One of my main marketing tools is bandit signs, but lately I have been getting calls from code enforcement and a few calls even from police (although it could be code in disguise).
I have had them say they would charge as much as $1,000 per sign.
What is your experience on code/police on signs? Are they serious about fining you huge amounts? Or are they typically blowing smoke.
Also I drop my signs late at night when no one is out on the roads typically.
Buy sign space in people’s yards that live on corners.
Take the sign down Sunday night and put them up Friday night.
Put them on vacant, private property, far enough from the curb/street that code enforcement has no jurisdiction.
Use a number that you never answer directly; goes to voice mail; and can’t be traced to you. voicenation.com is a good bet. However, I’ve heard of code enforcement luring investors to meet to “sell” their house only to be caught and fined. I would think this was a pretty hefty abuse of bandit signs to get that far, but…
Otherwise, keep the signs down during the week, or keep them on private property.
Thanks for the tips javipa.
For the alternate number just for bandit signs, yes I do use that with google voice. At the moment I wouldn’t be “lured” into a deal by code enforcement. I just started wholesaling, but before I go shopping for houses I am working on building a buyers list.
Dropping signs in areas I plan to market too, getting the callers information: name, email, type of house they are looking for (year built 3/2/2 etc) what type of financing (hard money cash etc) and making an excel list.
When I have a decent buyers list and have an idea of what people are looking for then I will try and pick up some houses. Even if you have the best deal ever, but if you have no buyers to market too it wont matter. Just trying to get myself in front of people at the moment.
Think thats a good strategy?
That’s a good plan.
There’s a lot of debate over whether to find buyers first or find deals first.
Some advise prospecting for both at the same time, if not one, before the other.
For me it’s always about finding the deal first, and then finding the buyer. Otherwise, I can hunt till I’m blue in the face trying to match a buyer to a house. I would rather have the buyer find the house, and then let me work a deal on it, if possible.
Otherwise, in my experience, buyer’s are a dime a dozen, and houses are not.
I really don’t think that “if you have the best deal ever” that you’re going to have any problem finding a buyer. The problem is “the best deal ever” is sometimes in the eye of the beholder, but not in the eyes of the buyers, if that makes any sense.
Buyers are ruthless when it comes to sizing up a deal, so it’s very important to know market values intimately in your niche, so that “the best deal ever” actually qualifies as that. Just saying.
Meantime, I’ve got a buyers list, but the shelf life is too short to depend on. Others probably have different experiences, and so you just have to do what works for you. There’s more than one way to skin a cat. I found my way, and offer it the best I know how.
A good marketing but risky tool. Well, you just have to choose well on what and where will you place your bandit signs, as well as when to make sure you don’t get blown by the police.