The house is sold (yay!) and your clients are happy. Now what? This isn’t the end—it’s an opportunity to grow your relationship. One day, your past clients might want to move or sell their property. Or hey, maybe they have friends and family members who are looking to buy or sell. (According to the NAR, 39 percent of sellers found their agent through a referral!) It’s easier to keep a relationship going than to cold call someone new. So why not make plans to occasionally reach out and follow up with existing clients?

If you’re looking for the how and why, don’t worry. We’ve got plenty of ideas.

Snail Mail

There’s nothing like a personal card in the mail to let someone know you’re thinking about them. Holidays are a great opportunity to reach out to past clients (as long as they are the holidays your clients are celebrating, of course!) This also helps keep you top-of-mind in case they have further questions or needs.

Snail mail is also a good opportunity to drop in a business card. Hint, hint. If your card includes a photo, or a handwritten post-it note with a memorable fact about the current market you believe they would care about handwritten on it, or even just additional contact details they might not have had (including a Twitter or Instagram handle), even better! They’ll be able to have new means to reach out, some relevant real estate data to discuss, and easier name-to-face association. :)

Pop-By Gifts

Dropping off a tastefully branded wreath (yes, they do exist!) or a nice bottle of wine is a nice way to surprise and delight when you have an open house scheduled nearby a recent client. (Yes, you can even extend an invite to them & their network!) What’s even better? Choosing a pop-by gift that personally resonates with your clients. Have they mentioned cuisines they love? A gift card to a local restaurant makes for a thoughtful gesture, and shows that you know what’s important to them. (And why you’re such an awesome realtor.)

Holiday-themed gifts are another way to touch base with past clients. Think: sparkles for Fourth of July, or pumpkins on Halloween. Gifts that get the whole neighborhood involved will not only delight your clients, but could also connect you to their neighbors and new opportunities.

Annual Home Reports

While this can be a lot more time-consuming that a gift card inside a handwritten note, an annual home report can be extremely valuable information to have on the client side. It helps to show, based on recent sales in the neighborhood, what their home value is worth. It’s a follow-up that will definitely be noticed and appreciated.

Adding a survey about updates: additions, remodels, and other changes your clients have made, is a great way to establish ongoing rapport with clients, and worth including with a home report. It’ll help your clients better understand where they fit into the marketplace, while reminding them that your expertise is available, should they ever need it. You can even include data about how adding on something recently zoned to be easier - like an ADU (additional dwelling unit) - would affect their property value.

Finally, here’s something to keep in mind with follow ups. Your messages might be ignored. You might not hear anything back from your clients. But tasteful persistence is key (and kindness always pays off!)