How to follow up with a client after referring a contractor

Write down the referral the day you make it. Send a short check-in about two weeks later asking whether they hired the contractor and how it went. If it went well, thank the contractor. If it didn't, call your client first, then the contractor. Then decide whether that contractor stays on your list.

That's the whole loop. Most agents skip it, not because they don't care, but because the referral was a two-line text in the middle of a busy week, and two weeks later nobody remembers it. This guide makes the loop small enough to actually run, with scripts you can copy.

Why should you follow up after a contractor referral?

When you hand a client a roofer's number, your name goes with it. If the roofer is great, you get some of the credit. If the roofer never calls back, you get some of the blame, and you often never hear about it. The client just quietly stops asking you for names.

A check-in fixes three things at once:

You find out what happened. Did they hire the person? Was the price fair? Did the job get finished?
You catch problems early. A client who is annoyed at day 14 is easier to help than one who has already told their neighbor.
You stay in touch for a real reason. "How did the plumber work out?" is a better reason to text a past client than another market update.

When should you check in after a referral?

About two weeks is a good default for most home trades. That's long enough for a plumber, electrician or handyman to have come out and quoted, and short enough that the client still remembers the details.

Adjust for the trade. A house cleaner or a locksmith might be done in days. A roofer or a remodel contractor may still be scheduling at two weeks, so plan a second check-in a few weeks later. If the answer is "not yet," that's an answer too. Note it and ask again.

How do you run the check-in loop, step by step?

Log the referral the moment you make it. Client, contractor, trade, date. A note in your phone works. So does a row in a spreadsheet. The point is that it exists somewhere other than your memory.
Introduce them, if you can. A three-way text or email ("Maria, meet Rosa; Rosa, Maria may call about a leak") gets a faster reply than a bare phone number, and it gives you a record of the date.
Set a reminder for two weeks out. Put it on your calendar or in your CRM as a task, tied to the client's name.
Send a short check-in. One question, easy to answer. Use one of the scripts below.
Record the answer. Hired, not hired, still waiting, or a problem. Add a one-line note about price, timing or anything surprising.
Close the loop with the contractor. A thank-you after a good job, or a calm question after a bad one.
Update your list. A contractor with three good outcomes earns a note like "fast on emergency calls." A contractor with a pattern of problems comes off. See what to do when a vendor you referred does a bad job.

What should you text a client after referring a contractor?

Keep it short, make it about them, and ask one question. Here are five scripts. Swap in the names in brackets.

1. The two-week check-in (text)

Hi [Client], it's [Your name]. Did you end up calling [Contractor] about the [job]? Just want to make sure they took good care of you.

2. The check-in with easy answers (text)

Useful when you want a one-word reply.

Hi [Client]! Quick one: how did it go with [Contractor]? Reply 1 if you hired them and it went well, 2 if you went another way, 3 if something went wrong. Either way, thanks for letting me know.

3. The email check-in

Better for clients who prefer email, or when the job was larger.

Subject: How did it go with [Contractor]?

Hi [Client],

A couple of weeks ago I sent you to [Contractor] for the [job]. I'd love to know how it went. Did you hire them? Were you happy with the work and the price?

I only keep people on my list who take care of my clients, so your answer really helps.

[Your name]
[Phone]

4. The "not yet" follow-up (text)

For when the first answer was "haven't gotten to it" or "still waiting on a quote."

Hi [Client], checking back on the [job]. Did [Contractor] ever get you that quote? If they've gone quiet, let me know and I'll give you another name.

5. The thank-you to the contractor (text)

Send this when the client says the job went well. Ask your client first if it's okay to mention them by name.

Hi [Contractor], it's [Your name]. [Client first name] told me you did a great job on their [job]. Thank you for taking care of them. I'm glad I sent them your way.

What if the client says it went badly?

Call them. Don't argue in text. Listen first, and find out what they want: a callback from the contractor, a second opinion, or just to be heard. Then contact the contractor with a calm, open question, such as "How did the job for my client go from your side?" You'll often learn something the client didn't say.

Don't promise outcomes you can't control, and don't take sides on a dispute about money or workmanship. Your job is to listen, connect, and decide whether you'll keep referring that business. For more, read when a vendor you referred does a bad job.

How do you keep track of referrals and check-ins?

Any system works if you actually use it. Some agents keep a spreadsheet with columns for client, contractor, date sent, check-in date and outcome. Others add a task in their CRM every time they share a name. The common failure is the same: the referral happens by text in a car, and it never makes it into the system.

Two habits help. First, log the referral before you put the phone down. Second, keep your contractor list somewhere your clients can reach without asking you, so you aren't re-sending the same names by hand. A textable vendor list link does that better than a PDF. If you're still deciding who belongs on it, see what to put on a realtor vendor list, and if you're starting from scratch, how to build a vendor network as a new agent.

Doing it in Proferral

Proferral is a free app built around this loop. You log a referral in three taps, or by sending a warm intro email that logs it for you. Two weeks later the referral shows up as a check-in on your follow-up queue. You send it from your own phone or email, your client taps whether they hired the contractor, and the answer lands on the referral. Proferral never messages a client in your name without you sending it. See how it works.

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