Just because you’ve finished up work with a client doesn’t mean they should never hear from you again. There are three main reasons why you would want to continue to follow up with past clients:

1. It makes you look good – by sending past clients a thank you card a few times a year it shows that you still appreciate them and that builds up good will toward you.
2. You took care of them, they’ll take care of you – if they’re impressed and really liked you, they’ll refer your service to others.
3. They may move again! – if they need a real estate professional again (even if just to refinance) they should call you because they already know and trust you.

You can send past clients a small gift and a thank you every quarter – something as little as a $5 gift card or if you really got to know them and their tastes, get them something more personal they can keep (for example, if they collected a type of figurine, you could add to their collection). This way they always have something in their home to remind them of you. Send them your gift and a thank you card along with 10 business cards, thanking them for any referrals they send your way.

Recommendation: Business card magnets are a GREAT marketing tool. You can order personalized magnets from a website like MagnetStreet.com. The important thing is to make sure the magnet has something USEFUL on it. Include your picture, logo and contact information but keep it small, reserving the rest of the magnet for something like the names and phone numbers of some great local restaurants or local recreational spots (a family fun center, movie theater, bowling alley, etc). You could even make a magnet with various local sports team’s schedules on it (of course, you’d have to make new ones every year). Just be creative and make sure it’s something useful that they will keep around. It’s a tool that is constantly marketing you to them because they see it everyday and will think of you when they look at it.

You should also keep important dates in mind when following up with past clients, including birthdays, anniversaries and holidays – any excuse to send them a card with your information. You may remember that Saturn used to be HUGE because they bought you flowers when you bought a car with them and then a year from the date of purchase they sent a birthday card to your car. They did something no one else was doing, and their sales reflected that – and yours will too, if you think outside the box! Don’t forget to send them a card on the anniversary of their home purchase!

**IMPORTANT** Keep in mind, all of these ideas should be an OUTSIDE drip campaign – your past clients should always be getting your monthly/quarterly newsletter, any coupon emails you send out, etc.

Another HUGE section of past client follow up is a settlement gift. You want to make sure your settlement gift is something that creates a long lasting impression, something that will stay with them forever and indicate who their agent was as a constant reminder. The gift should have your information somewhere on it in case they ever need an agent again or they want to refer you to their friends. Two great sites for personalized gifts are PersonalCreations.com and ThingsRemembered.com. Your main criteria for choosing a gift is: something creative, something they will keep for a long while and something that can have your information on it.

Suggestions:

• A high quality set of mugs (With a ‘thank you,’ the date and your information etched really small.)
• A framed picture of the home (Use PhotoShop to make it look like a painting, take it to a printer, frame it and sign it as if you were the artist.)
• A stitched blanket with a scene of their property (Again, have your information somewhere on it.)
• An elegant mantle clock (Engraved with the date they moved, a “thank you” and your name.)
• A picture gift set (Including an expensive frame engraved with your information and an elegant leather photo album, also engraved, in which you can put the picture you took of the homeowners outside their new home.)