Sphere Nurture Workflow
Past Client & SOI Cultivation: Stay Top of Mind Without Being Annoying
Your sphere is your best source of referrals. This workflow keeps relationships warm with minimal effort.
The Philosophy
Be useful, be human, be consistent.
- Don't be the agent who only calls when you need something
- Provide value between transactions
- Remember personal details
- Make it easy to refer you
Tier Your Database
Tier 1: Past Clients (Bought/Sold with You)
Contact frequency: Quarterly minimum
Special treatment: Anniversary notes, home value updates
Goal: Repeat business + referrals
Tier 2: Active SOI (Friends, Family, Close Contacts)
Contact frequency: Monthly touch
Special treatment: Personal, not business-focused
Goal: Referrals + advocacy
Tier 3: Extended Network (Acquaintances, Old Leads)
Contact frequency: Bi-monthly to quarterly
Special treatment: Value-add content
Goal: Stay top of mind
Automated Touchpoints
Monthly Email Newsletter
[Use Email Newsletter - Marketing Prompts]
Content mix:
- 1 market insight (useful, not salesy)
- 1 local recommendation (restaurant, event, service)
- 1 personal note or story
- Soft CTA: "Know someone thinking about moving?"
Schedule: First [day] of each month
Quarterly Market Updates
Write a quarterly market update email for past clients.
Quarter: [Q1/Q2/Q3/Q4] [Year]
Market: [your area]
Key Stats:
- Median price: [price] ([change] from last quarter)
- Average DOM: [days]
- Inventory: [level]
- What this means for homeowners: [plain English]
Include:
- "What your home might be worth" offer
- No pressure, just information
- Personal sign-off
Schedule: January, April, July, October
Annual Home Anniversary
Write a home anniversary email.
Client: [name]
Property: [address]
Anniversary: [X] year(s)
Purchase Price: [price]
Estimated Current Value: [estimate, if appropriate]
Include:
- Celebration of the milestone
- Brief personal touch
- Gentle "thinking about your next move?" (optional)
- Reminder you're here for referrals
Schedule: Anniversary date each year
Personal Touchpoints
Post-Transaction Sequence
Closing Day:
[Congratulations message - from Buyer/Listing Workflow]
30 Days:
[Use Past Client Check-In - Client Communication]
Focus: How are they settling in?
Deliver: Any promised referrals (landscaper, etc.)
90 Days:
Write a 90-day check-in email.
Client: [name]
Property: [address]
Focus:
- Hope the house is feeling like home
- One tip for new homeowners (seasonal relevant)
- Offer to answer any questions
- No referral ask yet
Personal touch: Reference something specific from transaction
6 Months:
[Use Past Client Check-In - Client Communication]
Include:
- Genuine curiosity about their life
- Light market mention if relevant
- Soft referral mention
12 Months:
[Use Home Anniversary email above]
Life Event Recognition
[Use Sphere Touch - Client Communication]
Trigger: [birthday, job change, baby, engagement, etc.]
Keep it: Personal, brief, no business
Pro tip: Set Google alerts or check LinkedIn for life updates.
"Thinking of You" Touches
Random value-add messages:
Write a quick "thought of you" email.
Contact: [name]
Why I Thought of Them: [article, restaurant, event related to their interests]
Our Relationship: [past client, friend, referral partner]
Requirements:
- Under 50 words
- Zero business ask
- Genuinely helpful/interesting
- Easy to respond to (or not)
Referral Partner Nurture
Stay in Touch
Write a check-in email to a referral partner.
Partner: [name]
Their Business: [what they do]
Last Interaction: [when]
Recent Referrals: [any to acknowledge?]
Include:
- Genuine interest in their business
- Offer to send referrals their way
- Any value you can provide
- Coffee/lunch invitation if appropriate
Frequency: Quarterly for active partners
Thank You for Referrals
Write a thank-you for a referral.
Referrer: [name]
Who They Referred: [name]
Status: [met with them / working with them / closed]
Requirements:
- Immediate (within 24 hours)
- Specific acknowledgment
- Update on status
- Express genuine gratitude
- Under 75 words
Send regardless of outcome. Even if the referral doesn't pan out.
Content Ideas by Quarter
Q1 (Jan-Mar)
- Market predictions / year ahead
- Spring selling prep tips
- Tax-related reminders for homeowners
Q2 (Apr-Jun)
- Peak season market updates
- Home maintenance spring checklist
- Moving season tips
Q3 (Jul-Sep)
- Mid-year market review
- Summer home improvement ideas
- Back-to-school neighborhood guides
Q4 (Oct-Dec)
- Year-end market wrap-up
- Holiday home tips
- Gratitude / thank you messages
Annual Sphere Audit
Every January, review your database:
- Who moved up a tier? (Provided referrals, repeat business)
- Who moved down? (Unresponsive, lost contact)
- Who's missing? (New connections to add)
- What worked? (Which touches got responses)
- What didn't? (What to stop doing)
Create annual database audit summary.
Total contacts: [number]
Tier 1 (past clients): [number]
Tier 2 (active SOI): [number]
Tier 3 (extended): [number]
Changes needed:
- Move up: [names]
- Move down: [names]
- Add: [names]
- Remove: [names]
Goal for this year: [specific referral/repeat goal]
Automation Setup
What to automate:
- Monthly newsletter send
- Birthday reminders
- Anniversary reminders
- Quarterly market update send
What NOT to automate:
- Personal messages
- Referral thank-yous
- Life event recognition
- Anything requiring personal touch
Sphere Nurture Checklist
ANNUAL SPHERE PLAN
□ Monthly
□ Email newsletter
□ 5 personal "thinking of you" touches
□ Respond to social media (comments, DMs)
□ Quarterly
□ Market update email
□ Referral partner check-ins
□ Review Tier 1 contacts for personal outreach
□ Annually
□ Database audit
□ Anniversary cards/emails (automate reminders)
□ Birthday acknowledgments (automate reminders)
□ Holiday message to sphere
□ Ongoing
□ Thank referrers within 24 hours
□ Life event recognition as they happen
□ Deliver on promises (referrals, intros)
Success Metrics
Track:
- Referrals received (goal: [X] per year)
- Repeat clients (goal: [X] per year)
- Newsletter open rate (benchmark: 20%+)
- Responses to personal touches
- Sphere growth (net new contacts)
From the AI Acceleration Resource Room