So many people keep saying bandit signs are much better. Are websites like Craigslist just as good as posting bandit signs? We have one local Lowes store nearby that could be a good place to start. Do you know of any other good places to post bandit signs and a good time to post them? I was thinking maybe real early in the morning to post signs maybe even before I go to work. I don’t see much competition in my area, so that may be a good thing.
They both have their place. Mostly I use the web but that’s only because the bandit sign police take the signs during the week. So only place them on weekends.
Have you ever gotten calls from the bandit police concerning your signs? You say place on weekends. That’s temporarily until the regular weekdays comes around then I have to get my signs, right? I mean since the bandit police takes the signs during the week anyway.
Yes, I have gotten calls from the “bandit police” AKA Township Code Enforcement Officer regarding by bandit signs. He suggested I remove all of my signs within 24 hours or he would be issuing citations for $1200/day per sign. This is why I now only put them in strategic locations at entrance/exits to my target neighborhoods late Friday afternoons and retrieve them late Sunday afternoon. I’ve never gotten a call since I started using this method but I assume I still could.
jmd_forest
I don’t think one method is better than another. I think you will eventually have to calculate your cost per lead in order to determine which method is better for you. If you are strictly posting ads on Craigslist for free than you won’t have any cost per lead except for the amount of time that you spend placing ads daily and your time is money so you should account for that.
Bandit signs have a monetary cost and a time cost associated with them, as you have to purchase the signs and spend time putting them up. Bandit signs can bring in many leads over a short period of time if done correctly, but you have to track your marketing and do your calculations in order to determine which marketing strategies are better for you.
overall, there is not a right or a wrong way, you just have to test and experiment in order to find the best strategies for you. As you can probably tell, I am a bandit sign guy, but I utilize other marketing methods as well.
Yes I can tell you are a bandit sign guy. I plan to get my start one step at a time with one sign at a time to see if it will pull me some leads.0 I have been travelingf around my town looking for some hot spots to plant my bandit signs. In my opinion anywhere where there is heavy taffic combined with stop signs and traffic lights may be a good thing. That is much better than placing signs where people will drive at high speeds without having time to stop or slow down to read the signs.
I went to a Summit this weekend and the mian speakers were Bill & Dwan Twyford. It was suggested that you place your bandit signs in the yards of vacant homes that aren’t listed with an agent. That’s not illegal because it’s on property. The worse case is the owner(if there is one) calls to fuss about the sign. You can blame it on the “neighborhood kid who placed them” and then try to get the sale from the owner!
But you most certainly have to do what’s financially best. You also have to conduct test. If you do signs, put different trigger words on them and see which one makes the phone ring most.
I don’t know about placing signs on someone else’s vacant property. I wouldn’t want to get in trouble in case the word get out to the owner what I am doing. Now blaming it on some poor innocent kid is just cold dude. I already put one sign out tonight. I pray my phone rings tomorrow.
One sign?
I’m guessing you didn’t get any calls. No offense, but to get the phone ringing you need to put out 20-25 signs every week. Nailing them up on telephone poles and they can stay up for weeks.
We also use the web, but it’s not a great source for sellers leads. Direct mail is #1 signs a distant #2 - but if you don’t have the money for mail, you need to get signs up to GET YOUR PHONE RINGING…
There are examples of our signs on our site…
I was doing some searching but I could not find what I was looking for to fit my budget. Most of the stuff I saw costs me nearly my whole entire pay check.
They don’t have to cost you your whole paycheck. If you get 18 x 24 signs, you can cut them in 1/2 buy getting them 18 x 12. You can also go to your local sign shops, and see what they have for leftover bandit signs. Check out prices on Ebay for bandit signs, too.
I am also a big fan of signs. I recently hired a kid to put them out weekends , we did about 50 / week at quiality intersections. He only lasted 3 weeks but I didnt average no more then 2 calls each weekend. I still want to keep this going b/c I know it only takes one call to make it worthwhile .
Exactly - it is rare that we don’t get a deal or two off signs every few months, so for the low cost, we’ll keep puttin’ up!
I like direct marketing to absentee owners and probate list.
