← All categories

Handyman: Best Referral Sources

Who should be sending you clients, and the rooms they are already sitting in.

Get the networking events worth showing up to

Tell us where you are. We will send you the best rooms for handyman services and the next meeting dates. Add a ZIP and this page will also show your local chapters and which seats are open.

Most business owners network where their competitors are, not where their referral partners are.

Your own trade group is for learning. Your partners' groups are where the work comes from. Everything below starts with one question. When something happens that makes people need handyman services, who else gets a call that same week?

Handyman services sell to individuals and households, and most of the work starts when somebody puts a house on the market. It moves fast, so being the name already in hand matters more than being the cheapest. Clients come back, which makes one good introduction worth years.

What starts the work
  • Home salewhen somebody puts a house on the market
  • Move-in / relocationwhen a family moves into a new place
  • Home purchasewhen somebody buys a house
  • Renovation projectwhen a homeowner decides to remodel
  • Building system failurewhen the AC dies, a pipe fails, or something in the building stops working
  • Aging / care transitionwhen an aging parent needs a different living situation
Block one

Who should be sending you clients

Ranked by what starts the job, not by who sounds close to your trade.

  1. 01

    Property Manager (Residential)

    They send you work
    71

    Trigger: a family moves into a new place

    Residential property managers hear about it when a family moves into a new place, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  2. 02

    Real Estate Agent (Residential)

    They send you work
    67

    Trigger: somebody puts a house on the market

    Residential real estate agents hear about it when somebody puts a house on the market, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  3. 03

    Facility Manager

    They send you work
    66

    Trigger: the AC dies, a pipe fails, or something in the building stops working

    Facility managers hear about it when the AC dies, a pipe fails, or something in the building stops working, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  4. 04

    Moving Company

    Two-way
    63

    Trigger: a family moves into a new place

    You and movers both get the call when a family moves into a new place, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.

  5. 05

    Home Inspector

    They send you work
    63

    Trigger: somebody buys a house

    Home inspectors hear about it when somebody buys a house, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  6. 06

    Commercial Property Manager

    They send you work
    63

    Trigger: the AC dies, a pipe fails, or something in the building stops working

    Commercial property managers hear about it when the AC dies, a pipe fails, or something in the building stops working, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  7. 07

    HVAC Contractor

    They send you work
    62

    Trigger: somebody buys a house

    HVAC contractors hear about it when somebody buys a house, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  8. 08

    Painting Contractor

    They send you work
    60

    Trigger: somebody puts a house on the market

    Painters hear about it when somebody puts a house on the market, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  9. 09

    Primary Care Physician

    They send you work
    60

    Trigger: an aging parent needs a different living situation

    Primary care practices hear about it when an aging parent needs a different living situation, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  10. 10

    Residential Cleaning

    Two-way
    59

    Trigger: a family moves into a new place

    You and residential cleaning companies both get the call when a family moves into a new place, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.

Block two

Where those people actually are

Ranked by how many of your best partners are in the room, and how much work each one can send you.

Start here

Your local Realtor board or association

Your partners are in this room: residential real estate agents and home inspectors.

Join as a vendor and you are in front of hundreds of agents. They need people they trust at every closing. Ask about the vendor committee and the classes for new agents, not just the parties.

Your partners' association Monthly Under $500/yr ~4 hrs/month
Find your local chapter →

Give someone nine choices and they pick none. If you do one thing from this page, do this.

  1. 01

    Your local Realtor board or association

    Your partners' association

    Your partners are in this room: residential real estate agents and home inspectors.

    Join as a vendor and you are in front of hundreds of agents. They need people they trust at every closing. Ask about the vendor committee and the classes for new agents, not just the parties.

    Monthly Under $500/yr ~4 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  2. 02

    Local Facebook & community groups

    Online community

    Your partners are in this room: residential real estate agents, movers, and home inspectors.

    City groups, condo and HOA groups, and parent groups. For home services this is often the biggest free source on this list. Most competitors post ads instead of answers.

    Always on Free ~3 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  3. 03

    IREM (Institute of Real Estate Management)

    Your partners' association

    Your partners are in this room: residential property managers and commercial property managers.

    Property managers for apartments, offices, and mixed buildings. Vendors can join and go to chapter meetings.

    Monthly $500–$2,000/yr ~4 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  4. 04

    BNI

    Structured referral group

    One seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.

    The biggest referral group in the world. You meet every week. Only one person per job. They expect you to show up.

    Weekly $500–$2,000/yr ~8 hrs/month One seat per category
    Chapter finder →
  5. 05

    LeTip International

    Structured referral group

    One seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.

    Weekly referral chapters. One person per job. Strong with trades and home services.

    Weekly $500–$2,000/yr ~7 hrs/month One seat per category
    Chapter finder →
  6. 06

    Network In Action

    Structured referral group

    One seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.

    Referral groups that meet once a month. Good if you cannot give up a morning every week.

    Monthly $500–$2,000/yr ~3 hrs/month One seat per category
    Chapter finder →
  7. 07

    Master Networks

    Structured referral group

    One seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.

    Weekly chapters with one person per job. They spend more time teaching than most.

    Weekly $500–$2,000/yr ~7 hrs/month One seat per category
    Chapter finder →
  8. 08

    An independent local leads group

    Structured referral group

    One seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.

    Most cities have small leads groups you will never find online. A realtor or insurance agent usually starts them. Ask three people in your trade who they meet with.

    Weekly Under $500/yr ~5 hrs/month One seat per category

Let us be straight with you. For handyman services, a weekly referral group is not the best pick. Your partners gather in professional groups instead, so spend your time there. We would rather say that than sell you a seat you do not need.

Block three

Is your seat open?

Prime Time takes one handyman per chapter. Put in a South Florida ZIP above and we will show you which seats are open.

Add a ZIP code at the top of the page to see which seats are open.

Get the dates

Have the next meetings sent to you

The rooms above are the answer. This is when they meet. Tell us where to send it and we will email you the next dates for handyman services, with the one page plan.

We already know your trade and your area from this page, so there is nothing else to fill in. We do not ask for a phone number. Every email we send has an unsubscribe link.

Take this with you

Your one-page action plan

Five partners, five things to say, three rooms. Print it and keep it in the car.

Networking plan: Handyman

The five people who should be sending you clients

  1. Property Manager (Residential) (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: a family moves into a new place
  2. Real Estate Agent (Residential) (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: somebody puts a house on the market
  3. Facility Manager (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: the AC dies, a pipe fails, or something in the building stops working
  4. Moving Company (Two-way)
    Shared trigger: a family moves into a new place
  5. Home Inspector (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: somebody buys a house

The three rooms to be in

  1. Your local Realtor board or association: Your partners are in this room: residential real estate agents and home inspectors.
  2. Local Facebook & community groups: Your partners are in this room: residential real estate agents, movers, and home inspectors.
  3. IREM (Institute of Real Estate Management): Your partners are in this room: residential property managers and commercial property managers.