How to Get Contractor Leads from Realtors and Property Managers

The average active real estate agent refers 12-15 home service contractors per year to buyers, sellers, and past clients. Some top-producing agents refer 30 or more. Those referrals close at 50-70%, compared to the 15-20% close rate on leads from paid platforms.

Yet only 7% of home service contractors have a formal referral relationship with a real estate professional. The other 93% are competing for the same overpriced, shared leads on marketplaces while a reliable stream of high-intent, pre-sold work flows to a handful of competitors.

Building referral partnerships with realtors and property managers is one of the highest-ROI lead generation strategies available to contractors. The cost per acquisition is a fraction of paid advertising, the leads are warmer, and the relationships compound over time.

Why realtor referrals are worth the effort

A homeowner who gets your name from their realtor already trusts you before you show up. The realtor has staked their professional reputation on your work. That implicit endorsement eliminates the comparison-shopping phase that kills conversion rates on cold leads.

Close rates on realtor referrals range from 50-70%. Compare that to Angi or Thumbtack leads that close at 10-15%, or Google Ads leads at 20-30%. You’re doing the same quality work either way. The difference is how the homeowner found you.

Realtors also send work at predictable intervals tied to the real estate cycle. A buyer closes on a house and needs an HVAC inspection, a plumbing check, roof repairs, painting, or a full renovation. A seller needs cosmetic fixes before listing. These aren’t emergencies where the homeowner grabs the cheapest option. They’re planned projects where quality and reliability matter more than price.

On the Owned and Operated podcast, John Wilson (Wilson Companies) described his realtor referral network as generating 15-20% of his total residential revenue. Wilson’s team maintains relationships with over 30 real estate agents in their market. His close rate on realtor referrals: 68%, compared to 22% on Google Ads leads. He called realtor partnerships “the highest-margin lead source in the business.”

And referral relationships grow. One realtor who sends you 12 jobs a year introduces you to their brokerage colleagues. Those colleagues send their own clients. Within 2-3 years, a single realtor relationship can branch into 5-10 consistent referral sources.

For other ways to build referral channels, read our guide on contractor referral programs.

Finding the right realtors to approach

Not every realtor is worth pursuing. An agent who closes 3 deals a year won’t generate meaningful referral volume. Focus your outreach on agents who are active enough to send consistent work.

Target realtors who close 15+ transactions per year. These agents interact with enough buyers and sellers to generate regular service referrals. In most markets, that puts you in the top 20% of agents.

Pull transaction data from your county recorder’s office or use services like Zillow or Realtor.com to identify agents with high recent activity in your service area. Look at who’s listing and closing homes in the neighborhoods where you want more work.

Real estate teams outperform individual agents for referrals. A 5-person team might close 75-100 deals per year collectively. One relationship with the team lead can put you in front of all their clients.

Also look for agents who specialize in segments that align with your services. An agent focused on older homes in established neighborhoods sends more renovation and repair work than one selling new construction. An agent working with investors sends repeat maintenance and turnover work.

How to approach realtors

Cold outreach to realtors works when you lead with value instead of asking for referrals upfront.

The introduction email

Subject: “Quick question about your [neighborhood] listings”

“Hi [Agent Name], I’m [Your Name] with [Company]. We do [specific service] in [area] and I’ve noticed you’re active in [specific neighborhood]. I’d love to be a resource for your buyers and sellers when [service-specific situation] comes up. We carry [$X million in insurance], respond same-day, and can provide priority scheduling for your clients. Would a 15-minute coffee or call make sense to see if there’s a fit?”

This works because you’re positioning yourself as a resource, not a salesperson. You’re demonstrating local knowledge and offering something specific.

The in-person approach

Drop by open houses. Not to pitch, but to introduce yourself and leave a business card. Agents at open houses are in networking mode. A 2-minute conversation and a card that says “Priority scheduling for your clients” opens the door for a follow-up.

Attend local real estate association meetings and mixers. Most are open to affiliates and vendors. The cost is typically $20-50 per event. One relationship from one event can generate $10,000+ in annual revenue.

