Show Some Client Appreciation with These Referral-Producing Events

Client appreciation events are about showing gratitude, but they’re also an exceptionally effective way to capture referrals and generate a surplus of goodwill.

Hosting events for high-net-worth clients in the financial industry is a well-established practice, but real estate client appreciation events, in particular, seem to be coming into their own. During the past two years, a noticeable number of our guests on Stay Paid have spoken to us about the benefits of organizing events for their real estate clients.

In this second installment of our year in review, we’ve selected some of the best-of-the-best advice for hosting client events from guests we’ve interviewed in 2023 (plus a bit of our own). Use these ideas and tips to plan an outstanding event where everyone has a memorably good time, and you’ll set the stage for referrals and more new business.

Stay Paid Episode 491

From this episode, we’ve pulled a clip that specifically addresses how you can work with your referral partners to get them to willingly cover the cost of an event. We also explain how you can connect with your clients before, during, and after the affair in meaningful ways to remain top of mind.

Shannon Gillette

Shannon Gillette is a Stay Paid favorite. A Realtor^® and founder of the Gillette Group in Phoenix, Arizona, she’s appeared on the CBS and HGTV networks and has enjoyed more than 10 years of record-breaking results. She and her team host multiple client events every year, but in this clip she speaks about her holiday charity event—which is our favorite idea for reasons that soon become apparent when you listen to her interview.

@lukeacree on Instagram

If you’ve been a consistent listener of our podcast, you likely know one of Luke’s brothers, Stephen Acree, has a highly successful real estate business in Lynchburg, Virginia. In this Instagram reel, Luke explains how Stephen coordinated an event with a local business to not only show his appreciation but also collect nearly 70 Google reviews.

Garrett Maroon

This next client event idea comes to us courtesy of Garrett Maroon, team leader of the Maroon Group in Chesapeake, Virginia. In 2022, he closed 88 deals—all of them initiated through referrals. Garrett knows the value of connecting with his clients, and each year he plans an easy, highly popular, and inexpensive event that draws families together and gives him a chance to do something a little extra special for his top clients.

Stay Paid Episode 431

This final clip isn’t about a specific client event; rather, it explains why client events work as well as they do to garner new business. And once you understand that, you can apply the same principle to your other client touchpoints and establish yourself as the industry expert in your market.  

We hope you enjoy this episode and act on the advice Luke offers at the end. We’d also appreciate it if you took a moment to leave us a 5-star review and comment on Apple Podcasts. (We read them on air!) Thanks for listening!

Connect | Resources

• Blog: “How Million-Dollar Agents Use Client Appreciation Events to Get Referrals”
• Free printable: Real Estate Referral Partner Worksheet

You can get more free resources, including e-books, printables, and lead magnets to attract new leads, by visiting our Resource Library.

Are you interested in working with Luke and Josh to improve your marketing, get more referrals, enjoy more repeat business, and begin living the life of freedom you deserve? CLICK HERE and get a special offer just for Stay Paid listeners!