A good real estate referral email is short, personal and specific: it thanks the client for something real, describes the kind of person you can help, and makes passing your name on easy. Ask when you’ve just delivered value, such as after closing, a glowing review or a home anniversary, and never more than a few times a year.
Below are seven copy-paste templates: an after-closing ask, a review request with a referral line, a home anniversary note, a sphere check-in with a newsletter P.S., a thank-you for a referral, and an introduction to someone you’ve been referred to, written to CASL’s referral conditions. Replace everything in [square brackets] with your own details.
This is general information, not legal advice. The consent rules below are summarised from our article on CASL for realtors, which links to the official sources.
When to ask for referrals
People refer agents they remember and trust, at moments when someone they know mentions moving. Your job is to be remembered, and to ask at the moments when clients feel most warmly about you:
- Within a week of closing, once the keys are handed over and the stress has passed.
- Right after a good review, when they’ve just put their experience into words.
- On their home anniversary, a natural reason to be in touch every year.
- In a seasonal check-in with your wider sphere, two or three times a year.
Make the ask specific. “If you know anyone thinking of moving…” is easy to ignore; “If a friend is wondering whether to sell before the spring market…” puts a picture in the reader’s mind. And ask rarely: a referral line in every email turns into background noise.
Ground rules: consent and rewards
- Email only people you may email. In Canada, a past client gives you implied consent for two years after their purchase of your services; after that you need express consent or another basis. Your closing and anniversary emails are good moments to ask for express consent, as the past clients example explains.
- A referred person can get one email, not a place on your list. CASL’s referral exemption covers one first message under strict conditions, set out in template 6 below. After that, you need their consent.
- Check the rules before offering rewards. Real estate regulators restrict referral rewards in many places, and review sites such as Google don’t allow incentives for reviews. A sincere thank-you is always allowed.
- Every email needs your identification and an unsubscribe mechanism, including one-to-one emails and the referral introduction.
1. After closing: the first ask
Send to: a client whose purchase or sale has just completed. When: about a week after closing.
Hi [First name],
It’s been a week since you got the keys to [Address], and I hope the boxes are slowly disappearing. Thank you again for trusting me with [your purchase / your sale]. [One specific memory: the bidding night, the inspection surprise, the moving-day rain.]
Most of my business comes from clients like you telling a friend about me. If someone you know mentions they’re thinking of [buying their first home / selling / moving to [Area]], I’d be grateful if you passed on my name and number: [Phone]. I’ll look after them the way I tried to look after you.
And if you’d like my monthly [Area] update, which covers what’s selling, prices and the odd home-care tip, you can sign up here: [Sign-up link]
[Your name], [Brokerage] · [Phone]
The specific memory is what makes this read as a note rather than a form letter, so write it yourself for each client. The client appreciation designs include a closing thank-you if you’d like a branded version with a photo.
2. Review request, then a referral
Send to: a happy client. When: two to three weeks after closing.
Hi [First name],
I hope you’re enjoying [Address]. Could I ask a small favour? Reviews help other [buyers / sellers] decide who to work with, and a few honest sentences from you would mean a lot.
[Review link]
It takes about two minutes. If anything about working with me could have been better, I’d really like to hear that too; just reply to this email.
Thank you,
[Your name]
When they’ve posted a review, follow up with the referral ask:
Hi [First name],
I just read your review, and it made my week. Thank you for taking the time.
If anyone you know is ever in the position you were in [season or year], wondering where to start, I’d be glad to help them the same way. You’re welcome to share my number, [Phone], or just reply with their name and I’ll take it from there with their permission.
[Your name]
Keep the review request free of rewards: no gift card, draw entry or discount in exchange for a review.
3. Home anniversary
Send to: past clients you may email. When: on or near the anniversary of their closing date.
Hi [First name],
[Number] year[s] ago today, you got the keys to [Address]. Happy home anniversary!
If you’re curious, homes in [Neighbourhood] have [risen / fallen / held steady] by about [figure] since then, according to [Board name], [period]. I’m happy to put together a more detailed estimate for your home at any time; just reply.
A small request: if anyone you know is thinking about a move this year, I’d love the chance to help. And if you’d like to keep hearing from me, here’s where to stay on my list: [Sign-up link]
[Your name], [Brokerage]
Use real figures with their source and period, or leave the market line out. Our guide to writing a market update email covers where the numbers come from. For a past client whose two-year implied consent is ending, this is also the moment to ask for express consent.
4. Sphere check-in
Send to: friends, contacts and past clients on your list. When: two or three times a year, such as early spring and early autumn.
Hi [First name],
It’s been a while, and I hope [a personal detail: the new job / the renovation / the kids’ hockey season] is going well.
