As a real estate agent, developing your Sphere of Influence ( SOI ) is critical to your long term success in the real estate industry. Your daily real estate lead generation activities can pay off handsomely in the long term if you understand the value of each person that you add to your sphere. In real estate, referrals can be the bread and butter of your business after a time if you make it a focus to add quality people to your SOI from the very beginning of your career.