Investor · Dallas TX, United States · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
I am a mad scientist when it comes to marketing. I will try anything once, and most things twice. So let me ask all of you, what is your favorite or most creative marketing technique?
I will shart my most creative. I made up a bunch of day glow orange stickers that say "I buy houses" and everytime I go to the grocery store, I place on sticker on the handle of my shopping cart. I have bought two houses from those stickers so far.
I ask them if their clients would like to sell their low equity homes on lease purchase instead of paying the traditional sales costs of selling with an agent, which saves their client sometimes as much as 9 to 12 per cent.
If the sellers have no equity, they do not need to break savings plans like IRAs to use to pay the costs to sell. Financial Planners like that!
Specialist · Clermont, FL · Member since 2015 · 91 posts · 35 votes
11y
Lucas you are absolutely correct. They key is finding the right combination to use where you know your audience will be. Sometimes people will be frustrated and say "well I'm using them all and still not seeing any results" and it's usually because they haven't taken the time to find out if their audience is there, how they use the platforms, and the most important element engage them to build credibility and awareness. A lot of people use social like a cake recipe without the key ingredients and wonder why the cake won't rise/bake well/taste good. There is no simple in a box done for you solution. It takes observation, engagement and great messaging to work and you can't get that from a book or program.
would you be able to share your technique for getting shipping for 1000 flyers for $170? That is way lower than what I have been able to find. I know flyers aren't the end all of marketing but its a good tool to have in the box.
Investor · Dallas TX, United States · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
11y
I also do some odd marketing when I am trying to sell a flip or even when I am flipping a contract with a big spread.
If there is more than say 25k on the table, I will do a press release to draw all sorts of attention to the property. I tend to save this trick for higher end properties.
There are companies out there that will give you a press distribution service, which will syndicate your story (about you wonderful house for sale) to over 200 news outlets across America. Your local news will also pick up the story.
You can drop your URL into the story and build some really strong backlinks for SEO and getting your web site ranked. Google loves it when your URL shows up on a site that gets a lot of traffic.
I love linkedin. I can connect with just about any type of investor on that platform. I have had limited success in building buyers list but selling individual properties (the unique ones) or the ones with high cap rates.
I also find private money and hard money through linked in. I think you could build your entire business around linkedin if you tried. I havent gone that far, but I love all of the groups that you can get into. I cant think of a better way to network with out of town investors.
Specialist · Novato, CA · Member since 2012 · 190 posts · 57 votes
11y
Originally posted by @Account Closed:
I operate a cleanout company. Many of my clients call me first before they even call a realtor getting ready to sell a house. Not sure if that qualifies as exactly marketing but it is an effective way in buying a house below market value.
I've yet to buy one "cleaned out" other than I got "cleaned out" hot water heater, carpet, window. etc gone after COE. most of the time the dumpster company gets the one of first calls.
Specialist · Sibley, LA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 190 votes
11y
@Josh Caldwell I really like that method. That's sort of like the business card that's made like a dollar bill strategy. People will drop those on the ground, and people will obviously pick them up.
One I like the most is to create something epic-wow content on my website that everyone in the city will love to read. Then share it on social media and watch how the viral effect pushes through.
I'm a marketing consultant, so I wanted to get thousands of people to come over to my website no matter age, race or ethic. I just wanted to do an experiment to see can I get people in my city to read something of value, and also drive eye balls to my website.
So I created something called "living broke in Minden" you can google that to find the article. Once I posted that it went crazy around my city which was read over 21,478 times tot his date.
Basically what I'm saying is that if you want to be creative then you must start to think outside the box. Even though these people were not targeted people it was still fun to see the power of the viral effect.
Investor · Dallas TX, United States · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
11y
@Antonio Coleman that is a great intro to the world of content marketing, which I absolutely love. Content marketing is when you create interesting content for people to read, and use that content to drive traffic to your business.
In our world, you could do a series of articles for FB posts or Tumblr or pretty much any social media or blog, and focus those articles on people who are upside down and how they can sell their houses, including creative strategies that you jump all over. In a way you are creating your own herd. I dont even write much of it, I offer other investors the oppertunity to write for me.
I do this with my REIA club newsletter and with a couple of my own blogs. The article is basically educational, but designed as a stealth advertisement for you. You make money by helping other people, how wonderful is that.
Investor · Dallas TX, United States · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
11y
I have another marketing idea for you, actually its more of an ant funnel than anything. Ants are people who crawl around and find deals for you.
well one of my favorite ants is the code enforcement officer. I love these guys. Its worth taking them to lunch to pick their brains. Ask them about vacant property, ask them about landlords who are being cited, ask about problem tenants. Any of these leads can be worth a small fortune to you.
Once you get the addresses, follow up with a direct mail piece to the owner and go from there. You will also want to either offer a reward or send something nice over to the code enforcement guys. I assure you that nobody is nice to these guys, so you will earn a long term friend.
Lender · Greater LA/Orange County area, CA · Member since 2012 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
11y
Techniques may be tactical or strategic. Personally, I prefer the latter when doing serious planning.
