1. Objective
This SOP defines how a Virtual Assistant (VA) maintains a consistent touch cadence with the agent's Sphere of Influence (SOI) — so the agent stays top-of-mind with the people who already know, like, and trust them, without requiring the agent to manually manage outreach month to month.
The Sphere of Influence is often an agent's highest-return group. These are not leads who found the agent through an ad. They are friends, family members, former colleagues, neighbors, and community connections who would recommend this agent to anyone who asked — if they remembered to. The VA's job is to make sure the agent never goes so quiet that the SOI forgets they are still actively in real estate.
The foundation: People refer agents they think of. They think of agents who show up. The VA makes showing up automatic.
Where this SOP starts: Agent onboards and the initial SOI list is built in the CRM.
Where this SOP ends: This SOP has no end — SOI touch is a permanent, ongoing campaign.Success looks like: The agent's SOI receives a consistent cadence of contact — email, personal note, event invite — and when any one of them hears "I'm thinking about buying/selling," the agent's name is the first one they say.
2. Your Role & Boundaries
2a. What you handle independently
- Maintaining the SOI segment in the CRM — tagged, current, and complete
- Adding new SOI contacts immediately when the agent mentions a new connection
- Including SOI in the monthly email newsletter (Monthly Email Newsletter Management)
- Drafting quarterly personal email or text for agent review and sending
- Setting agent reminders for the annual personal call or pop-by
- Preparing birthday and holiday touches for agent approval
- Coordinating any client appreciation event logistics the agent organizes
2b. What requires agent approval before acting
- All quarterly personal email or text copy — the agent reviews and approves before any communication goes to the SOI
- Any personal note content that goes beyond the standard template — the agent's personal voice must be authentic
- The decision to add or remove someone from the SOI list — the agent decides who belongs in this group
- Any event planning decisions — budget, venue, format
- All birthday and holiday touch content
2c. What you never do
- You never negotiate on the agent's behalf under any circumstances.
- You never provide pricing, legal, or strategic opinions to any party.
- You never sign or initial any document on behalf of the agent, client, or any party.
- You never communicate directly with the other party's client.
- You never send a communication to the SOI that has not been approved by the agent.
- You never add someone to the SOI list without the agent confirming — the agent decides who belongs in this relationship category.
- You never make the SOI touch feel like a marketing drip — every communication to the SOI should feel personal and human.
The test for every SOI communication: Would the agent send this to a close friend? If yes, send it. If it feels like a newsletter blast dressed up as a personal note, rewrite it.
3. Schedule & Trigger
Trigger: Agent onboards and SOI list is established.
Recurring cadence:
- Monthly: SOI included in email newsletter
- Quarterly: Personal email or text drafted and sent (agent approves)
- Annual: Personal call or pop-by — agent-led; VA sets reminder
- Birthday: Card or text when birthday is in CRM
- Events: Holiday card, client appreciation event — see Section 6
4. What is the Sphere of Influence
The SOI is everyone the agent knows personally who is not currently a lead or past client. This includes:
- Friends and family
- Former colleagues and classmates
- Neighbors (current and former)
- Community connections (church, clubs, volunteer groups, children's school networks)
- Business contacts who are personal acquaintances, not professional referral sources
- Social media connections the agent knows personally
SOI vs. professional network: A lender or inspector who refers clients is a professional referral source (managed separately per Referral Tracking & Management), not SOI — they are engaged through a different relationship strategy. The SOI is the personal network.
CRM tag: Tag all SOI contacts with "SOI" in the CRM. Sub-tag if useful: "SOI — Family" / "SOI — Former Colleague" / "SOI — Community."
5. Building the Initial SOI List
At onboarding, the agent builds the initial SOI list. The VA does not build this list — the agent knows who their people are. The VA imports, formats, and organizes it.
Process:
1. Agent provides a list of names and contact info (spreadsheet, contacts export, or verbal list)
2. VA enters all contacts into the CRM with the SOI tag
3. VA confirms: name, email, phone, birthday (if available), any relevant notes (how the agent knows them)
4. VA confirms the list with agent before enrolling in any sequences
Going forward: When the agent mentions a new personal connection ("I ran into [Name] at my kids' soccer game — add him"), the VA adds the contact immediately.
6. Monthly Touch Cadence
Monthly: Email Newsletter
The SOI is included in the email newsletter list from Monthly Email Newsletter Management. This ensures the SOI receives consistent market content and agent updates without requiring a separate effort.
The newsletter is the baseline — it maintains presence without being intrusive. Most SOI members open it occasionally; that's enough to keep the agent's name familiar.
