Prep Your Sphere for the New Year: 105 People to Add to Your SOI

REALTOR®Mag states, “Every day holds new possibilities for creating connections. When you find people with whom you have something in common, relationships are likely to sprout. They can occur over shared interests—butterfly gardens, Bundt cake recipes, bike riding—or shared friends. Eventually, those connections may lead to business—but they don’t have to start there.”

We make connections every day. Some are specifically for business, and some come from day-to-day activities. We don’t need to flash our business card before the waitress has a chance to greet us because that is not how we build relationships, and organically cultivated relationships are much more valuable. Put it this way, if both a close friend and a stranger offered their services, who would you choose? That’s not to say that networking doesn’t include starting off with who you are and what you do, but you will need to choose what their first impression is of you; Some Realtor Person, or Joseph Agent, a dog person who loves festivals and is also a Realtor. Which seems more approachable to you?

If you’ve made a connection with someone recently and want to mention that you are a Realtor without wanting to come off strong, take advantage of your company-provided newsletter! Email your marketing department to get started. Ask if they would mind if you kept in contact and sent them interesting and fun articles every month. It’s a great way to plant a seed and works wonderfully when paired with a few personal touches, like a phone call or in-person visit.

Don’t forget to maintain your connections, since relationships don’t survive if they are neglected. We can sometimes get so wrapped up in acquiring new business or connections, that we forget about those we have already cultivated. According to NAR’s 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, “Eighty-eight percent of buyers would use their agent again or recommend their agent to others,” but only 11% actually do. That’s a huge missed opportunity if you don’t keep in touch! They also found that “Forty-two percent of buyers used an agent that was referred to them by a friend, neighbor, or relative and eleven percent used an agent that they had worked with in the past to buy or sell a home.” That means that those organic connections that you’ve made may not only result in business directly but perhaps indirectly as well!

We may know who is in our immediate circle, but here are a few questions to help jog your memory and uncover those people you haven’t been able to make a connection with yet. Get started today!

1. What are the names of the members of your family?
2. What are the names of your spouse’s family?
3. What are the names of your “extended” family?
4. What is the name of your best friend?
5. What is the name of your spouse’s best friend?
6. What are the names of your very close friends?
7. What are the names of your spouse’s very close friends?
8. What are the names of your children’s friends’ parents?
9. What are your children’s teachers’ names?
10. What are your children’s coaches’ names?
11. What are your children’s principals’ names?
12. What are your children’s dentists’ names?
13. What are your children’s doctors’ names?
14. What are your children’s optometrists’ names?
15. Who cuts your children’s hair?
16. Who sells you your children’s clothes?
17. Who is on the PTA Board at your children’s school?
18. Who is your children’s Sunday school teacher?
19. Who cuts your hair?
20. Who does your dry cleaning?
21. Who does your pedicures, manicures, facials?
22. Who do you purchase gasoline from?
23. Who services your car(s)?
24. Who do you buy tires from?
25. Who sold you your current car(s)?
26. Who have you purchased cars from in the past?
27. Who cleans your car(s)?
28. Who is your mailman?
29. Who do you know at your church?
30. Who do you see at the convenience store you most often go to?

Want to see #31 to #105? Click here for the full PDF.