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Foreign. Here we go. This is part three of the acronym hop. I'm showing you exactly how to grow your business dramatically in 2026. Whether you're focusing on just your random database on your phone or your core past clients and sphere, it doesn't matter. This works. This is how we built our business, for the most part, by connecting with people in three ways. And in those three ways, there are multiple ways. But number one is meeting them at home with your brand. Number two, meeting them online with your brand. And number three, meeting them in person. Now, there are three core pieces to this one. Obviously, there are a lot more things you could do. I've broken it down into a large. What is it that we did? It's a funnel. And we showed all these different ways that you can do this. But for the purpose of this, it's. It's really remembering that regardless of where the world is heading, and it feels like we're. If you're old enough. You remember the Jetsons? I. I watched the Jetsons. They were all replays at that point, but I watched some of the Jetsons as a kid. Then I watched the Flintones. I hated the Flintstones, but I watched it anyway. And I remember seeing. Dang, the Jetsons. It's so cool. I want a flying car or I want a robot in my house. We're practically there, right? But the thing is, we're getting bombarded by so much information because of AI and then next thing you know, I'm going to be. You and I are going to be buying robots to come in and do a lot of things in the house for us, all of this advancement. But you know what? It's not going to replace, right? It's not going to replace the human touch. It's not going to replace the human connection. So for me, number three is meeting people in person. In fact, yesterday, I set my whole afternoon to four hours straight, went to a coffee shop, and I met one on one with four different people. I gave them all an hour. And let me tell you, it's magical. It's magical because people want to connect. Still, for me, those are the best. Like I said, there are three different. Three different manners to do this for me. There are many for you. For me, I focus on three. One is the one on one. It's my favorite one. In fact, I reach out to people often. I say, hey, let's have coffee. Most people know I love ragam often close by. So I go there and that's where we meet. I literally block out four hours Four, sometimes three hours, once a week. And I just sit there and I invite people, give them coffee, we talk, we connect. Boom. Next, right? It's all about connecting in person. You can't replace that, because as somebody comes in, then the next thing I do when they leave is I text them and I say, hey, thanks so much for meeting me. It was great having a conversation about. And then I send them a note card after, hey, thank you. That was awesome. I really appreciate that. Or, hey, let's stay in touch. This, this, and that and this, right? But so much comes up, and it's cool. And sometimes an hour isn't enough, but the connection matters so much. That's Number one. Number two, small lunches, small dinners where you grab like three or four or 10 people. Past clients, course fear. Remember that. And you invite them to lunch, you invite them to dinner. Something quick, something nice, something that stands out. I usually. I've done this in the past. I stopped doing it because I'm focusing more and more on one. On ones. But if that's for you, do it. It works really well. It connects with people, and it makes other. Other people that are in your sphere friends with other people. And guess who the core of the conversation is? You. Because you brought them all together. You're the ones that sold them homes, right? Or maybe helping them buy. Or you're just friends for a long time. And then, number three, big events. I've done these. These are not my favorite. My team loves them, and we've had massive success with these. But it's a lot of work. So if you don't have a team that can help out with all this, some of it may fall on you. I'll tell you the ones we've done and the ones I would recommend, and the ones that work the best because the most people show up. Okay. We've done Easter egg hunt. We've done Halloween at the park. We had 600 people. That was crazy. We've done a smaller one, about a hundred people. And we split that up into two times on a lake. And then we would take people around the lake. It's a private lake. Take them around the lake in a boat. And we had. We had lunch and we had champagne. It was great. We invited 100 people two different times. That one was fabulous. And then we've done other ones. And then the Santa Claus one. Santa Claus one, hands down, is probably the one that the most people RSVP'd. And we did it at the beginning of December, and I would do that one over and over and over. That one's my favorite one because a lot of people want to come to that because you're offering them what they're going to pay for typically, but you're going to do it for free, saying, hey, I've got a Santa Claus, I've got a photographer, don't worry, I've got a little Santa house. And this is the time you're going to show up and I'm going to have it all ready to go for you, send it to you when it's done. You don't have to worry. If you want to buy more pictures actually printed, you can from the photographer. But the point is we're piecing that all together for people and those are the main three. They all work great, but you have to have a plan around it. What's your follow up? What's your connection like? Why are you inviting people? Because some people will feel like, eh, just invited me to get more business. But that's not the thing. Here's the key to this. Because now if you're doing this right, if you're inviting them to all this and they're seeing all of your stuff online, which we talked about yesterday, right? And then they're also getting your stuff at home, you start seeing, seeing this whole thing build massively. And then you think, because it happens over a long period of time, wow, I built a business out of this. This is crazy. And that's how it happens. But these are a lot of steps and I would start with one of these. Which one do you think you can show up to do routinely? And which one is probably the least expensive that you can put into play that you can see scale, right? Unless you're already halfway through this and you're like, I should add this. But listen, I've got this doc for you. It's episode 714, the hop framework for real Estate Growth. I've got all of them in one. And I have this building, your hop calendar. So if you want to read something light, it's like a little paragraph just to give you an idea. But if you really want to dive into this, it's in the book that I wrote, Real Estate Prospecting. I don't remember what chapter I put this one in, but it's my model, something I created. I reverse engineered it when I thought, what the heck is going on with our business when we're getting at least one referral a day for a whole year, right? That's where this came from. Anyway, if you need this, let me know. Have an awesome day. Thanks for listening. That wraps up all three. Hop the Hot Method. Have an awesome day.