Quarterly: Personal Email or Text
Four times per year (January, April, July, October — or per agent's preferred quarterly dates), the VA drafts a short personal email or text from the agent to the SOI.
This is not a newsletter. It is a brief, warm check-in that sounds like it came from the agent personally — even though the VA drafted it and the agent approved it.
Quarterly email template (adapt to agent's brand voice):
Subject: Just checking in — [Season/Time of Year]
Hi [First Name] —
Just wanted to reach out and say hello. We're [into spring / halfway through the year / heading into fall / wrapping up the year] and I'm thinking of the people in my corner.
Things are going well on the real estate front — [one sentence about market activity or something interesting happening]. If you hear of anyone thinking about buying or selling, I'd love the chance to help.
Hope all is well with you and [family/relevant personal detail if known].
Talk soon,
[Agent Name]
The personal detail in the last line is where the agent's input matters most. A note that says "hope you're settling into the new house" or "hope the new job is going great" — that's what makes an SOI member feel remembered, not marketed to.
The VA drafts the main body. The agent personalizes the signature line and approves.
Delivery: Send via the email platform for digital efficiency, or the agent can copy and paste into Gmail for higher-open-rate individual sends. Confirm with agent which approach they prefer for quarterly touches.
Annual: Personal Call or Pop-By
Once a year, the agent personally calls or visits key SOI members. This is not something the VA executes — it is the agent's responsibility. The VA sets the reminder.
Annual reminder process:
- At the start of each year, set a calendar task for the agent: "Annual SOI call list — [Month]"
- Two weeks before the target month, remind the agent: "Your annual SOI call month is coming up. Would you like me to prepare a list of key contacts to prioritize?"
- Prepare the prioritized list on request: past referral sources first, then family, then others
Birthday
If a birthday is in the CRM, prepare a brief birthday card or text for agent approval.
Birthday text template:
Hi [First Name] — happy birthday! Hope you're having a great day. [Agent Name]
Keep it brief and genuine. No real estate content. Birthday touches are relationship, not business.
7. Event-Based SOI Touches
Holiday Card
Agent sends a physical holiday card to the full SOI list. The VA coordinates:
- Confirm mailing list with agent (pull SOI addresses from CRM)
- Order cards (Thanksgiving or winter holiday — confirm with agent which holiday the agent prefers)
- Prepare the mailing list for the card vendor
- Handle the logistics of the send
Timing: Cards should arrive before the holiday, not on the day. Thanksgiving cards: target mail by November 15. Winter holiday cards: target mail by December 10.
Client Appreciation Event
Some agents host annual client appreciation events (fall pumpkin patch, summer BBQ, holiday party). If the agent organizes this:
- The VA handles logistics: venue research (if needed), invitation design and distribution, RSVP tracking, any vendor coordination
- The agent hosts, attends, and manages the relationship side
- Confirm event budget and format with agent before any planning begins
8. Adding New SOI Contacts
When the agent mentions a new personal connection:
- Add to CRM immediately — do not wait until the end of the month
- Tag as SOI with relevant sub-tag
- If a birthday or other personal detail was mentioned, add it
- Confirm addition with agent if there is any ambiguity about whether the contact belongs in SOI vs. another segment
9. Checklist
Setup
- ☐ Initial SOI list built from agent input — all contacts imported and tagged in CRM
- ☐ All available birthdays entered
- ☐ Agent confirmed list before any sequences enrolled
Monthly
- ☐ SOI included in email newsletter send (Monthly Email Newsletter Management)
Quarterly (4× per year)
- ☐ Quarterly personal email drafted — agent input for personalization
- ☐ Agent approval received
- ☐ Sent to full SOI list on confirmed send date
Annual
- ☐ Annual call reminder set for agent in January
- ☐ Prioritized call list prepared on agent's request
- ☐ Holiday card: mailing list pulled from CRM, cards ordered, sent on time
Events (if applicable)
- ☐ Client appreciation event logistics handled per agent's confirmed plan
Ongoing
- ☐ New SOI contacts added immediately when agent identifies them
10. Escalation Protocol
Escalate to the agent immediately in any of these situations:
- A monthly SOI touch is approaching and the agent-approved template has not been reviewed in more than 90 days — flag for a quick approval confirm before sending
- An SOI contact replies to a touch expressing buying, selling, or referral interest — route to agent immediately; do not respond
- The SOI list grows to include a contact who should not receive mass communications (e.g., a competitor, a former client in litigation, a media contact) — flag before adding
- A monthly touch returns a high unsubscribe or bounce rate — flag the data to agent and hold the next send pending review
- The agent requests removal of a contact from the SOI list without explanation — process it and note in the CRM; do not ask for a reason
Hi [Agent Name] — SOI touch issue needs your attention before the [Date] send.
