New to Real Estate · Ogden · Member since 2014 · 107 posts · 19 votes
Hello Fellow BP'ers,
I am struggling to find an affordable method of advertising to build my Buyers List and advertising to sellers. Bandit signs are illegal, but smaller signs are not, in some areas. I have yet to receive any phone calls. I just need some stellar marketing ideas to attract both buyers and sellers! THANK YOU in advance:)
Residential Real Estate Broker · Campbell, CA · Member since 2013 · 38 posts · 29 votes
11y
For buyers, go to your local auctions and let every buyer there know that you find discounted properties for investors. I assure you they will give you their contact info. Auction.com also does auctions and good source of leads. Join and go to every REIA and real estate related meetup in your area. Have business cards and tell people you are looking for deals that you will wholesale. You will likely be the most popular person in the room. Craigslist, Facebook and LinkedIn are all places you will easily find buyers. Call bandit signs for buyers. Google cash buyers + city and you will find all types of cash buyers. Your local title co can give you a list of all the cash buyers in your geographic areas that have closed within a certain time period. This information can also be looked up by any real estate agent you befriend (buy them lunch and promise them your next listing).
For sellers, google and then call all the REO agents and short sale specialists in your area. Network, network, network, and make sure you FOLLOW-UP. Buy the wholesalers you meet coffee or lunch and follow-up every 2-3 weeks. They give their deals to the people that are top of mind, responsive and easy to do business with. Bandit signs work too. If you are going to do direct mail you have to be committed with a budget to do it every month. 2-3 times is not going to assure you success. Every month!
Investor · Hastings On Hudson, NY · Member since 2014 · 73 posts · 25 votes
11y
Put yourself in their shoes. What would make you excited to see your name and want to sell/buy with you? That might be a good jumping point for some ideas.
Real Estate Investor · Houston, TX · Member since 2014 · 111 posts · 17 votes
11y
Bandit signs have really been where 90% of our deals come from. 100 signs every week. I've had very poor responses from mail outs but still continue to do them trying different techniques to see if I can find something that works... We also do flyers on vacant homes, neighbors outside and on cars in parking lots... but really nothing comes close to bandit sign returns...
New to Real Estate · Ogden · Member since 2014 · 107 posts · 19 votes
11y
Thank you! So what exactly do you write on them? And where do you place them? How long does it take for calls to come in? & what's your response percentage? 100 signs is a lot!
Residential Real Estate Broker · Campbell, CA · Member since 2013 · 38 posts · 29 votes
11y
For buyers, go to your local auctions and let every buyer there know that you find discounted properties for investors. I assure you they will give you their contact info. Auction.com also does auctions and good source of leads. Join and go to every REIA and real estate related meetup in your area. Have business cards and tell people you are looking for deals that you will wholesale. You will likely be the most popular person in the room. Craigslist, Facebook and LinkedIn are all places you will easily find buyers. Call bandit signs for buyers. Google cash buyers + city and you will find all types of cash buyers. Your local title co can give you a list of all the cash buyers in your geographic areas that have closed within a certain time period. This information can also be looked up by any real estate agent you befriend (buy them lunch and promise them your next listing).
For sellers, google and then call all the REO agents and short sale specialists in your area. Network, network, network, and make sure you FOLLOW-UP. Buy the wholesalers you meet coffee or lunch and follow-up every 2-3 weeks. They give their deals to the people that are top of mind, responsive and easy to do business with. Bandit signs work too. If you are going to do direct mail you have to be committed with a budget to do it every month. 2-3 times is not going to assure you success. Every month!
Specialist · Sibley, LA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 190 votes
11y
@Henrietta M.It all comes to having a reductional real estate website that coverts online. Just know people are searching online for properties to buy and sell, so get your business in front of them.
Rental Property Investor · Denver, CO · Member since 2013 · 4k+ posts · 2k+ votes
11y
@Henrietta M. the best way to build a buyers list is to get a screaming deal and then advertise it like a mad man. You will then have your buyers list. The more deals you get the more buyers you will have.
