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Referral request texts for past clients: 13 messages you can send today

You helped someone buy or sell the biggest asset they own. Asking them to mention you to a friend should feel natural, and it will if you lead with thanks, name a real situation, and never put a price on it. The rules matter here too: federal law on settlement services (RESPA) limits what you can give in return for a referral, so these messages keep a thank you a thank you and nothing else. These 13 texts cover the quiet check ins before you ask, the ask itself, and the thank yous when a referral arrives. Copy any message, or add the whole pack to your keyboard and send from iMessage, WhatsApp, Instagram or any other app in one tap.

Add these 13 templates to your keyboard Add the 6 essentials

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Words in {{double braces}} are blanks. In the textcuts keyboard you fill them with one tap, and the names you used recently come back.

Before you ask

Six months in

{{name}}, six months already. How does the house feel now? If you need a good plumber or electrician, I'm glad to share the ones I use.

When to send: About six months after closing.

Why it works: It offers something useful first, so your name stays warm without an ask.

Gratitude, nothing else

Essential
Thinking of you today, {{name}}. Working on your home with you was one of the best parts of my year. Thank you for trusting me with it.

When to send: Any quiet day, a few months after closing.

Why it works: A message that asks for nothing makes the later ask easier to say yes to.

Share my contact card

Here is my contact card to keep handy: {{link}}. If someone you know asks for an agent, you can send it along in one tap.

When to send: After a thank you or a compliment, once they are settled.

Why it works: It makes passing your name effortless, and no one is pushed.

The ask

A small favor

Essential
{{name}}, a small favor. If a friend or coworker mentions buying or selling, would you be comfortable giving them my number? Only if it feels natural.

When to send: After a thank you exchange or a happy reply from them.

Why it works: It says exactly what you're asking, and leaves them room to decline.

A specific kind of client

Essential
{{name}}, I'm helping more people who are relocating for work and have to find a home quickly. If you know someone in that spot, I'd love to help them the way I helped you.

When to send: When your calendar has room for that kind of client.

Why it works: Naming a situation brings a face to mind faster than a general request does.

After a compliment

That means a lot, {{name}}. If you ever want to pass my name to someone who is thinking about a move, I'll take good care of them.

When to send: Right after they say something kind about working with you.

Why it works: It asks while the good feeling is fresh, and it doesn't ask for more.

They mentioned a friend

{{name}}, you mentioned a friend may be selling soon. Would you pass along my number, or ask them if it's okay for me to call?

When to send: When a past client brings up someone's plans in passing.

Why it works: The friend decides whether you get in touch, so your first contact is one they agreed to.

No reply to the first ask

{{name}}, no rush on my last note. Whenever someone comes to mind, my number is here. I'm glad we worked together.

When to send: Two to three weeks after an ask with no response.

Why it works: One gentle follow up, then you're done, which keeps the relationship intact.

When they ask what's in it

Essential
Kind of you to ask, {{name}}. There's nothing in it for you: I don't give rewards for referrals. You'd be doing a friend a favor, and me one too.

When to send: If a client asks whether there is a reward or fee for sending someone.

Why it works: It is clear and honest, and it keeps you away from rewarding anyone for sending business.

After a referral arrives

Thanks for the introduction

Essential
Thank you for introducing me to your friend, {{name}}. I'll take good care of them. Their details stay between us unless they tell me otherwise.

When to send: The day a referral reaches out to you.

Why it works: Confidentiality is part of the thank you, and clients notice it.

Group text introduction

{{name}}, thanks for connecting us. I'll message them separately so you're not stuck in the middle of the details.

When to send: When a client starts a group chat to introduce you.

Why it works: It frees the referrer from the middle, and respects the new client's privacy.

Thank you note after closing

Essential
{{name}}, your friend closed today. Thank you for trusting me with someone you care about. A handwritten note is on its way, simply to say thanks.

When to send: The day the referred client closes.

Why it works: A note thanks them for the relationship and carries no promise of anything for the next referral.

Referral to another agent

{{name}}, I have a client moving to your area soon. Would you be open to an introduction? Any referral terms between us go through our brokers in writing.

When to send: When a client of yours is moving to another city and you know a licensed agent there.

Why it works: Referral fees between licensed agents are paid through the brokers, and writing the terms down avoids disputes later.

When to send each message

WhenMessageNote
Six months after closingSix months inNo ask yet.
A few months inGratitude, nothing elseAny quiet day.
After a thank you from themA small favorNot during a stressful week.
After a complimentAfter a complimentWithin a day.
Two to three weeks laterNo reply to the first askOnce, then stop.
When a referral callsThanks for the introductionSame day.
Day the referral closesThank you note after closingFollow it with the note itself.

Do not say

  • "Refer a friend and get a gift card." Rewards for referrals can fall under the federal rule on settlement services, and many states bar paying unlicensed people for referrals.

    Instead: Thank people for the relationship. Send a thank you note, and do not tie anything to a referral.

    Source

  • Naming your lender or title company and promising to "take care of" whoever sends business there.

    Instead: Offer a few names, tell them the choice is theirs, and disclose any affiliation.

    Source

  • Mentioning a gift in the same message as the ask.

    Instead: Keep gratitude and the ask in separate messages, weeks apart.

    Source

  • "I only work with people like you."

    Instead: Name a situation you can help with, such as relocating for work or selling after a long stay.

    Source

  • Paying or promising money to someone who is not a licensed agent for sending you a client.

    Instead: Referral fees go between licensed agents, through brokers, in writing. Ask your broker about your state.

    Source

  • Texting a long list of past clients the same ask on the same day.

    Instead: Send it one to one, to people you know, and add a STOP line to any message that reads as marketing.

    Source

  • Asking the week of a stressful closing, a repair dispute or bad news.

    Instead: Wait for a calm moment and start with gratitude.

Add these 13 templates to your keyboard Add the 6 essentials

Works in WhatsApp, iMessage, Instagram, Messenger and every other app.

Frequently asked questions

Can I give a gift to a client who refers someone to me?

Handle it with care. RESPA, the federal law on settlement services, bars giving anything of value under an agreement or understanding to refer business, and your state may add rules about paying for referrals. A thank you note, or a gift sent because they are a client and never tied to referrals, is the safer path. Your broker or compliance officer can say where the lines are for you.

When is the best time to ask a past client for a referral?

Right after a compliment, or about six months after closing, once the move is behind them. Skip the weeks around any dispute or repair.

Is it better to ask by text or by phone?

Text suits a light ask because it is easy to answer and easy to decline. If the client is a close contact, a call afterward feels warmer.

Can I pay a referral fee to another agent?

Referral fees between licensed agents are common, and they usually go through the two brokers in writing. Rules differ by state, so ask your broker before you agree to one.

Do these templates work on the free plan?

Yes. All 13 use a single blank, which fills in on the free plan. The free plan holds 8 textcuts and 1 folder, and imports are never blocked, so you can add the whole pack and pick which ones to keep.

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