Congratulations on your real estate licence! Now comes the big question: where will your first clients come from?

For most new realtors, the best place is to start with the people they already know. Your first goal should be to build a database of 50 to 75 high-quality contacts — people who know you, like you, and trusts you, and who could potentially refer business to you.

Think relationships, not names

Your CRM should not simply be a collection of contact information. It should be a list of people you want to build and maintain relationships with. In fact, here’s a simple test for deciding whether someone belongs in your core database:

“Would it be weird for me to send this person a holiday card?”

If the answer is yes, they’re probably not a core contact yet.

If the answer is no, that’s a good sign.

You generally wouldn’t send a holiday card to someone whose name you collected at a random networking event. You would send it to someone who knows you and with whom you have a genuine relationship.

That’s the kind of person you want in your first 50–75.

Who should be in your database?

Start with people you already know:

Friends and family — people who know you well and would be comfortable recommending you.

Past and current clients — some of your most valuable, long-term relationships and potential referral sources.

Prospects and leads — including people who aren’t ready to buy or sell today but may be in the future

Community and event connections — but only when you’ve developed enough of a relationship that there’s reason to stay in touch.

Professional contacts — mortgage professionals, lawyers, accountants, contractors, inspectors, stagers, movers, and others who regularly interact with homeowners.

The key is quality, not quantity

Fifty people who know you well are more valuable than 500 people who barely remember meeting you.

Start Adding Clients to your CRM 

Open your CRM and start adding your Contacts

• Focus on accurate contact info: At a minimum, collect each person’s full name, mobile number, and primary email address. Add their contact information. At the minimum you would need their email address and phone numbers 

• Log the details that build relationships: Use the CRM notes section to record key personal details—birthdays, family member names, pets, occupation, or how you know them. The better your notes, the more authentic your future check-ins will feel.
• Pro-tip for faster setup: If manual entry feels tedious, draft your list in Excel or Google Sheets first, then use your CRM’s import feature to upload everyone in seconds.