I Got a Homeless Bird Dog

Haha, he got angry cuz I cudnt do a deal on any of his houses, out of the houses he sent me, I only got back a handful of replies from my mailings. He said all he got was sore legs. I told him u have a negative attitude, U got some good exercise and a good deal cud be just around the corner in the next batch of houses u send.
I offered to buy him a bicycle also. I explained to him the reason he was in the homeless situation because he gives up.
A winner fails many times but never gives up.
This seemed to infuriate him.
We communicate thru email when he goes to the public library. One of the houses he found I tried to get him to meet me and we wud do an inspection and make up an offer. I told him we wud have to take off the plywood to gain entry. He said no, he wudnt do that bcuz he had issues with the police. I told him we have the owners permission. He just flat out refused.
I suspect he may of had some old warrants.
I am amazed how many Bird dog applicants I get and they are ready to set the world on fire and then I never hear from them again. And some will send me a few houses b4 they give up and only a tiny percentage will actually give it a half ass effort.
Everybody wants to be rich, but, then they find out they would have to work for it.
Does anybody have a method to motivate bird dogs?

That’s fascinating, because I’ve had similar results in the past.

My dad had to buy several ‘bird dogs’ a year, and try them out, to find the ones that would actually hunt. I’m talking real dogs that hunted for birds.

He would buy a couple of dogs and take them out for a half-day of trials, and see which ones ‘worked’ and which ones didn’t. The dogs that failed, we ate.

My dad did get tired of ‘that’ routine, and when we moved to a much larger home with some area for larger hunting dogs, he bought a ‘pure bred’ puppy that was ‘sure’ to hunt.

Never mind he bought two more adult dogs with a history of hunting, while the ‘hunting-puppy-in-training’ grew up.

Well, it’s the same with ‘bird dogs’ in real estate hunting. We have to wade through a bunch of non-performers, until we find ones that are actually ready, willing, and able to hunt deals.

Here’s a couple of issues about finding bird dogs that just screams, ‘Fail!’

First, the bird dogs are found with bandit signs. Really? Diligent, hard-working, organized, self-starters are calling off bandit signs? Pffft.

Of course, the offer is framed as “Professional Real Estate Investor Looking For Assistants. Make Up To $10,000/mo…!”, or something hypey along that line. Really, again? Off a freeway exit bandit sign? If they say so.

Instead of using ghetto prospecting, with hyped of promises of ‘up to $120,000 a year’ why not actually advertise professionally for “Lead Generators?”

That’s what Craigslist is good for. And it costs less than pounding bandit signs in the ground.

You know who never works out? The untrained, unsifted, and the unqualified people that call for all the wrong reasons.

The solution?

Put our hooks in the ponds of likely producers, and not the criminals; drug abusers; and the psychologically damaged living under bridges.

You know why investors don’t put their ‘help wanted’ ads where the producers will find them? Because they’re not prepared for that kind of success.

But that’s not the end of it. It’s also sifting for the bird dogs that have some ‘hunting money’. Broke bird dogs, don’t hunt.

As importantly, they need training on how to hunt down deals. The more training we can provide, the more successful we’ll be, and the less re-training we’ll have to do.

There’s an investor near me that advertises a two-hour seminar on how to find leads. He doesn’t describe it that way, but that’s effectively what he does.

Of course, after the training, the newly-minted bird-dogs leave with a plan, a territory, and a buyer. So my investor friend just waits to see who actually hunts.

The ones that do hunt, he trains to do more things.

I can only guess what his rate of turnover is, since he seems to offer this training several times a year.

No, we didn’t eat the dogs that didn’t hunt! Come on!

You were scaring me until you posted this. I was thinking, great post, this guy has great advice, but… ah, ok…

HA!

Good topic started, Randoskie. And great post Javipa. I’m kind of doing what you mentioned. I just don’t do the training, I give them access to some online documents for self-training. You’re right, you make the position sound sophisticated and professional when you post them and you’re likely to get those kind of people too. I also give a little more incentive to those who deliver like reimbursement for gas money.