For example, I decided to become a expert in an area that very few others understand or work effectively. It occurred to me that some don't have the patience to get sufficiently granular and fail to solve problems without creating new ones. I decided to exploit this, strategically, by developing systems in order to reverse engineer efficiently and spot opportunities that others seem dumbfounded that they'd miss.
I also recognize that the trusted advisers who I market to have limited access to info that I possess and have far greater expertise (and connections) than they. This positions me to be the go-to person for them and to be treated as a peer, not a services vendor.
Anyone can send out a few postcards. Not everyone can be the 'advisor to the advisors'.
Investor · Dallas TX, United States · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
11y
@Rick Hamon (I cant get this to post your name with @? thing)
Can you go into further detail about how you apply your expertise as a probate guy to making money as a RE investor?
Do you JV with people? Do you make yourself a deal nexus that other people can come too? What are the mechanical steps that you use to establish yourself as an expert, and how do you market that expertise?
Lender · Greater LA/Orange County area, CA · Member since 2012 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
11y
@Josh Caldwell Without revealing actions that can be easily implemented by others, here's the overview:
I market all 58 counties of my state, California. I have three primary funnels: legal, government and RTPG (real estate Pro's).
For the most part, I don't JV with but a few people as many deals do not require a partner.
In those deals that I do partner with, I've either: 1) generated the lead and let my partner complete the transaction (perhaps requiring court order or similar action); 2) tied the deal up contractually, hence set and structured the terms, letting my partner rehab and retail; or, 3) received opportunity referred to me by lead-generator (bird dog) who has identified the target and connects me with an alpha principal, and I put it together for my team to complete and monetize.
Since I've been in the game since the 70's, I get to pick and choose who I work with. I've set up systems so that we don't waste much time looking at deals that are not deals. In the case of the abandoned/missing owner niche, most sources haven't even seen the house or spoke to neighbors (red flag for time-waster) so they get vetted early.
Outside of planet RTPG, I do a lot of writing and some speaking. Few have the credentials to do this and don't get asked. Many years ago I also obtained status as a provider of continuing education in the legal community. Last year I published a book aimed at my fiduciary client prospect niche. I expect to speak several more times at legal and government groups before year end.
I move around freely among highly focused circles, both legal and others. As for investor circles, I sponsor and host The Bottomfeeders group of investors who meet twice yearly at a high-end resort near Santa Barbara. It has become a working laboratory as well as a group of friends who are high-achievers.
Investor · Dallas TX, United States · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
11y
@?Rick Harmon
I really like what you are doing. You have become the subject matter expert and developed yourself as a brand. People in your area understand that you know more than they do. So in the asymetric arena of real estate investing, you have created multiple lead streams in your niche.
That is not easy and it is not something that can be done quickly but once you have it in place you dont need to do a lot of marketing to find your deals, if you have to do anything at all.
Lexington, KY · Member since 2015 · 3 posts · 0 votes
11y
Wow! An amazing forum full of information marketing gold for a new investor. There's so much here that I don't quite know where to begin. Thank you all very much for sharing your knowledge and thank you especially to @Josh Caldwell for making all this possible. Lots of respect for all of you. I hope to be as skilled and relentless in REI as all of you have become.
Investor · Dallas TX, United States · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
11y
I have a great new marketing trick, but Im honestly not sure that i have the balls for this one.
I know of a house that I want to buy before it goes to tax sale. The house is free and clearI happened to be out to dinner with the Queen of Rehab last night and she had a brilliant suggestion.
I have a great new marketing trick, but Im honestly not sure that i have the balls for this one.
I know of a house that I want to buy before it goes to tax sale. The house is free and clearI happened to be out to dinner with the Queen of Rehab last night and she had a brilliant suggestion.
I have a great new marketing trick, but Im honestly not sure that i have the balls for this one.
I know of a house that I want to buy before it goes to tax sale. The house is free and clearI happened to be out to dinner with the Queen of Rehab last night and she had a brilliant suggestion.
Investor · Dallas TX, United States · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
11y
Luckily Robyn doesnt live in my city, so Im not worried about her jumpin gmy house. If I dont hear back from these people by tuesday, they are getting the sign in their lawn.
I have a great new marketing trick, but Im honestly not sure that i have the balls for this one.
I know of a house that I want to buy before it goes to tax sale. The house is free and clearI happened to be out to dinner with the Queen of Rehab last night and she had a brilliant suggestion.
There was more to my origional post, not sure what happened.
The rest of the story is that she suggested that I put a For Sale By Owner sign in their front yard, with my phone number on it. That should get them to call. They have not responded to any of my letters, and their phone is shut off. So I am looking for a creative way to get them to call me. I suspect that her suggestion of a FSBO sign in their yard should do the trick. Sure they will be mad, but they will be talking to me and that is what I need.
I like it a lot. There are a few little changes I would make. Your entire phone number doesnt show up on the graphic. I would look to create a brand for yourself right off the bat. Shelly Forte the "Chicago Bargain Lady" or something like that. I would also show a website if you have one. If comps are above 1 mil, why arent you priced higher???? Say maybe 750k thats still a super bargain, and Shelly gets to go to Europe this summer !
Lastly, move to Pittsburgh where our median house is 126k !!!! lol