What to offer realtors

Realtors care about three things: making their clients happy, looking professional, and closing deals on time. Your pitch should address at least one of these.

Priority scheduling. Commit to same-day or next-day service for their clients. A realtor whose buyer needs a plumbing inspection before closing can’t wait a week. Being the contractor who shows up fast makes the realtor look good and keeps their deal on track.

Pre-listing inspections at reduced rates. Offer sellers a discounted inspection or assessment before they list. This gives the realtor a value-add for their listing presentation and positions you for the repair work that the inspection uncovers.

A contractor on ContractorTalk shared that he closed his first realtor partnership by offering free pre-listing HVAC inspections. He inspected 4 homes for free in the first month. Two of those inspections uncovered repair needs that turned into $3,200 and $5,800 jobs. The realtor started referring him exclusively — 14 referrals in the first year, totaling over $42,000 in revenue.

Detailed reports and documentation. Realtors need professional-looking reports they can share with clients and other agents. Provide clean, branded inspection reports, estimates, and completion photos. This differentiates you from contractors who give verbal quotes and handwritten invoices.

Referral fees (where legal). In many states, you can pay a referral fee to non-licensed individuals for sending you work. Check your state’s laws. Where it’s allowed, a $50-100 referral fee per booked job creates a financial incentive that keeps your name top of mind. Where it’s not, gift cards, charitable donations in their name, or reciprocal referrals serve a similar purpose.

Building the property manager pipeline

Property managers are a different animal than realtors. They don’t send one-off referrals. They award ongoing maintenance contracts and call you repeatedly for the same types of work across their portfolio.

A property management company overseeing 200 units spends $2,500-$3,500 per unit per year on maintenance and repairs. That’s $500,000-$700,000 in annual maintenance spend from a single relationship. Even capturing 10% of that spend means $50,000-$70,000 in reliable, recurring revenue.

Multi-family property maintenance contracts range from $30,000-$150,000 per year depending on the property size and service scope. Commercial property management contracts can exceed $200,000 annually for HVAC maintenance alone.

What property managers want

Property managers optimize for three variables: response time, price consistency, and documentation.

Response time matters more than price. A tenant with no hot water at 10 PM needs a plumber now. Property managers will pay a premium for contractors who answer the phone at night and show up within hours. Track your average response time and lead with that number.

An Ohio contractor on r/sweatystartup described landing a property management contract by offering a simple guarantee: 2-hour response time during business hours, 4-hour response for after-hours emergencies. The property manager had been using 3 different plumbing companies because none could commit to response times. Within 6 months, the contractor was handling all plumbing work for 180 units — generating 20+ service calls per month at an average ticket of $285.

Flat-rate or pre-negotiated pricing eliminates the back-and-forth that slows down repairs. Property managers approve work faster when they know exactly what a standard repair costs. Create a rate sheet for common services: faucet replacement, toilet repair, water heater swap, outlet installation. Fixed pricing speeds up their approval process and gets you paid faster.

Digital documentation is non-negotiable. Property managers need before-and-after photos, itemized invoices, and timestamped work orders for their owners and tenants. If you can provide all of this through a shared portal or email within 24 hours of completing the work, you’re already ahead of most competitors.

Finding property management companies

Search “[your city] property management companies” and make a list of every company managing 50+ units. Check Google Business Profile listings, Yelp, and property management directories like Buildium or AppFolio marketplaces.

Look at apartment complexes, HOAs, and commercial properties in your service area. The management company name is usually on a sign at the property or listed on the complex’s website.

Start with smaller management companies (50-200 units). They’re more accessible, make decisions faster, and are more willing to try new contractors. Large firms managing 1,000+ units typically have established vendor lists and longer onboarding processes.

The outreach approach

Email or call the maintenance coordinator, not the front desk. This is the person who dispatches vendors and manages repair requests. They know which trades they’re short on and which contractors have been unreliable.

