Local service businesses often face a choice between continuously paying for advertising to generate leads or relying on unpredictable word-of-mouth referrals. A new platform, Get Referrers, launched to help contractors build systematic referral networks with local professionals, aiming to reduce dependence on paid advertising and create more sustainable sources of customer acquisition.
The challenge for plumbers, HVAC companies, roofers, and other trades is that advertising requires ongoing spending to maintain a flow of leads. When ad campaigns stop, new leads can dry up. In contrast, a strong referral relationship can produce multiple opportunities over time. For example, a realtor who trusts a plumber may recommend that company to numerous homeowners. A property manager might need HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and maintenance services across several properties. An HOA may repeatedly require reliable contractors for its community.
Get Referrers was created to help local service businesses develop those relationships methodically instead of leaving referrals to chance. "Local service businesses have traditionally had two choices: spend money continuously to generate leads or hope referrals come their way," said Scott Gould, Founder of Get Referrers. "We created Get Referrers to give contractors a more systematic way to build relationships with the people in their communities who are already in a position to recommend local service providers."
The platform identifies potential referral sources within a contractor's service area, including realtors, property managers, HOAs, apartment communities, insurance professionals, home inspectors, home warranty companies, and commercial property managers. It then builds and operates a customized outreach campaign to introduce the contractor to those potential referral partners. The process includes identifying relevant referral sources, building dedicated outreach infrastructure, creating personalized email and contact-form sequences, allowing contractors to review and approve messaging, managing scheduled outreach and responses, using AI to classify replies and identify potential referral opportunities, and bringing responses into a unified inbox for the contractor.
Rather than selling shared consumer leads, Get Referrers focuses on connecting businesses with people and organizations that may have an ongoing reason to recommend local service providers. This distinction is central to the model. A paid advertisement generates attention or a lead while the campaign is running, and maintaining that source generally requires continued spending. A referral relationship has the potential to produce opportunities beyond a single transaction. A realtor may work with dozens of buyers and sellers. A property manager may oversee multiple properties. An HOA or apartment community may require local service providers throughout the year. For contractors, becoming a trusted resource for those professionals can create a source of future business that does not have to be purchased one lead at a time.
Get Referrers serves a broad range of home and commercial service categories, including plumbing, HVAC, roofing, electrical, landscaping, painting, pest control, flooring, moving, restoration, pool and spa services, general contracting, and other trades. Contractors select their trade, service areas, preferred types of work, and referral audiences. Get Referrers then handles the infrastructure, sourcing, and outreach while allowing the business to approve its messaging and manage resulting conversations through the platform.
The result is a customer acquisition strategy built around a simple idea: advertising typically requires continued spending, while a valuable referral relationship has the potential to create opportunities beyond the initial introduction. For local service businesses looking to build more durable pipelines of work, Get Referrers offers a structured way to cultivate the professionals who can become advocates. Learn more at GetReferrers.com.
