IT'S OK TO FOLLOW UP ... YOU'RE NOT BUGGING ANYONE
Jason MalabuteBusiness Member
Accountant · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 897 votes
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IT'S OK TO FOLLOW UP ... YOU'RE NOT BUGGING ANYONE
Most Popular Reply
Investor · Columbus, OH · Member since 2017 · 861 posts · 1k+ votes
6yIf this is about following up after the seller reached out to you first, in which case, yeah they initiated it, keep talking to them until they tell you to bug off.
Otherwise, for cold callers and wholesalers: 100% completely disagree, you are being an absolute pest if you bother me several times to try and get me to sell my properties at a discount, when I have zero intention of selling cheap and off market like I am some kind of moron sucker.
In fact, if the communications are unsolicited, repeated, and commercial in nature (as you are running a business) you are at risk of being sued for TCPA violations, where the "sellers" you are harassing can bring private party action against you for between 500-1500 per incident. This is true for texts, calls and ringless voicemail.
If I sound upset, its because I get an ever increasing number of calls and texts per day from wholesalers bothering me. It is absolutely a nuisance and you are absolutely bugging people. I have written before here about my #1 way to relate to people when I am out in my community is to ask them if they get calls and texts from "we buy houses" folks, and they hate it!
People absolutely hate it! Everyone hates being contacted repeatedly when they have never initiated the communications, do not delude yourselves.
8 Replies
- Real Estate Agent · Phoenix · Member since 2020 · 27 posts · 49 votes6y
@Jason Ma this kind of advice/tip will never be anything less than refreshing to hear.
- Real Estate Broker · Portland, OR · Member since 2019 · 4k+ posts · 2k+ votes6y
True, very rarely do you get a listing/deal on the first phone call.
- Investor · Columbus, OH · Member since 2017 · 861 posts · 1k+ votes6y
If this is about following up after the seller reached out to you first, in which case, yeah they initiated it, keep talking to them until they tell you to bug off.
Otherwise, for cold callers and wholesalers: 100% completely disagree, you are being an absolute pest if you bother me several times to try and get me to sell my properties at a discount, when I have zero intention of selling cheap and off market like I am some kind of moron sucker.
In fact, if the communications are unsolicited, repeated, and commercial in nature (as you are running a business) you are at risk of being sued for TCPA violations, where the "sellers" you are harassing can bring private party action against you for between 500-1500 per incident. This is true for texts, calls and ringless voicemail.
If I sound upset, its because I get an ever increasing number of calls and texts per day from wholesalers bothering me. It is absolutely a nuisance and you are absolutely bugging people. I have written before here about my #1 way to relate to people when I am out in my community is to ask them if they get calls and texts from "we buy houses" folks, and they hate it!
People absolutely hate it! Everyone hates being contacted repeatedly when they have never initiated the communications, do not delude yourselves.
- Investor · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2017 · 303 posts · 327 votes6y
@Jason Ma To clarify your advice: When you say “a seller,” do you mean an actual seller for a listed property? Or just a homeowner who you think may want to sell for some “distress” or whatever reason, but hasn’t listed?
Who are you in this scenario? A wholesaler? A real estate agent representing the buyer for a (listed) property? A buyer for yourself making cold calls? Someone else? Please clarify the scenario.
- Cleveland, OH · Member since 2020 · 21 posts · 29 votes6y
@Jason Ma very good advice. The fortune is in the follow up. You can’t expect to make a deal on your first contact.
- Wholesaler · Portland, OR · Member since 2017 · 40 posts · 96 votes6y
@Jason Ma totally agree brother! If you've told me that you have interest in selling your house and there is any sliver of motivation, I will continue to follow up and hold your feet to the fire to seek the truth.
If the motivation changes, or you tell me not to contact you anymore, I am more than willing to respect your request and drop the issue.
You'll lose more deals by not following up then you will by reaching out enough to remain a present and persistent reminder that there may be a solution when you want to hit the easy button.
- Investor · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2017 · 303 posts · 327 votes6y
@Jason Ma I asked my original question yesterday - you still have not replied. I’ll try your recommendation, I guess. I’ll press on. I am sure I won’t be perceived as a pest. In my own mind, at least, I know I am not.
