Simple habits that keep referrals coming
NAR data shows repeat business and referrals from past customers generate far more sales volume than other sources. Broker-owner Eric Bramlett said in HousingWire that consistent personal outreach helps turn those relationships into a business that grows over time.
The most productive real estate strategy may also be the least flashy: Stay in touch, show up and answer the phone.
Eric Bramlett, broker-owner of Bramlett Partners in Central Texas, credits those habits with helping his firm grow to $886 million in rolling 12-month production across 1,528 transaction sides and 150 agents.
“The type of real estate I like is boring,” Bramlett wrote in HousingWire. But the numbers suggest those routine efforts are doing much of the work.
According to NAR’s 2025 Profile of Real Estate Firms, the typical brokerage reported that repeat business accounted for a median 46% of sales volume, while referrals from past customers generated another 44%. Each of the other business sources measured, including social media, online advertising and open houses, accounted for less than 10%.
Bramlett recommends making a few straightforward practices part of the workweek:
- Call past customers on their birthdays.
- Share useful information with your sphere every quarter.
- Schedule an annual review or coffee meeting.
- Attend closings and inspections in person.
- Answer the phone when customers call.
These habits help agents build a business that can continue producing through repeat transactions and referrals. Paid leads, by comparison, require agents to keep spending money to refill the pipeline.
Bramlett uses software and artificial intelligence to track birthdays, gifts and upcoming outreach, but he draws a firm line at automating personal conversations.
“The one thing I never automate is the call itself,” he wrote.
New platforms and marketing strategies will continue to come and go. Bramlett’s advice is to learn what’s necessary, adapt quickly and return to the personal work that earns trust. It may not be exciting, but repeated consistently, it compounds.
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