Realtor follow-up texts and emails for past clients
A good follow-up text to a past client is two or three sentences in your own voice, with one specific detail and no ask. Mention the house or the move, offer something useful, and leave the door open. Copy the scripts below, change the details, and send them from your own phone.
What should I text a past client to check in a few months after they bought a house?
Text them about the house, with one detail only they would recognize, and don't ask for anything. Two or three sentences is plenty. Here are four for different points in the first year.
At 30 days (text)
Hi [Client], it's [Your name]. You've been on [street] a month already. Has anything broken or turned out to be confusing yet? I probably know someone for it.
At 90 days (text)
Hi [Client], how's the house treating you? I drove past [street] today and thought of you two hauling that couch up the front steps. Let me know if you ever need a name for anything.
At 6 months (text)
Hi [Client], it's [Your name]. It's been six months already. Did you ever get the [fence, deck, bathroom] done that you talked about? If you're still looking for someone, I can send you a name.
Before the weather turns (text)
Hi [Client], now that it's getting cold, this is a good week to have the furnace checked. If you don't have someone yet, here's my list: [link]
For when to send each one, see how often to follow up with past clients. The anniversary scripts are in home anniversary messages.
How do I reach out to previous clients?
Start with an honest line about how long it's been, then say something about them, and keep it short. A client you haven't contacted in a year or two will forgive the gap faster than a message that pretends there wasn't one. Use email or a letter for these, since a text out of nowhere can feel abrupt.
The email after a long gap
Subject: It's been a while, [Client]
Hi [Client],
It's been too long since I checked in, and that's on me. I hope you're still enjoying [street], and that [the garden, the kids, the new job] is going well.
If anything on the house needs a pro, I keep a list of people I trust: [link]. There's no need to reply. I just wanted to say hello.
[Your name]
The letter to a client from years ago
Dear [Client],
I was going through my files and saw it's been [number] years since you bought on [street]. I still think about that deal, mostly [one detail]. I hope the house has been good to you.
If you ever need a name for a repair, call me, even if it's been years.
[Your name]
[Phone]
How do you reconnect with past clients without feeling salesy or awkward?
Lead with something they can use, and leave out market updates and asks. A pro they might need, a seasonal reminder or a note about something they told you is easy to reply to. A message about home values asks them to think about selling, and that's exactly what makes it feel salesy.
Send one message, not a sequence. If they reply, have a conversation. If they don't, wait a few months before you write again.
What should a check-in after a referral say?
It should ask one easy question about how the job went. Send it about two weeks after you gave your client the name.
Hi [Client], it's [Your name]. How did it go with [Contractor]? I'd like to know before I send them anyone else.
For the timing, the "not yet" follow-up and the thank-you to the contractor, read how to follow up after referring a contractor. Once a client is happy, asking for a review is a separate message.
Proferral reminds you to send referral check-ins
Proferral lists a check-in when a referral you logged is still pending 14 days later. You send it from your own phone or email, and your client answers in one tap. On Pro, check-ins and thank-yous are drafted for you to send, and nothing goes out until you send it. It doesn't send the past-client texts above, so those are still yours to write and send. See check-ins.
It's free, no credit card needed, and you're never charged unless you choose Pro.