Posting Bandit Signs Step-by-Step
Find a local print designer. Let them know that you want 18x24 ‘We Buy Houses’ signs, with your number on it. Tell them to cut the signs in half, this way you’ll have twice as much signs to put out. I don’t know about your area, but for 100 signs they cost me about $280 bucks. This includes the cut in half part, plus the design. I also purchased the stakes at home depot. I used the wiring for putting up concrete cylinder blocks. See pic below.
http://www.buildinginasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/waffle-pod-forms-e1268546513874.jpg
I would later cut these to about 1’ in a half. Using a wire cutting tool. Like the one below letter ‘B’.
http://www.drivall.com/images/fencingtools/wirecutters.jpg
Don’t buy the tool if you don’t have it, just let the people in Home Depot know that you will be cutting them with this tool, saves you money. Plus if you don’t have much use for it, why buy it anyways.
Develop a map using Google Map to find major intersections. Mark major intersections with an ‘X’, this will be where you will be putting the signs. If you get in trouble with the band sign police, just make a note on your map not to post there anymore.
Wake up early morning, very early morning about 5:00 am. It takes me about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes in my area to post about 20 signs. I post signs every other weekend. Then I alternate counties and cities. Repeat the same process for putting up signs, and just wait for calls to come in.
Notes and comments about posting bandit signs:
In my area, they usually get taken down every weekday, so they won’t last much for the next weekend.
If you see another ‘We Buy Houses’ sign, don’t be a jerk and take the sign down. Just have some respect and place your sign behind or in front of their sign, just making sure both signs have your numbers where people can see them.
Have someone else help you put up signs. I have my father drive, and I place the signs. This is a whole lot faster than doing it by yourself. Also, it helps me bond with my dad, and best of all he doesn’t get paid! Actually, I just treat him for breakfast afterwards… hmm, isn’t more expensive to post signs this way then? No, just kidding, I don’t treat him to breakfast every time I post signs.
Have a gallon of water, this will help you soften the soil and place your stakes to put the signs in. Also, if it rains the day before, GO PUT UP SIGNS. Your stakes will go in ‘like butter’, and it will make your job of putting up signs a whole lot easier!
Final notes and to answer your question of bandit signs vs web advertising
I think they both have their place, like one member posted above. I think the most important thing is answering and returning your calls. If you try to do either or, just make sure you are returning your calls, or answering them the moment they come in. You’ll be surprised how many ‘We Buy Houses’ i’ve called and not ONE CALL BACK. I even sellers/investors telling me thanks for returning their call, and that people don’t usually do this anymore. So all in all, make that your top priority after you do either techinque or both.
I think web advertising is much more effective compared to bandit signs…
Just curious, is your opinion based upon actual results?
Our bandit signs consistently outperform our websites and other online activity. I wish what you’re saying was true (because putting up signs is a pain compared to doing stuff on the web), but since we put our marketing dollars where they have the most impact, we continue to put up signs week after week.
Cincy, of course they can’t back up their claim! Bandit signs are hard to do, but the benefits comparatively speaking well outperform web ads. I’ve challenged people before with this same question, usually because they tout web ads as being so amazing and they wind up with their tails between their legs. You get more bang for the buck with bandit signs. You spend less. Get higher quality leads. Are able to recycle the signs and reuse to save from being taken down by the sign police. You can target your marketing to a very specific area. Your competition is way less compared to if you put it online where A LOT of new investors start marketing this way and you end up being just another one on the list. I can go on. I have yet to hear someone with ACTUAL experience with both methods (including myself) say by trial and error and discussion with other experienced investors who have tried over a period of time that web ads actually outperform bandit signs. Hopefully this puts and end to this discussion.
That’s pretty much what I figured, but I thought I’d give them a chance.
I wish online stuff was more effective but I’ve yet to talk to a wholesaler doing any significant volume coming from online marketing. I want it to be true - I’d gladly give up getting up on Saturday mornings at 5am to put up 25 signs week in and week out, but my wife has an addiction problem - she’s addicted to cash - so I keep putting them up!
acego2,
What, again, do you do with the wire? You lost me when you said you get wire and start cutting it up. Why?
You didn’t say how you’re attaching the signs to the stakes …not like this requires much imagination… I use roofing nails with grommets seated under each nail when attaching my bandit signs to stakes and poles …to keep the nails from ripping through the chloroplast in the wind, etc.
Anyway, just curious about the wire deal…