Mailing List Source Alternatives

[Michael Hayes]

Hello everyone.  Just checking to see if anyone has a good mailing list site that they use.  I've used listsource, melissa data, and one other website, but I am looking for more specific lists such as divorces, mortgage lates, probate, etc.  I know a couple of sites offer these, but with very limited to no filter options such as number of bedrooms and bathrooms, square feet, year built, % equity, etc.  Has anyone used anything else that they like with a good number of filters?

[Sean OToole]

@Michael Hayes there are some reasons that the professional list companies don't typically offer those lists.

Divorce & Probate - looking at public records on these you are already pretty late in the process. There are better approaches. Building relationships with attorneys is probably number one - if they know you can help a client that needs immediate assistance and will treat them fairly they'll be glad to have someone to refer clients to. For probate you can also scan the obituaries in your local papers, or if you really want to get ahead build relationships with hospice nurses and your local mortuaries (they typically remove the body so they are pretty early in the process). Just keep in mind those people might react with disgust depending on how you approach them. Still it's weeks to months sooner then waiting for public record filings, and will also get you leads where probate isn't involved, which in better areas where people spend money on trusts could be most of them.

Mortgage Lates - This is credit data, and while you can buy credit data for marketing purposes it comes with a bunch of rules that you are supposed to follow. Seems that most of the unscrupulous lead sellers don't bother to tell their clients this. A real lead company won't do that, however, as the fines are large if someone did decide to pursue it. If on the other hand we sold the data and made you follow the rules, you'd get horrible results. The rules require something akin to a surgeon generals hazardous to your health warning that is such a turn off that no one responds. Finally response on these is generally poor because you are so early in the LONG foreclosure process that the seller has no motivation. One of the secrets about foreclosures is that being first rarely gets you the deal, instead building trust over time, and being there when they finally give up is what works (for example touching base after the judge give the bank a motion for relief from stay on their bankruptcy that has been postponing the foreclosure sale for 6 months - at which point no one else is even still tracking).

Finally, the companies that do offer these usually don't bother with filters because there just aren't enough leads to make filtering useful in most geographies, and getting that data costs more money.