I NEED HELP OR A MENTOR

[SELLSARE4ME]

I have been thinking about wholesaling since 2016 and finally decided to go ahead do it, I bought 50 yard signs and put them in various places where traffic is jam pack at the lights everywhere!!! Basic message "WE BUY HOUSES AND PHONE NUMBER" I also located a list of pre foreclosure and tried marketing on craigslist. Iv noticed my signs generating only BUYERS and NO SELLERS?? I have not tried mailers yet which I am next week. My thing is if I have my list of properties already to go how can I contact the seller who is in pre for or absentee owners via phone? Iv tried everything and no one seems to know the owners number? even the realtor I partner with! Any suggestions? 

[javipa]

You didn't say how many times you've done what you mentioned, but it's a matter of repetition, not a one-off effort and then all your dreams come true.

Craigslist is where you establish a familiar presence to back up your offline marketing.  Otherwise, sellers are expecting YOU to call them, not them calling you. 

Even then, your job should be to ask craigslist sellers (or anyone you talk with) who is trying to sell besides them, and follow up on referral leads.  Sellers seem to know other sellers that way. 

Meantime, direct mail is a foundational marketing tool.  However, absentee owners are likely getting regular cornball-style letters from amateur wannabees, and somehow you've got to come across as more compelling, legitimate, and unique from the rest of the herd.

Whatever you do, plan on exposing your message at least five times to your target audience, before you get any quality leads.  And that presumes you have a critical mass of prospects to expose your message to.

Then, you need to launch at least five more lead generators in your farm area.  One of my investor friends parks a bright, yellow, 16', box (U-Haul) trailer in the parking lot of Target, to expose his message.  He also parks a billboard trailer at various places, including anywhere that it can be seen from the freeway.

Then there's the cheap stuff to get out your message;

* business cards,
* flyers,
* brochures,
* buttons and pens

And more long-term things like:
* car wraps
* window decals
* throw-away display ads
* and ???

Frankly, you're not in the real estate business.  You're in the marketing business, so you can do real estate.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

[Dmccright]

You didn't say how many times you've done what you mentioned, but it's a matter of repetition, not a one-off effort and then all your dreams come true.

Craigslist is where you establish a familiar presence to back up your offline marketing.  Otherwise, sellers are expecting YOU to call them, not them calling you. 

Even then, your job should be to ask craigslist sellers (or anyone you talk with) who is trying to sell besides them, and follow up on referral leads.  Sellers seem to know other sellers that way. 

Meantime, direct mail is a foundational marketing tool.  However, absentee owners are likely getting regular cornball-style letters from amateur wannabees, and somehow you've got to come across as more compelling, legitimate, and unique from the rest of the herd.

Whatever you do, plan on exposing your message at least five times to your target audience, before you get any quality leads.  And that presumes you have a critical mass of prospects to expose your message to.

Then, you need to launch at least five more lead generators in your farm area.  One of my investor friends parks a bright, yellow, 16', box (U-Haul) trailer in the parking lot of Target, to expose his message.  He also parks a billboard trailer at various places, including anywhere that it can be seen from the freeway.

Then there's the cheap stuff to get out your message;

* business cards,
* flyers,
* brochures,
* buttons and pens

And more long-term things like:
* car wraps
* window decals
* throw-away display ads
* and ???

Frankly, you're not in the real estate business.  You're in the marketing business, so you can do real estate.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

I seriously love direct mail if not just for how people spaz out about getting mail. I can only imagine how pissed people would get about a u haul lol. 

[Kazy97]

So do I. I am just beginning real estate investing, i have been reading, and learning for about 3 months and have done some minor marketing but haven't gotten any deals yet. I realize that I am spinning my wheels because I desperately need DIRECTION from a MENTOR! the problem is, is that I dont really have $ to spend on it. I see these local mentorship programs charge $1000's to join upfront! I would be more than willing to give up at least 50% of the profit on any deals I would generate in exchange for guidance from a mentor..Anyone have advice for me?? Or does anyone know of someone on the Baltimore,MD area who would be willing to guide me? Thanks so much!!

[Randoskie]

One of my favorite things is to get a deal just dropped in my lap from the friends I've made.
When an investor calls and even though I've only talked to him once or twice before, I get excited and say, Hey Joe, you wild man, where the heck you been whats going on?.
The conversations is fun with some laughing and it's like we haven't seen each other since the flood, and I havnt even met him.

