Cold Calling for Real Estate Listings

If you were a real estate agent who would you cold call for new listings besides the expired mls listings and fizzbos/ for sale by owners?

Quote:

Originally Posted by realtor

who would you cold call for new listings besides the expired mls listings and fizzbos?

Let me apply my B2B mindset to what seems to be a straight-ahead B2C question.

I always like to call on one person that can be a force multiplier. In other words, by making one call, I reach someone able to influence numerous others.

With that goal in mind, perhaps you could develop a brief presentation designed to help home sellers in this difficult market. Then, find and contact the president's of area homeowners associations and offer to deliver the presentation at a gathering. In this way, you deliver a message of value to a wide audience with one call.

Okay?

What? You don't like that idea?

Give me a break!

Okay, try this one.

Prepare the same presentation and contact some local churches. Offer to deliver the presentation to one or more of their Sunday School classes or (if these churches are like my Methodist church) as part of one of their Wednesday night gatherings. Hopefully, same result.

Using some of the neat web-based video mash-up and presentation sites, you could also prepare the presentation and email links to everyone you've ever sold to before asking them to forward the message onto their neighbors or friends who might be interested in selling, too.

Hey! Don't shoot the messenger.

At least it's a different approach to the question.

Good luck!

Ideas:

1. Anybody who advertises that they are having a garage sale or yard sale.

2. People whose spouse/partner has died (a delicate situation to say the least)

3. Pregnant women

4. Anybody who has a new baby in the family (or 2 or 3 of them -the more the better)

5. People who have kids graduating from high school and college (especially the youngest child).

Some networking/marketing ideas:

1. Network with someone in a assisted living facility who can pass you leads of people seeking info. It can be challenging to find someone who is willing to do this, but these leads can be very valuable.

2. If you don't have one, put a well-conceived marketing/promotion campaign into action. This is a long term solution, not a short one, but the better a job you do at promoting yourself now, the less important it will be for you to have to cold call to find listing leads in the future.

Thank you for the ideas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip Anderson

1. Network with someone in a assisted living facility who can pass you leads of people seeking info. It can be challenging to find someone who is willing to do this, but these leads can be very valuable.

What is the reason for that Skip?

Quote:

Originally Posted by realtor

Thank you for the ideas.

What is the reason for that Skip?

Some or many people at assisted living facilities are hesitant to share info on their prospective clients.

But if you get the leads, many people entering assisted living need to sell their homes. The challenge is that many of these people have family members (adult children) who will handle that for their parents, so you need to reach the decision maker(s).

All the best,

Skip

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip Anderson

Some or many people at assisted living facilities are hesitant to share info on their prospective clients.

But if you get the leads, many people entering assisted living need to sell their homes. The challenge is that many of these people have family members (adult children) who will handle that for their parents, so you need to reach the decision maker(s).

All the best,

Skip

That is a really great idea Skip. I will look into that further. Thank you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by realtor

If you were a real estate agent who would you cold call for new listings besides the expired mls listings and fizzbos/ for sale by owners?

The reasons people want to sell a home fall into four main categories:

Relocation
Retirement
Estate
Upgrading

FYI, upgrading doesn't only mean getting a bigger or better home. Sometimes downsizing to a smaller home is an upgrade in a persons financial situation. Here are a few examples of ugrading:

Divorce - If a couple getting a divorce have a home it's not unusual that they will sell the home so each can go on their own way.
Loan Rates Resetting - Many homeowners have ARMs that will adjust upwards making the payments to high and they will need to sell.
Windfalls - People win the lottery, receive settlements, inherit money, etc. which can prompt them to make a housing change.

Assisted Living, Empty Nesters, Absentee Owners, Marriages, Promotions, Growing Family... these are all creative ideas.

IMO, what is most important is that you understand there are certain events that trigger or prompt a person to sell. Figure out what those events are and then keep your eyes open for individuals who are or might be (Think Ambulance Chaser) impacted by such events.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZBroker

The reasons people want to sell a home fall into four main categories:

Relocation
Retirement
Estate
Upgrading

FYI, upgrading doesn't only mean getting a bigger or better home. Sometimes downsizing to a smaller home is an upgrade in a persons financial situation. Here are a few examples of ugrading:

Divorce - If a couple getting a divorce have a home it's not unusual that they will sell the home so each can go on their own way.
Loan Rates Resetting - Many homeowners have ARMs that will adjust upwards making the payments to high and they will need to sell.
Windfalls - People win the lottery, receive settlements, inherit money, etc. which can prompt them to make a housing change.

Assisted Living, Empty Nesters, Absentee Owners, Marriages, Promotions, Growing Family... these are all creative ideas.

IMO, what is most important is that you understand there are certain events that trigger or prompt a person to sell. Figure out what those events are and then keep your eyes open for individuals who are or might be (Think Ambulance Chaser) impacted by such events.

Your comments have me thinking. Thank you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZBroker

IMO, what is most important is that you understand there are certain events that trigger or prompt a person to sell. Figure out what those events are and then keep your eyes open for individuals who are or might be (Think Ambulance Chaser) impacted by such events.

Take note Realtor this is excellent advice. I would add that by targeting these individuals your marketing messages could be very relevant.

Thank you Jim, AZ, Skip and Houston.

Cold Calling for Real Estate Listings

Cold Calling Forum