Spring is when many people start thinking about a move, and I’m setting aside time to help a few more families in [Area] this year. If anyone you know is wondering what their home is worth, or whether now is a good time to buy, I’d be glad to have a no-pressure chat with them.
Either way, it’s good to be in touch. Reply any time and tell me how you’re doing.
[Your name], [Brokerage] · [Phone]
A one-line P.S. for your newsletter
Between check-ins, a short line at the end of your regular newsletter does the job without a separate email:
P.S. The best compliment I can receive is an introduction to a friend or neighbour who’s thinking of moving. If someone comes to mind, reply with their name and I’ll take good care of them.
Use it in one issue in three or four, not every month. Our real estate newsletter examples show where it fits in a full issue.
5. Thank you for the referral
Send to: the person who referred someone to you. When: the same day, and again when the referral’s move completes.
Hi [First name],
Thank you for introducing me to [Referred person’s first name]. It means a great deal that you’d trust me with someone you care about.
We’re getting in touch this week, and I’ll make sure they’re well looked after.
With thanks,
[Your name]
Hi [First name],
I wanted to let you know that [Referred person’s first name] [has found their new home / has sold], with their permission to tell you. None of it would have happened without your introduction, so thank you.
[Your name]
Share news about the person you were referred to only with their permission, and keep the details of their transaction to yourself. If you send a thank-you gift, check your regulator’s rules first.
6. Introducing yourself to someone referred to you
Send to: a person whose email address was passed to you by someone who knows you both. When: promptly, and only once without consent.
Under CASL’s referral rule, you may send this person one email without consent if all of these are true:
- The referral comes from an individual, not a company or a website.
- That individual has an existing business relationship, a non-business relationship, a family relationship or a personal relationship with you, and one of those relationships with the person referred.
- The email gives the full name of the person who referred you and says it’s sent because of the referral.
- It’s the first message. After it, you need consent like anyone else, so ask for it in this email.
The rule only lifts the consent requirement, so the email still needs your identification and an unsubscribe mechanism. The referral example in our CASL article works through these conditions.
Hi [First name],
[Referrer’s full name] suggested I get in touch about your [home search / plans to sell], and I’m writing because of that referral. I’m [Your name], a realtor with [Brokerage], and I [helped [Referrer’s first name] buy their home in [Area] / have known [Referrer’s first name] for years].
If it would help, I’m happy to [send you recent sales in [Area] / answer a few questions about the process / meet for a coffee], with no obligation. Just reply to this email or call me at [Phone].
If you’d like to hear from me again, with new listings and my monthly [Area] update, you can sign up here: [Sign-up link]. Otherwise, I won’t email you again unless you get in touch.
[Your name], [Brokerage]
[Mailing address] · [Phone] · [Website]
If you’d rather not hear from me, reply “no thanks”.
If they reply with a question, answering it is a reply to an inquiry, and an inquiry gives six months of implied consent. If they don’t reply or sign up, don’t email them again. The lead nurturing guide covers what to send once a referred lead is talking to you.
Track referrals in OneHive Mail
- Link the referrer. On a new contact’s profile, link them to the client who referred them, so you can see who sends you business and thank them properly.
- Record consent honestly. Add the referred person as a CRM-only contact until they sign up or ask you something. A CRM-only contact is never emailed by campaigns. Send the introduction from their profile as a one-to-one email: it lands on their timeline and carries your business details, and they can opt out by replying.
- Set a task for the follow-up, such as a call two days after the introduction if they reply.
- Tag past clients, so your anniversary and check-in emails reach the right people. A segment of everyone tagged “Past client” in a city keeps the list current by itself.
The guide to running your follow-ups from the CRM shows the pipeline, tasks and calendar in more detail. You can try the templates, the CRM and consent records with a free trial.
Frequently asked questions
How do you ask for a referral by email without sounding pushy?
Lead with thanks for something specific, describe the kind of person you can help, and keep the ask to one or two sentences. Ask at good moments, such as after closing or on a home anniversary, rather than in every email.
Can I email someone a client referred to me?
In Canada, once, if the referral comes from an individual with a qualifying relationship with you both, and your email names them in full and says it’s sent because of the referral. After that you need consent. In the US, CAN-SPAM doesn’t require consent, but every email must meet its requirements.
Can I add a referred person to my newsletter?
Not without their consent. The referral exemption covers the first message only. Ask in that message, and add them when they sign up.
Can I offer a gift or reward for referrals?
Check first. Real estate regulators restrict referral rewards in many places, and review sites such as Google don’t allow incentives for reviews.
How often should I ask past clients for referrals?
Two or three times a year is plenty: after closing, on the home anniversary and in a seasonal check-in, plus an occasional P.S. in your newsletter.
Should I ask for a review and a referral in the same email?
Separate them. Ask for the review first, then thank them for it and mention referrals in the follow-up. One request per email gets a better response.