Issue: [Template review needed / lead reply / inappropriate contact flagged / delivery issue / removal request]
Affected contacts: [Name(s) or count if a batch issue]
Needed: [Confirm template is current / respond to lead / confirm removal / review bounce data]
[VA Name]
If the agent is unreachable: Hold any scheduled touch that has not yet been sent if an approval flag is pending. Route all lead-level replies to the agent's channel immediately. Process any removal requests without waiting for the agent — the contact record can always be re-added.
11. Tools & Access
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| CRM | [For SOI segment — tag structure and list management] |
| Email platform | [For quarterly email send — confirm platform and list access] |
| Card vendor | [For holiday cards — confirm vendor and lead time during onboarding] |
| Agent's calendar | [For annual call reminders — confirm calendar access during onboarding] |
How to Use This Document
Your Sphere of Influence (SOI) — the people who know, like, and trust you personally — is often your highest-return group. Your VA maintains the SOI contact list and runs a consistent touch cadence: monthly newsletter, quarterly personal email, annual call reminders, birthday touches, and holiday cards. Before they run any of this, they need to know who's in your SOI, how you want to stay in touch, and what level of personalization you expect.
Every question shows our recommended default in bold. Complete this document once — your VA builds the SOI program from here.
This document lives in your client file and is the operating guide for your SOI relationship program.
Section 1: Defining Your SOI
1.1 — Which of the following groups do you consider part of your Sphere of Influence?
Your SOI is your personal network — people who know you personally, not leads. Check all groups that apply to your SOI.
- ☐ Friends and family
- ☐ Former colleagues and classmates
- ☐ Current and former neighbors
- ☐ Community connections (church, clubs, volunteer groups)
- ☐ Children's school / sports / activity networks
- ☐ Social media connections you know personally (not just followers)
- ☐ Business contacts who are personal acquaintances (not professional referral partners)
- ☐ Other: _____
1.2 — What is NOT considered SOI in your CRM?
These groups are managed separately — not as SOI:
- Professional referral partners (lenders, inspectors, etc.) → Managed as Professional Network
- Past clients who are also personal friends → Managed as Past Clients (milestone touches apply) — confirm if you also want them in SOI
- Active leads → Managed as leads regardless of personal connection
Agent's notes on edge cases:
1.3 — Approximately how many people are in your SOI currently?
Current SOI count: _____
Section 2: Building and Maintaining the SOI List
2.1 — How does your VA receive the initial SOI list?
- ☐ Agent provides a spreadsheet with names and contact info
- ☐ Agent exports from phone contacts
- ☐ Agent provides a verbal or written list — VA enters it into CRM
- ☐ CRM already has SOI contacts tagged — VA audits and confirms
2.2 — Who decides who belongs in the SOI?
- ☐ Agent decides — VA imports and tags (recommended)
- ☐ VA can suggest contacts who seem like SOI based on relationship type — agent confirms
- ☐ Both — agent makes final call
2.3 — When you mention a new personal connection, how should your VA add them?
- ☐ Immediately — same day the agent mentions the contact (recommended)
- ☐ During the weekly check-in
- ☐ VA waits for agent to provide contact information formally
2.4 — What CRM tag should be applied to SOI contacts?
Primary tag: _____ (Example: SOI)
Sub-tags (if you want to segment within SOI):
| Sub-Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| SOI — Family | Family members |
| SOI — Former Colleague | Work connections |
| SOI — Neighbor | Current and former neighbors |
| SOI — Community | Church, clubs, volunteer groups |
| SOI — Other | _____ |
| Other: _____ | _____ |
Section 3: Monthly Touch — Email Newsletter
3.1 — Is your SOI included in your monthly email newsletter?
- ☐ Yes — SOI always included in the main database newsletter send (recommended)
- ☐ No — SOI receives separate communications only
- ☐ SOI receives the newsletter AND separate personal touches
3.2 — Are there any SOI members who should NOT receive the monthly newsletter?
Example: family members who have asked to be taken off email lists, contacts with no email on file.
Section 4: Quarterly Personal Touch
4.1 — Do you send a quarterly personal email or text to your SOI (separate from the newsletter)?
- ☐ Yes (recommended — the newsletter maintains presence; the personal touch builds relationship)
- ☐ No — newsletter is sufficient
4.2 — Who sends the quarterly personal message?
