How to track which vendor referrals worked out
Track vendor referrals in a log with one row each time you send a client to a vendor: the date, the client, the vendor, whether the client hired them and how the job went. The last two columns stay blank unless you ask, so send the client one short check-in a week or two after you pass along the name.
How do real estate agents track which vendor referrals actually worked out for clients?
Keep a referral log that's separate from your vendor list. The vendor list says who you'd send; the log says who you actually sent, one row per referral, and what happened. A spreadsheet with these seven columns is enough to start, and the Example column shows one made-up referral filled in.
| Column | Example |
|---|---|
| Date | Oct 3, 2026 |
| Client | Maria Lopez |
| Vendor | Rosa Diaz Plumbing |
| Trade | Plumber |
| Hired | Yes |
| Outcome | Water heater replaced in two days; Maria was happy with the price |
| Thank-you sent | Oct 10, 2026 |
In your sheet, each referral is one row across those seven columns. Once a few months of rows pile up, total them by vendor and copy the counts into the Clients sent and Last outcome columns of your vendor list template. Those totals are what you read on your yearly pass through the list.
How can a realtor track which vendors clients actually hired from their referral list?
Ask the client, because only the client knows. A vendor can tell you a client called, and a link can tell you it was opened, but neither one tells you whether the client hired anybody. A one-line question a week or two after the referral gets you the answer, and you write it in the Hired column.
Some clients won't answer, and that's fine. A blank Hired cell is honest, and a guess isn't.
How do I know which vendor my client called?
Write the referral down the moment you pass along the name, before you forget which roofer you mentioned. Better still, send the introduction yourself in one email to your client with the vendor copied in. Then the referral is on record in your sent mail, and the vendor knows who sent the client.
Did the vendor I referred actually do a good job?
You'll only know if you ask. After the job is done, send your client one plain question, such as how the new water heater is working out, and write their answer in the Outcome column word for word.
Here's wording for that message in how to follow up after referring a contractor. If the answer is bad, see what to do after a bad vendor referral before you decide whether the vendor stays on your list.
Proferral keeps the log for you
In Proferral, you can log a referral in three taps, or by sending a warm intro email that logs it as your mail app opens. Fourteen days later, the Today tab reminds you to send a check-in from your own phone or email, and your client's one-tap answer updates the referral. It only knows what your client tells it or what you record yourself, so a referral stays at Pending until one of you answers.
It's free, no credit card needed, and you're never charged unless you choose Pro.