It's been years, but I still remember my landlord – a real estate agent – calling me and asking if I knew anyone who wanted to buy or sell a home. At the time, I didn't, but I still remember the call. More than that, I remember that I truly wanted to help him and felt bad that I couldn't. I genuinely liked the man, and believe me, the next day I kept my ears open for real estate chatter.

Step one toward getting new referrals is to be a nice person. Step two? Ask for referrals. Ask everyone, even if you don't think they will turn into a client. Your sphere of influence then connects to their sphere, and each person you contact broadens your possible referral base exponentially.

But that just covers the basics. There is so much more that agents can do to get more referrals.

What's in Your Plan?

Before embarking on new ways to drum up referrals, it's a good idea to take a look at what's in your current marketing campaign – precisely, what image are you projecting?

Are your tactics a turnoff? Real estate trainer Denise Lones of Bellingham, Wash. says one of the main reasons you aren't getting referrals is if "your marketing campaign is ego-based (meaning it's all about you and your next transaction)," she writes on her ActiveRain blog. "This creates the image of a shark-like predator in people's minds, and they will avoid you just as they would a Great White."