- ☐ VA drafts — agent personalizes the closing line and approves — VA sends (recommended)
- ☐ VA drafts — agent sends personally from their own email/phone
- ☐ Agent writes and sends — VA sets reminders only
4.3 — What channel do you prefer for quarterly personal touches?
- ☐ Email (recommended for written warmth + easy to draft)
- ☐ Text (more personal, shorter)
- ☐ Agent decides per contact — no standard channel
4.4 — When do you want to send quarterly personal touches?
- ☐ January / April / July / October (recommended — aligned with quarters)
- ☐ February / May / August / November
- ☐ Agent confirms timing each quarter
4.5 — What tone and content do you want in the quarterly personal message?
Your VA uses a warm, conversational template. The key personalization is the last line — a specific note about the contact's life, family, or recent situation. Confirm the level of personalization you expect:
- ☐ Standard template with one personalized line at the end (recommended)
- ☐ Fully personalized message per contact — agent provides context for each
- ☐ Standard template, no personalization beyond first name
- ☐ Other: _____
Section 5: Annual Personal Call or Pop-By
5.1 — Do you make personal calls or pop-bys to key SOI members once a year?
- ☐ Yes (recommended)
- ☐ No — calls are not part of my SOI strategy
5.2 — Who manages the annual call list?
- ☐ VA prepares a prioritized call list in January — agent makes the calls (recommended)
- ☐ Agent manages calls independently — VA sets a reminder only
- ☐ Both — VA prepares and agent confirms the list
5.3 — How should the prioritized call list be organized?
- ☐ Past referral sources first, then family, then others
- ☐ Agent's closest relationships first
- ☐ Alphabetical
- ☐ Other: _____
5.4 — When should the annual call reminder be set?
- ☐ January — remind agent by January 15 (recommended)
- ☐ Agent's preferred month: _____
Section 6: Birthday Touches
6.1 — Do you send birthday touches to SOI members?
- ☐ Yes — brief birthday text or card (recommended)
- ☐ No
6.2 — What is your birthday touch format?
- ☐ Brief text ("Hi [Name] — happy birthday! Hope you have a great day. [Agent Name]")
- ☐ Physical card (VA coordinates through card service)
- ☐ VA drafts — agent sends personally
- ☐ Other: _____
6.3 — What should the birthday message contain?
- ☐ Brief warm birthday message — no real estate content (recommended)
- ☐ Birthday message + brief market mention
- ☐ Standard greeting only
6.4 — Does the VA need your approval before sending birthday texts?
- ☐ No — VA sends standard birthday text automatically on or before the birthday (recommended)
- ☐ Yes — VA drafts and agent approves each one
Section 7: Holiday Cards
7.1 — Do you send physical holiday cards to your SOI?
- ☐ Yes (recommended)
- ☐ No
7.2 — Which holidays?
- ☐ Thanksgiving (target mail: November 15) (recommended)
- ☐ Winter holiday — Christmas/Season's Greetings (target mail: December 10) (recommended)
- ☐ Spring/Easter
- ☐ Other: _____
7.3 — What card vendor do you use?
- ☐ Handwrytten (automated handwriting service)
- ☐ SendOutCards
- ☐ Physical cards — agent signs and VA coordinates mailing
- ☐ Other: _____
7.4 — Does the holiday card go to the full SOI, or a selected subset?
- ☐ Full SOI (recommended)
- ☐ Closest relationships only (agent selects who)
- ☐ SOI + past clients + professional network
- ☐ Other: _____
Section 8: Client Appreciation Events
8.1 — Do you host client appreciation events (annual party, seasonal event)?
- ☐ Yes — describe: _____
- ☐ No — not currently
8.2 — If yes, does your VA help with logistics?
- ☐ Yes — VA handles invitations, RSVPs, and vendor coordination; agent hosts (recommended)
- ☐ Agent manages event independently
- ☐ VA assists with specific tasks: _____
8.3 — What is the typical event format and budget?
Format: __
Approximate budget: $ __
Section 9: Anything Else
9.1 — Are there any SOI members who should receive a different level of attention than the standard plan?
Example: "My top 10 referral sources get personal pop-bys" or "My family gets calls more than once per year."
9.2 — Is there anything about your SOI relationships or communication style that your VA should understand?
Sign-Off
By completing this document, you confirm that your VA is authorized to manage your SOI touch program within the preferences you've defined above. Levrly will keep this on file and reference it throughout the year.
| Client Name | _____ |
| Date Completed | _____ |
| VA Name | _____ |
| Levrly Account Manager | _____ |
To update any decision in this document, contact your Levrly account manager or submit a change request through your client portal.