For sellers. Nothing new under the sun and if someone tells your there is some "new" secret sauce then it's be old news in short order. Hard work and persistence is the best approach to whatever method you choose. I recommend against illegal operations like bandit signs.
New to Real Estate · Ogden · Member since 2014 · 107 posts · 19 votes
11y
hmmm....bandit signs seem like such a sure fire way to get leads coming in, BUT they don't feel right. I have yet to advertise this way. Everytime I get fired up to put them out, I stop. Thanks Bill S.
Burleson, TX · Member since 2009 · 37 posts · 33 votes
11y
I have been advertising with bandit signs for years now. They work.
The whole illegal thing is b.s. as well. Every city had local ordinances that say you cant put out bandit signs, however those ordinances are in voilation of our right to free speech.
I have been fined a couple of times and always dealt with it easily.
In fact, the last time I was fined was by the city of mabank, texas. The sign officer fined me for like $2000 or something like that.
So I went in and saw the judge that day. I was sitting in her office and politely explained how I could simply pay my attorney and all this will go away because of the first amendment. However, that would cost me $1500.
She agreed and then I said I would rather just avoid paying that much. I then negotiated it down to $500 total at $50 month for the next 10 months.
If that isn't a judge acknowledging defeat over a b.s. local ordinance I don't know what is.
So after having thousands and thousands of signs go out, that fine and one other one have been my only cost.
Signs work and I'm thankful the citys keep the intersections clear for me. They make my yellow signs pop out all the more.
Investor · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2014 · 131 posts · 46 votes
11y
@Henrietta M., considering joining your local REIA. There you can network with potential partners who can bring deals to you and help you market you own deals (other wholesalers). Second, direct mail. If you're not willing to commit to a campaign (at least 6 months consistently) I would hold off. Direct mail provides an engaging, dynamic, and effective way to market to potential sellers.
Bakersfield, CA · Member since 2016 · 543 posts · 281 votes
10y
@Henrietta M. I know it has been a while since the original post, and it may still seem like some of these suggestions are old hat, but if they work, why change it? I definitely like what @Bill S. had to say: "For sellers. Nothing new under the sun and if someone tells your there is some "new" secret sauce then it's be old news in short order. Hard work and persistence is the best approach to whatever method you choose." Very good point.
It may also seem like some of the methods you try don't give you the response rate you imagined and so you feel like it is a waste of time. If you are expecting to receive 50 calls with a few bandit signs for example, then it will disappoint for sure. It may be worth your while to do a bit of research to see what the average response rates may be for each method so that you have realistic expectations, and so it might give you an idea of what you may want to try.
For example, with direct mail the average response rates seem to differ with each type of marketing piece. We have found that postcards receive an average of .5% response (mostly quality calls), letters receive about 9% response rate (angry callers, curious callers, tire-kickers, quality callers, etc.), and zip letters and greeting cards see about 2% response (mostly quality calls). @Shaun Caldwell was correct that it will take a campaign to make it worth while. A single mailing won't do your list justice. Follow ups are key with direct mail.
For buyers, go to your local auctions and let every buyer there know that you find discounted properties for investors. I assure you they will give you their contact info. Auction.com also does auctions and good source of leads. Join and go to every REIA and real estate related meetup in your area. Have business cards and tell people you are looking for deals that you will wholesale. You will likely be the most popular person in the room. Craigslist, Facebook and LinkedIn are all places you will easily find buyers. Call bandit signs for buyers. Google cash buyers + city and you will find all types of cash buyers. Your local title co can give you a list of all the cash buyers in your geographic areas that have closed within a certain time period. This information can also be looked up by any real estate agent you befriend (buy them lunch and promise them your next listing).
For sellers, google and then call all the REO agents and short sale specialists in your area. Network, network, network, and make sure you FOLLOW-UP. Buy the wholesalers you meet coffee or lunch and follow-up every 2-3 weeks. They give their deals to the people that are top of mind, responsive and easy to do business with. Bandit signs work too. If you are going to do direct mail you have to be committed with a budget to do it every month. 2-3 times is not going to assure you success. Every month!