Also, when a homeowner calls and they want to know how much I will pay for their house, I say 1 million dollars, that usually gets them laughing and I explain I will do my stuff and get back to them with a nice all cash offer.

Now my buyer that drives the pimped out Escalade with outrageous rims is all business, you cant get him to laugh if ur life depended on it, so I adopt a more serious mentality with him.

So I believe having a fun enthusiastic attitude puts me in a better position for getting deals.
This really is a people business, that's my 2 cents.

[Dmccright]

So do I. I am just beginning real estate investing, i have been reading, and learning for about 3 months and have done some minor marketing but haven't gotten any deals yet. I realize that I am spinning my wheels because I desperately need DIRECTION from a MENTOR! the problem is, is that I dont really have $ to spend on it. I see these local mentorship programs charge $1000's to join upfront! I would be more than willing to give up at least 50% of the profit on any deals I would generate in exchange for guidance from a mentor..Anyone have advice for me?? Or does anyone know of someone on the Baltimore,MD area who would be willing to guide me? Thanks so much!!

The best mentor you could ever have is experience. Don't look at it as a job but a game. Sometimes you screw up in a game(like the first time I played with jokers in spades) but you get it after awhile. We all have our different strategies and ways and you will develop yours. Spend the 5k on marketing not mentorship.

[Content]

I have been thinking about wholesaling since 2016 and finally decided to go ahead do it, I bought 50 yard signs and put them in various places where traffic is jam pack at the lights everywhere!!! Basic message "WE BUY HOUSES AND PHONE NUMBER" I also located a list of pre foreclosure and tried marketing on craigslist. Iv noticed my signs generating only BUYERS and NO SELLERS?? I have not tried mailers yet which I am next week. My thing is if I have my list of properties already to go how can I contact the seller who is in pre for or absentee owners via phone? Iv tried everything and no one seems to know the owners number? even the realtor I partner with! Any suggestions? 

@sellsare4me

You marketing is generating a list of buyers? THIS IS PURE GOLD! This is usually rare. Most people find deals and have a hard time shopping it.

Have you taken the time to find out more about your buyers?

What are they looking for?

How much they typically like to spend?

Where do they like to invest?

That can help narrow your focus to find deals or even better get hooked up with the right/more experienced/bigger WHOLESALER or REHABBER.

Your cut might be less but you instantly will gain a "working mentor". Everybody makes money and you can gain experience like mentioned above.

[amazeproperties]

@kazy97 & @sellsr4me

As @javipa was mentioning, consistency is key. Keep at it, deals will come your way.

If your marketing budget is low, try cheap/free ways i.e. calling FSBO and for rents on Craigslist and FSBO sites, sending mail to family of vacant houses or knocking on the neighbors doors, building a buyers list and partnering with other wholesalers, etc.

[DLee]

A lot of good replies and consistency definitely. To be honest though, if you want to be a serious investor things like bandit signs is not really the way to go. I get this is a start and you are just starting out, but consider this. I got so many deals because people put bandit signs out saying "we buy houses in Connecticut", and then their number. My site is called exactly that. When people see these signs they remember the "we buy houses in ct"part,  but not the number. So they go online and type that in and as I am ranking 1 on google they call me.
"Oh I saw your sign on the road, can you buy my house?". I always smirk and say oh absolutely.

Want to be someone, get a website, drive traffic to it via craigslist ads (free) and get the ball rolling that way. That is a lot more productive and not illegal, as bandit signs are. That is my honest opinion.

[houseguy4201]

I would consider your local REIA in your area. They have a very cost effective mentor program and all they teach applies to your local market as well.

[Lana USA]

Remember in real estate buyers leads are just as important as seller leads. So now you are realizing that in your market bandit singes are great for developing investors data base, that is a great thing.
you are thinking correctly when you are mentioning direct mail. Direct mail helped us purchase well over 3500 properties. I would suggest utilizing non owner occupied, 3 bed 2 bath, 10 + years ownership as your mailing criteria, that is the best combination that has worked for us.
Having said all this, the key is that you are out there hustling and generating  activity. That means you are on the right path.
Let me know if you have any more questions.