When to use these past client and referral templates
Use these after the active deal is over. The job is different now. You are not trying to push a live transaction forward. You are trying to stay helpful enough that the relationship stays warm and referrals feel natural. The full real estate email template hub covers the earlier stages.
These emails should feel like check-ins, not campaigns. Keep the useful part in front and let the ask stay secondary.
Home anniversary email
Use this around the closing anniversary or another natural milestone.
One year at [Address]
Hi [Name],
I was thinking about you because it's been [one year / two years] since you moved into [Address].
How is the home treating you?
If you need a contractor, lender, cleaner, or just another set of eyes on something house-related, reply here and I'll point you in the right direction.
Best,
[Agent Name]
Use a real milestone, not a fake one.
Do not make the referral ask the whole point of the message.
Filled example: home anniversary email
A filled email should feel like a real anniversary note, not a database reminder.
- Subject: One year in at 18 Maple Lane
- Opening: Hard to believe you have already been in the house for a year. How is it feeling now that you've lived through all four seasons there?
- Offer: If you need a contractor, cleaner, or just a second opinion on a project, I'm happy to point you in the right direction.
Referral ask emails
Template 2: Light referral ask
Use this after you have already maintained some relationship and you want to make the referral path easy.
If you hear of anyone in the market
Hi [Name],
Hope things are going well at [Address].
Most of my work comes through introductions from past clients, so when someone like you keeps me in mind, it really matters. If anyone you know is thinking about buying or selling this year, I'd be grateful for the connection.
Thanks for thinking of me,
[Agent Name]
This works better after a genuine check-in, not as the first message in months.
Do not make this sound scripted or urgent.
Template 3: After-help referral ask
Use this after you helped with a contractor, lender, neighborhood question, or house issue and the client replied warmly.
Glad that helped
Hi [Name],
Glad that [contractor recommendation / market note / house question] helped.
Quick favor: if you hear someone mention buying, selling, or needing a real estate opinion this year, I'd be grateful if you sent them my way.
No pressure either way. I just appreciate you keeping me in mind.
Best,
[Agent Name]
Name the useful thing you already helped with so the ask does not feel detached.
Do not turn a useful follow-up into a bill for the favor.
Template 4: Year-end referral ask
Use this near year-end only if you have had useful contact with the client in the last few months.
Before the year wraps up
Hi [Name],
As the year wraps up, I wanted to say thanks again for trusting me with [purchase / sale / address].
If real estate comes up with a friend, neighbor, or family member next year, I'm always happy to be a resource.
Even a quick introduction is enough. I'll take good care of them.
Best,
[Agent Name]
Use the actual transaction or relationship context. A vague year-end note sounds like a list blast.
Do not send this if the last contact was a generic campaign.
When not to ask for a referral
Do not ask for a referral just because it has been a while. The ask works when the relationship already feels warm again.
- Skip the ask if the last contact was transactional and nothing useful happened after that.
- Skip it if the client had a rough experience and the relationship still needs repair.
- Skip it when you have not given them a fresh reason to remember why they would refer you.
Vendor check-in email
Use this when you want to be useful first and stay memorable through service, not self-promotion.
Need a recommendation?
Hi [Name],
A lot of clients need a [contractor / painter / landscaper] around this time of year.
If you have a project coming up, I'm happy to send over a few names I trust.
Best,
[Agent Name]
Name the specific service category if you already know what the client needs. The narrower the better.
Do not bolt a referral ask onto every useful email.
Market-update email
Use this when there is a real local shift and you want to offer context without turning it into a newsletter.
Quick market note for your area
Hi [Name],
The market in [Area] shifted this quarter.
Days on market are now [X], inventory is [up / down] [Y%], and homes like yours are landing around [range].
If you want the full picture for your place or for a move later this year, I'm happy to send it over.
Best,
[Agent Name]
Keep the update local and short.
Do not turn this into a generic newsletter blast.
If you use market data, cite it
If you include market numbers in an email like this, use local board, MLS, or REALTOR.ca market data and time-stamp the month or quarter.
- Do not drop in generic national numbers when the client cares about one neighborhood or price band.
- If the data is thin or stale, keep the email qualitative and offer to pull the local numbers before you send anything broader.
Thank-you email after a referral
Use this right after a past client introduces someone to you.
Thanks for the intro
Hi [Name],
Really appreciate you introducing me to [Referral Name]. We had a great first conversation, and I think we're off to a strong start.
I'll keep you posted as things move along. Thanks again for thinking of me.
[Agent Name]
Use the referral's name and keep the tone warm.
Do not overdo the gratitude to the point that it sounds transactional.
Seasonal timing that feels natural
Timing changes how these emails land. Home-anniversary notes carry their own reason. Market updates need a real local shift behind them, because sending one just to fill a calendar slot turns it into noise. And referral asks land better when they follow useful contact, not months of silence.
Avoid the predictable pile-on dates when every agent sends the same check-in. If you want the message to stand out, send it when there is a real reason for this client, not when the calendar tells every other agent to do the same thing.
- Use home anniversaries and move-in milestones for warm relationship emails.
- Use market updates when the local numbers actually changed in a way the client would care about.
- Use referral asks after you have already been useful again.
- Be careful around major holidays when inboxes are full of forced outreach.
How to stay top of mind without getting ignored
Past-client email works when the message still helps the person receiving it. For active deals, the lead follow-up templates cover the earlier, more time-sensitive stage. For the longer relationship cadence, use the real estate lead nurturing guide.
If a past-client email promotes your services, asks for referrals, or sends a market update to a Canadian recipient, check CASL consent and unsubscribe rules before sending.
- Use a real reason to write: anniversary, local shift, house help, or a genuine check-in.
- Keep the ask secondary. The useful thing should come first.
- Write less often, but make each email feel more grounded.
- Test each email by asking whether this client would know it was written for them.