At a homeless shelter.

I was building a Habitat for Humanity home and had a conversation with someone that wasn't in my 'group.' He asked for my card and I honestly didn't think I would hear from him but, got a call the following week and we have worked together on 4 transactions now.

And, during the recession, I picked up one at the grocery store too - she was just listening-in to my conversation with the cashier! 

Probably when fellow AR member Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Real Estate Agent, Top 1% of Lyon Agents called me to say she was looking for a vacation home on the Big Island of Hawaii and asked if I would help her. I'm a broker in both California and Hawaii. So I said, sure, and met her there. We spent a week looking around, including enjoying what the island has to offer including snorkeling where Elizabeth swears she saw a shark. Long story short, she bought a house with a fabulous ocean view and spends quite a bit of time working from there now.

I once got a hefty referral client at a National Convention at the awards dinner (my husband's business) right after the new President of the company was named. I made my way around the banquet tables to congratulate him in person. I worked into the conversation to ask if would he be moving. He said yes and I asked if he had an agent in the new area. He said he did not have one so I offered to find him one. He was grateful. I wrote the information on a cocktail napkin. 

Then I asked if he needed an agent to sell his current home but was told he had a friend coming over when he got home for Convention to list it. I sent the referral from the hotel the next day. 

2 months later a $8000 referral check arrived at my company. Pretty unusual and nice.

       In a restaurant in New Orleans.  I overheard the man at the next table say, "Tallahassee".  I mentioned that my wife and I were from Tallahassee, we struck up a conversation.  He was taking a job in New Orleans.  I sold his Tallahassee house a few months later.

IN line at Dunkin Donuts

In a restaurant on St Paddys day in London. Overheard a convo about South Beach, the guy ended up buying dinner and jetted over the next week. He bought a $1.3M condo, a restaurant space and I did rentals for a bunch of his employees. That was definitely the luck of the Irish shining down on me that day.

My children were taking swim lessons and I happened to be talking with one of the moms looking for a new home. . . . they bought a new home

I was showing a house to a client. A women who appeared on the scene asked if she could see the house, also. I said sure, as long as she was ready to leave when we were ready. My clients did not buy the house. The surprise woman did...using me as her agent.

Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®,CRS, - at a party - I do not believe it is unusual. (This was when not many people knew I am in Real Estate - they knew that I am an IT professional.)

Can't say I've been in any unusual places... but maybe I just don't remember and think that where ever I pick up a new client it's just par for the course.

A few times I was showing a condo to someone, and as soon as they left, someone else approached me to ask if I knew anything about the neighborhood because they wanted to buy. Nothing as interesting as some of the other answers!

I have heard realtors wear a name tag at grocery store get cashiers to come to the office.  I make $15 an hour, my dad will help me.   Unfortunately home prices are so out of proportion in relation to lower wage earning power these days.  

A new agent went to her bank soliciting.  She got a teller and her dad interested.  Not sure it led to anything. The branch manager intervened later.

never worked buyers long enough to have anything outrageous happen.... 

Maybe not unusual, the person was sitting in his car in front of a home he was interested in.  I showed up to "preview" it.  He asked if I was an agent. The rest is history. 

At a landing zone for a helicopter in a state park.  Our new (at the time) station Lt. came out to see what the team was doing for helitac (helicopter training).  She mentioned she was looking for a place out here and the team all pointed to me!  We sold her and her family a house a few months later.

A City employee who was digging a drainage ditch on the street.

Hmmm . . . toss up. In my living room, perhaps, while talking to an electrician I hired to install a separate fax line.

Or, maybe standing in front of a house in Midtown, leaning against my car. I had pulled over to make a phone call. A woman on her front porch yelled at me, "Hey, you look like a Realtor."

Met a couple on our wedding cruise, 2 years later they emailed me that they were moving to Orlando and could I help them find a home!

You never know, it is true, people do business with who they know like and trust!

It would have to be in a driveway getting out of my car to do a preview... so people stopped to ask me questions.

Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®,CRS, Not really unusual, but I did get a listing once from a "Just Listed" letter I had sent out a year prior. I received a call one day from Long Island, NY, The family said they had my letter and wanted to list their house here in Virginia.

One thing leads to another holds as potential clients/leads are everwhere

McDonalds!

"Hey, you're a REALTOR! Do you know anything about that house on Bramblewood?"

No, is did not respond, "Show me your money!"

Flying back from London to Phoenix in First Class.  You never know!

I was at a minor league baseball game, wrote a blog on this a few years ago

On a cruise at the bar. 

At Lowes in the carpet section

hmm most unusual that comes to mind is auto service waiting room

From a customer in a grocery store while shopping for groceries. Never expected that, sold her a home within a month.

At Home Depot ordering new counters and getting ready to put their home on the market.

A BH park, was there there with my kids. Kids make friends fast and effordlessly, so parents connect as well:) 

All the above. 

Delivering Meals on Wheels

Paul,

On a plane

At a dollar store.

"Stuff" can happen when you least expect it. Be prepared.