Your sphere of influence is the most direct path to a consistent referral business. The NAR 2024 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers confirms that referrals and personal relationships are the top method both buyers and sellers use to find an agent. The scripts on this page give you copy-paste language for every SOI moment: the check-in call, the direct referral ask, the market update, and the annual reconnect.
Pair these scripts with a polished real estate bio and a set of sharp real estate slogans, so every touchpoint reinforces the same brand impression.
Scripts for your sphere of influence
Use these eight scripts to re-engage past clients, stay top of mind with personal contacts, and ask directly for referrals. Each runs under 60 seconds on the phone and adapts easily to a text, voicemail, or DM.
Sphere of influence scripts
Script 1: The annual check-in call "Hey [Name], this is [Your Name]. I was just thinking of you and wanted to reach out. How is everything going with the house? Great. I wanted to let you know the market in [Neighborhood] has been active, and if you ever have questions about values or timing, I am your person. If you know anyone thinking about buying or selling, I would love the introduction." Script 2: The direct referral ask "[Name], I am building my business on referrals and I wanted to ask you directly: do you know anyone right now who is thinking about making a move? Even someone who mentioned it in passing would be a great connection. I will take great care of them." Script 3: The voicemail version "Hey [Name], it's [Your Name]. I was thinking about you and wanted to check in. Nothing urgent, give me a call when you get a chance. And if you know anyone thinking about real estate, please pass my name along. Talk soon." Script 4: The text touchpoint "Hey [Name]! Just thinking of you. Homes in [Neighborhood] are moving fast right now. Let me know if you ever want a quick value check on your place, or if someone you know is thinking about a move. Happy to help." Script 5: The market update opener "[Name], I wanted to share a quick market update for [Neighborhood]. Values have shifted about [X]% over the last six months. I like to keep my past clients and friends in the loop. If the timing ever feels right for a move, or if someone you know is considering one, I am always available." Script 6: The one-year anniversary call "Hey [Name], it's been about a year since we closed on your place and I wanted to reach out. I hope you are loving the home. The market has shifted since then, so if you ever want to know what your home is worth today, or if you know anyone thinking about a move, I would love to hear from you." Script 7: The milestone or holiday touchpoint "[Name], I just wanted to reach out and say happy [holiday / anniversary / birthday]. I think about you every year at this time. I hope everything is going well. As always, if anything comes up in real estate for you or anyone you know, please keep me top of mind. It means a lot." Script 8: The social media DM "Hey [Name]! Saw your post and wanted to say hi. Hope everything is great. I have been busy in [Neighborhood] lately. If you ever want a market update or if anyone in your circle is thinking about a move, I would love to connect. Feel free to pass my info along."
For more outreach frameworks, see the full real estate scripts hub and the real estate prospecting guide.
Objection handling for sphere of influence calls
The most common pushbacks from SOI contacts are “I don’t know anyone right now” and “I’ll keep you in mind.” These responses keep the conversation open and turn a no into a follow-up opportunity.
“I don’t know anyone right now.”
“That’s completely fine, most people don’t think of a name on the spot. If anyone comes to mind over the next few weeks, just shoot me a text. I appreciate you keeping an eye out.”
“I’ll keep you in mind.”
“I appreciate that. Can I do one thing? Let me send you a quick recap of what is happening in the market in [Neighborhood]. That way, if you hear someone mention real estate, you will have fresh numbers to share. Would that be helpful?”
“We’re not planning to move anytime soon.”
“Completely understandable, I am not calling to pitch a move at all. I just like to stay connected with people I care about and make sure you know I am here. If anything changes, or if a friend ever needs a recommendation, I am always a call away.”
“I already work with an agent.”
“That’s great, I respect that completely. I am mostly reaching out to stay in touch and to see if there is anyone in your circle who might need help in a different area or situation. No pressure at all.”
“Now isn’t a great time to talk.”
“Of course, I will be brief. Can I send you a text with my contact info and check back in a few weeks? That way you have it handy if anything comes up.”
For more objection-handling scripts across different outreach scenarios, the cold-calling scripts and listing appointment scripts pages cover adjacent situations in detail.
