The next time you’re belting out Whitney Houston at karaoke or on your yoga mat settling into tree pose, look around the room—you might just find your next client, Oregon broker Kerri Hartnett, GRI, AHWD, explains.
“I teach yoga. Every time I’m up in front of a group, they ask me what I do,” says Hartnett, a third-generation real estate professional. “‘I sell real estate. If you know anyone [who’s] buying or selling, I’d love to help,’” she recalls saying when she was just starting to build roots in Astoria, a city of about 10,000 people.
The Premiere Property Group principal broker says it’s easy to pair networking with things you already love, like drinking beer with your neighbors.
That’s how she came to represent two clients on $900,000 and $635,000 listings, and she plans to help them relocate, for a total of four potential transactions.
“That is from my conversations at the taproom,” she says.
Sometimes proving yourself as an expert means becoming a bit of an extrovert.
“I tried to home in on my neighborhood,” she says. “I would host home buyers’ workshops; I would host home sellers’ workshops. I would be there for the neighborhood garage sale. I would be there for the neighborhood Easter egg hunt.”
After selling a neighbor’s house, that neighbor asked Hartnett if she would host the annual July 4 picnic.
She said yes: “It’s an opportunity for me to get in front of my clients one more time.”
Participating in these events, including serving on the Astoria-Warrenton Chamber of Commerce, signals that she’s with her community for the long haul. Plus, small business owners are a great source of referrals.
“Business owners know how to refer business,” she says. Networking with other entrepreneurs has helped Hartnett make significant inroads in Astoria, despite only living there for five years.
“I have built so many relationships, and this is a small town—these are people who have lived here their whole lives, for generations, for hundreds of years of generations,” she adds.
In addition, Hartnett recommends tapping into referral networks with other real estate professionals. She was the 2024 Women’s Council of REALTORS® president and is still highly involved.
Hartnett explains how people tend to move around a lot between Portland, Ore., Seattle and Spokane, Wash., “this little triangle of love.” She recommends getting to know real estate pros in surrounding neighborhoods, not just to get referrals but to refer out.
By balancing a strong referral network, Hartnett is on track, she says, to have her best year yet, tripling her business over last year.
“Go through your transactions every year,” she recommends. “Find out where [your clients are] coming from, and if you want to improve something, focus on that.”