Episode 850: 1 Referral Every Single Day: The H.O.P. Method (Part 3)
Host: Tristan Ahumada
Date: March 29, 2026
In this concise yet insightful episode, Tristan Ahumada wraps up his three-part series unpacking the H.O.P. Method—a system designed to help real estate professionals generate consistent referrals by leveraging human connection, both offline and online. Today's focus is the "in-person" aspect, with practical guidance on how agents can deepen relationships, create memorable client experiences, and build a business that thrives on authentic personal touch—no matter how digital the industry becomes.
Tristan draws parallels to a rapidly advancing, technology-driven world, referencing The Jetsons and the proliferation of AI, robots, and information overload.
Key Insight: Technology can enhance efficiency, but it cannot replace the human touch in building lasting business relationships.
"But you know what it's not going to replace, right? It's not going to replace the human touch. It's not going to replace the human connection."
— Tristan Ahumada [01:38]
Tristan's favorite method: Scheduling regular, dedicated time at a local coffee shop to meet individually with clients, friends, or prospects.
Emphasizes the magic of focused, undistracted conversation.
Recommends following up after the meeting with a thank you text and/or handwritten note to solidify the connection.
"I block out four hours, sometimes three hours, once a week, and I just sit there and I invite people, give them coffee, we talk, we connect. Boom. Next, right?"
— Tristan Ahumada [02:36]
Inviting 3–10 people from your sphere—past clients or friends—for informal lunches or dinners.
Helps clients connect with each other, with Tristan as the common link and conversation centerpiece.
Noted as previously effective for Tristan, now used less in favor of one-on-ones, but recommended for agents who value group dynamics.
"It connects with people, and it makes other people that are in your sphere friends with other people. And guess who the core of the conversation is? You."
— Tristan Ahumada [03:39]
Examples: Easter egg hunts, Halloween parties, lake outings, and especially the Santa Claus event (offering clients free Santa photos with a photographer at a staged "Santa house").
Most successful: Santa event at the start of December, which consistently draws the biggest attendance.
Acknowledges the heavy planning/labor of large events and the importance of having a supportive team.
"Santa Claus one, hands down, is probably the one that the most people RSVP'd... I would do that one over and over and over. That one's my favorite one because a lot of people want to come to that because you're offering them what they're going to pay for typically, but you're going to do it for free."
— Tristan Ahumada [05:20]
The in-person efforts are powerful when layered with the other two "H.O.P." elements (online and at home).
Key: Plan intentional follow-up that feels authentic. Avoid coming off as salesy—motives should focus on connection, not just getting business.
The cumulative effect: Consistent application of these strategies compounds into a “referral machine,” yielding one referral almost every day.
"If you’re inviting them to all this and they’re seeing all your stuff online...you start seeing, seeing this whole thing build massively. And then you think, because it happens over a long period of time, wow, I built a business out of this. This is crazy."
— Tristan Ahumada [07:00]
Practical Advice: Start with the strategy you can maintain regularly, and which works best for your budget and style. Build from there for scalability.
In this episode, Tristan Ahumada emphasizes that real estate will always be a relationship business at heart. Even as technology advances, the agents who find time to connect in person—whether over coffee, at a group meal, or community events—will be the ones who earn consistent, authentic referrals. Start small, follow up with intention, and build upward, and you might just find yourself with a thriving business built on one referral every single day.