If you ask most remodelers where their best jobs come from, the answer is nearly universal: referrals. But when I ask what they’re doing to generate referrals, I usually get one of two responses—a vague mention of a newsletter, or a blank stare. Referrals don’t have to be random. They can be one of the most predictable, profitable, and controllable lead sources in your company—if you treat them like a system rather than a happy accident.

Start by defining your referral sources. Yes, happy past clients top the list, but your best referrers also include trade partners, architects, interior designers, lenders, realtors, and even professionals like financial planners or insurance agents who interact with your ideal clients before you ever meet them. Don’t forget your own team—they’re already connected with your clients and have built trust throughout the process. The key is to track those relationships. Build a short, living list in your CRM and note who owns the relationship, how often you’ll reach out, and what the last touchpoint was. If it’s not tracked, it’s not managed.

Then, assign ownership. If no one owns referrals, they don’t happen. This belongs with your marketing and sales team—the people who think about lead flow every day. It shouldn’t be buried in closeout paperwork or left to chance after a project ends. Make sure your team understands that asking for and nurturing referrals is part of their responsibility, not an optional extra.

Once ownership is clear, make referring easy. Give your sources tools they can use in seconds: a one-page summary of your ideal client and project types, a few great before-and-after case studies, and a quick “how to refer us” blurb they can forward in an email. When people know exactly who and how to refer, they’ll do it more often.

And when you do get a referral, close the loop every single time. Silence kills trust. Always acknowledge the referrer immediately, even if you’re still qualifying the lead. Then, once you’ve spoken with the referral, circle back to share how it went—whether it turned into a project or not. A simple follow-up like, “Thanks again for connecting us; it wasn’t quite the right fit, but we really appreciated the introduction,” does wonders for maintaining goodwill. It also lets you educate them about what kind of projects are the best fit next time.

Referrals thrive in environments that create buzz. One of my favorite examples is a client who bakes the celebration party right into their project roadmap—it’s literally step 24. When the project wraps up, they host a small open house with food, music, before-and-after photos, and the whole team present. They even invite neighbors and friends of the homeowner. It’s genuine, fun, and it naturally generates new leads. You don’t have to throw a party to do this—client appreciation events, open houses, or design reveal nights all work just as well. The point is to engineer memorable moments people will want to share.

Finally, track your results and stay consistent. Know how many active referral sources you have, how often you’ve touched base with them, and what percentage of their referrals turn into projects. Referrals may feel organic, but success here comes from structure and follow-through. When you approach it systematically, you can turn your best lead source into your most dependable one.

Every year, I hear remodelers say, “Leads are slowing down.” My answer is always the same: if leads are slow, you either need to get better at finding them or get better at closing them. Referrals let you do both at once. Don’t predict results—create them.