Common mistakes in sphere of influence outreach
The most damaging SOI habits are contacting people only when you want a referral, using generic email blasts, going more than 90 days without a touch, skipping the direct ask, and forgetting to follow up after an introduction is made.
Reaching out only when you need something. Contacts notice purely transactional calls. Mix value touches (a market update, a quick congratulations, a helpful local fact) with referral asks, so each conversation feels mutual.
Sending generic mass emails. A message that references something specific about the person (the house they bought, the neighborhood they live in, something you remember from closing) converts at a far higher rate than a broadcast blast with a swapped first name.
Waiting more than 90 days between contacts. The NAR Member Profile shows referrals account for 28 percent of business for seasoned agents, and that figure correlates with consistent outreach cadence. Aim for three touches per month per active contact: a call, a text, and a value email in rotation.
Implying the ask instead of stating it. “Keep me in mind” leaves the action open. “Do you know anyone thinking about buying or selling in the next six months?” gives the contact a clear, answerable question. Name the ask directly every time.
Forgetting to close the loop after a referral. When a contact sends you a name, call them back within 24 hours to report the outcome. That one habit turns a one-time introduction into a repeating pattern.
The how to get clients and how to get listings guides build out the full prospecting system that sits around your SOI foundation.
Sphere of influence FAQ
These three questions cover what to say in SOI conversations, what a strong script sounds like, and how to respond when a contact pushes back on the referral ask.
Frequently asked questions
Identify yourself and reference your last interaction, deliver one piece of value (a market update, a check-in on their home), then close with a direct referral ask: 'Do you know anyone thinking about buying or selling in the next six months?' Keep the call under two minutes.
A good SOI script opens with a personal reference, delivers one specific value point, and ends with a clear referral ask. It runs under 60 seconds and sounds like a natural conversation, not a pitch. Practice it out loud until the phrasing is automatic and the ask feels comfortable.
'I don't know anyone right now' is the most common response. Validate it, offer to send a market update so they have something useful if the topic comes up, and ask to check back in a few weeks. The goal is to stay in the relationship and keep the door open for the next call.
Personalize and practice your sphere scripts
Personalized scripts convert because they sound like a conversation. Swap in specific details before every dial and practice out loud until the words feel natural rather than rehearsed.
Before each call, pull up your CRM and note three facts: the person’s name, the last time you spoke, and one personal detail (their neighborhood, a life event, a family detail from the closing). Thread those into the script. A call that opens with “I remember you loved the backyard on Elm Street” lands far better than a generic check-in.
A well-maintained SOI database typically holds 200 to 500 contacts for an active agent. Segment contacts into three tiers: A-tier (past clients and close referrers), B-tier (acquaintances and professional contacts), and C-tier (new connections with no transaction history). A-tier contacts receive monthly outreach, B-tier every six weeks, and C-tier quarterly until they become active. That segmentation directs the most personal, time-intensive scripts toward the roughly 20 percent of contacts who produce 80 percent of referrals.
Record a dry run on your phone and play it back. Listen for filler words, unnatural phrasing, or lines that still sound like a script. Fix those lines first, then practice until the whole call sounds like you talking to a friend about the market.
A sharp real estate branding guide and a polished real estate bio ensure every new contact in your SOI gets a consistent brand impression from the first touchpoint. The goal is a repeatable system: consistent brand, consistent outreach cadence, consistent ask.
| Tracker field | What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Name | The contact's full name and preferred first name | Keeps follow-up personal instead of generic. |
| Last contacted | The most recent call, text, email, or DM date | Prevents long gaps between SOI touches. |
| Method used | Call, text, voicemail, email, or social DM | Shows whether you are overusing one channel. |
| Response received | Referral, no name yet, market question, no reply, or callback request | Turns a vague check-in into a trackable pipeline. |
| Follow-up date | The next promised touchpoint or reminder date | Closes the loop after every conversation. |
Video adds a visual layer to SOI outreach. Instead of a plain text touchpoint, you can send a past client a short neighborhood market video showing recent comparable sales in their area: a slideshow video editor renders one from listing photos in under an hour, and a video is more memorable than a call. The how to get listings guide covers how video touchpoints fit into a full SOI prospecting routine.