Just came back from a memorial service for a dear friend that passed away at the age of 47.  So sad and so tragic.  I will never stop constantly thinking how grateful I am.  We all have to constantly remind ourselves of what’s important in our lives.

And what’s important in getting listings is something I always talk about and believe in.  Getting them should be easy and free, two of my favorite words (and I am not free wink wink).  This is why I don’t understand why many listing agents do not call their service providers in their city.  Just the other day, a newer agent asked me how to increase their SOI list.

Do you want to increase your SOI list AND get unsolicited listings handed to you on a silver platter?

Call people in your town!

I have mentioned this before that it is free and easy to look up a list of probate attorneys, estate attorneys, CPAs, accountants, tax people, insurance agents, etc in your town and ask them for referrals.

Just call them up and say, “This is Chris Stafford with blah blah realtors and I heard you were an excellent attorney.  Would you mind if I keep you on my referral list to send clients to (they always say yes)?  Great, I will send you my info in the mail (send your card and any marketing info on yourself) and please keep me in mind if I can ever help you or your clients with real estate (and they always say “sure”). 

See, it’s free and easy peasy.  Send them info, put them in your SOI database, call them like the rest of your SOI (i.e., touch them alot with calls, emails, lunches, etc.) and don’t be surprised when they phone you up to see if you can take a listing.

I have been doing this for years.   It’s a great way to increase your SOI list dramatically and have more potential sources of listing leads. 

They are like your birddogs in the community scouting out listings for you. 

I was so surprised last week when an estate attorney called me and asked me to followup with the executor of an estate where the person died and put IN THEIR LIVING TRUST that I had to list the house for sale after death (a first for me).  Turns out this attorney had put me in touch with the decedent months before his passing and he obviously liked me and what I provided.  I am so grateful.

So you never know how these new “relationships” you cultivate can turn out.  So to be an Epic listing agent, PLEASE make it a habit to find and start calling your town’s service providers.

Being in someone’s will as their listing agent ain’t a bad gig!