August 28
Referrals: The Secret to Growing Your Business Fast
If you’ve ever chased leads wondering why referrals seem elusive, this episode is your reset.
The truth? Referrals are not luck—they’re a system. In this solo episode, I walk through my 5-step system (PDA formula) and show how you can make referrals a reliable, central part of your business — without cold calls or hype.
You’ll learn:
Why referrals should be the heart of your growth engine
How authenticity strengthens your brand, not weakens it
The core touchpoints that keep you top-of-mind
What to measure (beyond just closings)
How consistency—and faith—fuel momentum
If you’re ready to stop chasing leads and let your relationships pull opportunities toward you — this episode is your turning point.
Next Steps
Take action: Choose one of the five steps and apply it today
Send this to a colleague who still doubts referrals
Leave a review so more agents can break free from cold outreach
Transcript & Highlights
I share my story of closing 650 homes by referral and what changed when I redefined my growth strategy.
Introduction
Most agents think referrals are unpredictable and sporadic, but what if I told you there's a simple five-step system to make referrals not just reliable, but the cornerstone of your business?
Hey, I'm Garrett Maroon, author of The Balance Breakthrough, and I built my business 100% by referral—no cold calling, no door knocking—and I want to show you how. In just 11 years, I’ve sold over 650 homes all by relationship, and I only started with 40 people in my database.
In this video, you'll learn five practical steps to radically transform your referral strategy and start building a business that aligns with who you are. And in just a minute, I'm gonna give you a free download using my PDA Formula on how to build a predictable, profitable business that aligns with the way the Lord created you.
Step 1: Embrace Authenticity
Stop trying to be someone you're not. Build a business that reflects your natural strengths and personality. Referrals grow when you're real. Clients respond to genuine relationships, not a persona.
I heard a pastor once say that God loves the real you, not the ideal you—and it applies in our business too. Clients want to see the real you, not the ideal you.
So next time you're wondering if you should go door knock or make that cold call, ask yourself:
How did the Lord uniquely make me?
Did He wire you to love people? Then go be excellent at working by relationship.
Did He wire you to love social media? Then go become excellent at social media.
Did He wire you to love hosting open houses? Then host open houses and go be excellent at those.
Your job is to work from your identity, not for your identity.
So step number one: embrace who the Lord created you to be and build a business authentic to who He’s called you to.
Step 2: Create Predictable Touch Points
Use intentional systems for staying in touch with your database. For example, I created my own 36-Touch System. We send a mailer every month, an email every month, a video text, a client event, and handwritten notes.
Predictability keeps you top of mind and builds trust.
Every good relationship in your life is a system. My wife and I have a date every other week—system. Our family does Family Movie Pizza Night on Fridays—system. Systems are how you show the people in your life that you care about them most.
Here’s how mine breaks down each quarter:
Monthly mailer
Email on the 15th
Month 1: video text (“Hey, how was your New Year’s?”)
Month 2: handwritten note with a small pop-by gift
Month 3: simple client event (movie night, ice cream social, etc.)
The reality is, if you’re consistent in your touches, your business will be consistent too. Rinse and repeat every quarter.
Step 3: Focus on Dollar-Productive Activities
Prioritize what actually moves the needle—relationship nurturing over busy work.
Grab coffee with a past client instead of spending hours on an ad. Call a friend instead of building an Instagram reel no one will watch.
If you are a relational person, your job is to be in relationship.
Social media is amazing, but it will never replace the one-on-one interaction. The U.S. Surgeon General said that people are lonelier than ever. Your job? Make real connections with real people—and your business will grow.
Step 4: Build a Personal Scoreboard
Track what you value, not what the industry says matters.
For years, I only measured transactions, GCI, and volume. I was building a bigger team and giving away time—all to score better in the eyes of the industry. But what about my family?
I realized none of this work matters if I sacrifice my loved ones on the altar of success.
So I created a new scoreboard:
Weekly date nights
Four weeks of family vacation
Dinner together as often as possible
Define success the way the Lord wants you to—and measure that.
Step 5: Show Up Consistently
Referrals aren’t luck. They’re the result of consistent, intentional effort over time.
Let me tell you about Kai and Yessenia. I met them four years before they hired me. They never replied to a single message or attended an event. But I kept showing up—video texts, notes, invites, mailers.
Four years later, I got a message:
“Garrett, everything you’ve done to invest in us hasn’t gone unnoticed. We’re sorry we never responded. We’re moving—can you sell our house?”
That’s the power of consistency. Just because people aren’t responsive doesn’t mean you stop caring. Keep serving, keep loving, keep showing up—and it will serve them.
And the byproduct? Your business will grow.
Recap
Embrace authenticity – Be the real you, not the ideal you.
Create predictable touch points – Plan ahead to stay in touch.
Focus on dollar-productive activities – Build real relationships.
Build a personal scoreboard – Measure what truly matters.
Show up consistently – Referrals come from faithful effort over time.
If this helped you, subscribe and grab the free download in the video description.
Remember: you don’t have to chase cold leads to succeed. Build a business that fuels referrals—and a life you love.