Javipa and I cud start a comedy duo, But, who wud be the straight guy? I have a house and 5 acres on a Tropical Island of Bohol, it’s part of the Philippines. I spend 4-6 months there every year, but anyway,

This is a true story. The neighbor’s dog jumped off the front deck and hung itself. It was quite a commotion, the neighbor cut it down and cried. Afterwards He gently layed the 30 pound canine out by the dirt road, this was directly across from our house so I cud see what was going on. I asked my Philippine wife, why did ur Uncle put the dog out on the road and why are those two natives carrying it off? She says, their going to eat it of course.

One day while driving to the city a 3’ long lizard ran across the road in front of us, my wife says, stop, catch it, they are good to eat. Now I cudnt see myself running thru the jungle and wrestling this 20 pound scary lookin lizard so I put the vehicle back in gear and told my wife, oh Im not hungry.

I had purchased a rat trap, a small wire cage that wud capture the rodents with a spring loaded door. I was admiring one of my catches, a huge brown rat, when the gardener says, can I have it, those are good to eat.

When strolling thru the market we came across some skinned cow heads with the eyeballs staring at us, I said look dear, we shud get us a cow head. She says oh no, those are only for special occasions.

Another time I opened our fridge and ther was a huge bowl of god knows what, I asked the wife what in the heck is that? She says oh, that’s baka oten and etlog. Now I know enuf Visayan to know that means cow penis and testicals. I said get that blankity blank out of here. She says but it will make you more virle and last long time. I told her I wud rather be premature and impotent that eat that stuff.

Ah, paradise
.

I was NOT expecting that last thing… HAAAA!!!

Hey Randoskie!

Hilarious story. I am from Bohol, Philippines.
But I’m based in Cebu. :biggrin

Wow that great, I wud like a partner in Bohol and Cebu to wholesale properties, I know we can do it. And I wud also like to set up some virtual assistants from there. Are you interested in making some profits?
Contact me, my email is on the success stories.

o.k. Let’s look at the situation objectively. Firstly I agree that when most people find out how much work needs to be done, they find out they really don’t want to do it. I think it is cool that you offered him a bike. That is incentive, and you are showing that you are willing to compensate the individual. You also are showing good faith for the efforts this gentleman put in. You however can’t get something for nothing. Investors talk about the possibilities, but gloss over the real fine details. The bird dog doesn’t know you maxed out all of your credit cards, refinanced your house, lost money on four deals before making money on your first, etc. etc, etc.

I think that these things should be discussed so the individual knows what they are getting into. Also knowing this will allow them to be more diligent when it comes to working the program. The bird dog has to have a vested interest. Money is the best motivator, period. Progress has to be seen. “I am doing all this work and I am not making any deals”! " This is a Scam"! Maybe you could have educated that bird dog why his particular deals didn’t go through. Many times people are attracted because of the opportunity for quick cash. Homeless people are resourceful! They are homeless! He is emailing you from a library. That deal is around the corner, but usually the individuals attracted don’t have any other sources of income. There has to be some form of compensation. Not to where they are making a salary, but this is a marketing expense for your business. treat is as such. give incentive, and reward on performance

For example lets say you paid $1.00 per lead. Your criteria has to be structured in a way that you know the guy worked it effectively. No more than 25 dollars a week. Inclusion is the name of the game. I want you to put up these bandit signs at these locations. Locations you can verify. I want you to post these ads on these classified websites using these email accounts. You can log in an verify. Ok I am including this person he is earning, and learning. Let me get a cheap phone, lunch with you three days a week something! So When this person is 2 months deep, they don’t bail on you. You can say hey You are learning valuable skills that I learned when I cut my teeth, and you are actually showing them. I repeat these are marketing expenses for you. I have heard gas money. That is good too, but people need a little more than that.

As far as the warrant situation, well that’s real. None wants to go to jail period. You can’t ask someone to do something you are not willing to do. You were down to go meet and go in the house, so that shows you are willing to get your hands dirty with them.
That is not funny. You have to give a little to get a little. You don’t have to give away the store but it must be in a manner that the person feels their efforts are worth it.