“Hi [Name], I’m [Your Name] with [Company]. We specialize in [trade] and work with several property management firms in [area]. I wanted to see if you’re taking on new vendors for your maintenance roster. We offer same-day response, flat-rate pricing on common repairs, and digital documentation for every job. Happy to send our rate sheet and credentials if that’s helpful.”

Follow up twice over the next two weeks. Property managers are busy. A single unreturned email doesn’t mean no. It means they haven’t gotten to it yet.

Structuring the partnership

Once a realtor or property manager agrees to work with you, formalize the arrangement so both sides know what to expect.

Set response time commitments. Tell them exactly how fast you’ll respond to their referrals. “We’ll return every call or text within 30 minutes during business hours and within 2 hours after hours.” Then track and meet that commitment. One missed call can undo months of relationship building.

Create a dedicated contact method. Give them a direct phone number or text line that bypasses your general queue. This makes them feel like a VIP and ensures their referrals get handled immediately.

Send regular updates. After every job, send the referring realtor or property manager a brief completion summary. “Completed the water heater replacement at 123 Oak St. Homeowner was happy with the result. Let me know if anything else comes up.” This keeps you top of mind and reinforces that their referrals are handled professionally.

Track referral volume and revenue. Know exactly how much business each relationship generates. This tells you which partnerships to invest more in and which need attention.

Building these partnerships takes time. Most contractors see meaningful referral volume 3-6 months after initiating their first relationships. The payoff is a lead source that costs almost nothing to maintain, produces the highest close rates of any channel, and grows stronger every year.

Common mistakes that kill referral partnerships

Treating referrals as lower priority. If a realtor’s client calls and you take 3 days to respond, that realtor will never send you another referral. Referral leads should get your fastest response and best service.

Not reciprocating. If a realtor sends you 10 leads and you never refer a single client back, the relationship feels one-sided. Recommend their services to your customers who mention selling or buying. Even 2-3 reciprocal referrals a year show that the partnership flows both ways.

Disappearing after the job. Follow up with the realtor after completing work for their client. Did the homeowner have a good experience? Is there anything else needed? This feedback loop strengthens the relationship and often triggers additional referrals.

Being unreliable. Showing up late, missing appointments, or delivering sloppy work on a referral job doesn’t just lose one customer. It loses every future referral from that source. The stakes on referral work are higher because your reputation and the referrer’s reputation are both on the line.

A plumber on Reddit described losing a property manager relationship after missing a single emergency call on a Saturday night. A tenant had a sewage backup, the plumber didn’t answer, and the property manager called a competitor who showed up within an hour. That competitor now handles all the work for that property management company’s 220-unit portfolio. One missed call cost an estimated $50,000-$60,000 in annual revenue.

Scaling beyond individual relationships

Once you’ve established 3-5 productive referral partnerships, systematize the approach so your pipeline grows without requiring all of your personal time.

Create a referral partner page on your website. Outline the benefits of partnering with you: priority scheduling, dedicated contact, rate sheets, and any referral incentives. This gives you something to send in outreach emails and positions you as a professional who takes partnerships seriously.

One HVAC contractor on r/hvac described building a “preferred vendor” sheet that he distributed to every realtor in his territory. The sheet listed his services, response time guarantee, insurance details, and a QR code linking to his Google reviews. He printed 200 copies and dropped them at open houses over 3 months. Four realtors reached out from the sheet alone, generating 22 referral jobs in the first year.

Host a quarterly appreciation event. A casual lunch or happy hour for your referral partners costs $200-500 and reinforces the relationships that generate your best leads. These events also introduce your partners to each other, which expands everyone’s network.

Build a presence where realtors and property managers already spend time. That means attending real estate association events, sponsoring local broker opens, and being visible in alternative lead generation channels where professionals network.

The contractors who build a strong referral pipeline rarely worry about the cost-per-lead fluctuations on paid platforms. When a significant portion of your work comes from trusted referral relationships, you have a buffer against market shifts, platform changes, and rising ad costs.

Investing in realtor and property manager partnerships is the difference between paying for leads indefinitely and owning a pipeline that compounds year after year. Start with one realtor, one property manager, and the outreach templates above. The first referral usually arrives within 30 days.