When I look back across hundreds of coaching sessions with agents at all levels, there’s one piece of advice that comes up time and time again. I wish I started building my database properly from day one.
The difference between good agents and great ones often lies in their ability to build, manage, and service their contacts—not just once, but consistently over time.
Your Most Valuable Asset Isn’t Listings. It’s People.
If you’ve sold 400 homes, you don’t just have 400 past contacts. You’ve got 800. That’s 400 buyers and 400 sellers—each one of them a potential advocate, referral source, or repeat client.
Yet far too often, these people are left behind. They become what we call “orphans.” Clients you worked with years ago who haven’t heard from you since settlement day. And if you don’t look after them, someone else will.
Another agent will befriend them, call them regularly, send them just listed updates, and eventually become the trusted name they think of when it’s time to sell again.
When that property hits the market and you see it listed under another agent, it’s truly a gutwrenching feeling. That’s avoidable.
Two Categories to Focus On
Start by creating two distinct segments in your CRM:
- Past Clients – Every buyer and seller you’ve ever worked with. These are your raving fans, the people who already know your value.
- Task-Oriented Leads – Contacts with clear follow-up dates and notes attached. Every call or conversation should lead to the next one.
The goal is not to simply store names. The goal is to create a living, breathing database that guides your actions every day. That means adding detailed notes and attaching clear follow-up tasks to every contact.
Overcommunication Beats Obscurity
Don’t be afraid to over-service your past clients. Reach out regularly. Provide market updates. Check in without expecting anything in return. Show up with value, not just when you need a listing.
Your database is not just a tool for today. It’s a career-long asset that compounds in value when managed well.
If you’re still chasing the short game—focusing only on the listings in front of you—you’ll never build a sustainable business. But if you treat your database with the care it deserves, and you nurture it daily, you won’t just win more listings. You’ll create a business built on trust, advocacy, and long-term loyalty.
Start now. It’s never too late to get it right.
By Adrian Bo, CEO of Adrian Bo Real Estate Training & Auctions