“... You’re not bugging anyone... if someone’s not responding well to your call follow up try another form of follow up. Try to text, send a video., send a gift, visit them...”
I am amazed that this statement has received praise from (licensed?) RE professionals. But I am not surprised.
You are still leaving me guessing as to who you are in your scenario... I’ll go with a wholesaler, since you won’t answer my original question for me to know for sure (or as for sure as can be alleged by someone for social media purposes.)
If you are a wholesaler, I believe your calls to originate without there being a listing for sale/prior relationship with the “seller.” I get these calls/texts all the time. Can you guess from my written tone that such calls have made me mentally unstable?...
But I guess there must be willing “sellers” out there for these calls/texts to still be made to me as often as multiple times per day. I’ve been wondering about that:
Would you mind telling us how many deals you have closed with your described tactic, and in what time period? How many times an FTC/FCC complaint may have been filed against you (if you'd know by now?) How many times a person on the receiving end of your affection has taken you to court? Any restraining orders? Do you have an LLC? Do you believe your LLC can protect you personally?
I await your prompt reply in not leaving me guessing further.
P.S. I hope you won’t take it the wrong way, but - since I did not hear from you the last time - I put flowers on a bedroom windowsill with a note addressed to “The beautiful woman at the house,” and signed the note with, “I am excited about pursuing a transaction between us,” before I learned from five of your proximate neighbors that she is your sixteen year old daughter. I innocently thought that the pretty girl who likes to sleep with her pink teddy bear and a nightlight was your wife, who could help you with your decision making on the sale. You see, sending a gift to an unresponsive seller is a tactic I read about in a real estate investors forum... I assure you that there was no predatory intent. You can trust me.
Joking aside: I hope that people will seriously think about what consequences their words of advice/motivation - and approval of such by professionals - may have in the real world.
- Investor · Columbus, OH · Member since 2017 · 861 posts · 1k+ votes6y
Originally posted by @Al D.:
@Jason Ma I asked my original question yesterday - you still have not replied. I’ll try your recommendation, I guess. I’ll press on. I am sure I won’t be perceived as a pest. In my own mind, at least, I know I am not.
“... You’re not bugging anyone... if someone’s not responding well to your call follow up try another form of follow up. Try to text, send a video., send a gift, visit them...”
I am amazed that this statement has received praise from (licensed?) RE professionals. But I am not surprised.
You are still leaving me guessing as to who you are in your scenario... I’ll go with a wholesaler, since you won’t answer my original question for me to know for sure (or as for sure as can be alleged by someone for social media purposes.)
If you are a wholesaler, I believe your calls to originate without there being a listing for sale/prior relationship with the “seller.” I get these calls/texts all the time. Can you guess from my written tone that such calls have made me mentally unstable?...
But I guess there must be willing “sellers” out there for these calls/texts to still be made to me as often as multiple times per day. I’ve been wondering about that:
Would you mind telling us how many deals you have closed with your described tactic, and in what time period? How many times an FTC/FCC complaint may have been filed against you (if you'd know by now?) How many times a person on the receiving end of your affection has taken you to court? Any restraining orders? Do you have an LLC? Do you believe your LLC can protect you personally?
I await your prompt reply in not leaving me guessing further.
P.S. I hope you won’t take it the wrong way, but - since I did not hear from you the last time - I put flowers on a bedroom windowsill with a note addressed to “The beautiful woman at the house,” and signed the note with, “I am excited about pursuing a transaction between us,” before I learned from five of your proximate neighbors that she is your sixteen year old daughter. I innocently thought that the pretty girl who likes to sleep with her pink teddy bear and a nightlight was your wife, who could help you with your decision making on the sale. You see, sending a gift to an unresponsive seller is a tactic I read about in a real estate investors forum... I assure you that there was no predatory intent. You can trust me.
Joking aside: I hope that people will seriously think about what consequences their words of advice/motivation - and approval of such by professionals - may have in the real world.
Preach! You can always tell who actually owns real estate on this site, theyve lost their marbles dealing with the wholesaler hoards throwing themselves at our phones like locusts. I was looking at my call records, 156 calls from wholesalers for me this month.
And this guy was advocating visiting "sellers"?? I hope this never becomes a thing.
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