performance Coaching
