In the real estate industry, networking is the lifeblood for your business. If you are not a natural networker, this just might be the episode that you need to hear! If networking comes easy to you, this episode will also set you up for success! I have learned that networking is not just about the people you meet, but also about how much value you can bring to a conversation.
For a long time, I hated networking. I always thought real estate networking was just about how many people you can meet. I didn’t always want to talk to people, the ones I did talk to did not always turn into business, one and on...I read a quote on LinkedIn from Oleg Vishnepolsky that said “networking is not just how many people we meet, its how many people we help, recommend, and introduce to others.” I love this perspective, andI think this is a much better approach to networking for business.
Networking does not have to be a game of back and forth, coordinating schedules and indecisiveness about what coffee shop to meet in. If you are trying to network more, I highly recommend using a scheduler app like youcanbook.me or calendly (there are others, just google scheduler apps). These apps make it easy to set your appointment schedule, gather name and contact information, and choose a meeting place. I use youcanbook.me to get those ever-important face to face conversations. Once a person selects an available time, it automatically gets added to my calendar, and sets a notification!
I know a rolodex is a little outdated, but It still denotes having all of your contacts in one spot, so i’ll reference it! I think Oleg Vishnepolsky is right when he said “networking is not just how many people we meet, its how many people we help, recommend, and introduce to others.” With that in mind, how can you leverage your list of brokers, roofers, plumbers, contractors, cleaners, and painters to help you network better? Share them. In my newsletter and on my LinkedIn, I advertise that I have an amazing list of referral partners. Anytime someone on my list refers me, I ask them if I can publically thank them on LinkedIn. I take a selfie, write a thank you note, and mention them in the description or comments. This actually drives more referrals, because the people on my list know that they are appreciated!
Here’s what I would recommend...go through your list and create a “top 25” list. Once you have that established, reach out to them once a month (I am starting to do this on LinkedIn) to share knowledge and pass referrals. If you are an influencer in your community, your referrals are powerful!
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