How I Secured My First 5 Real Estate Deals Without Cold Calling
Yesterday I found myself sitting in a wonderful class on how to triple my real estate business. I am a sucker for anything motivational so I sat down with my pen and paper, eager to learn and chugged my cup of coffee....
I have been to hundreds of these classes before and here's how they normally go. Start out with a motivational quote, remind us realtors to time block, release our limiting beliefs and then of course the "C" word. You guessed it.... Hide yo kids, hide yo wife, it's time to get COLD CALLING.
Now, I am the type of person who ABSOLUTELY hates getting cold called. Just this week Marriott has called me 4 times asking if I'm ready for a "free" vacation (how did they know?). I recently purchased a house so if I have to tell someone one more time that I don't want my water purification levels tested, my AC serviced or a security system put in place I might just throw my overly hot latte.
So I sat there thinking, I'm probably not the only one who will probably never pick up the phone and cold call and there's probably a bunch of realtors out there that are wondering how to make it in this industry without having to do so too. So, here is how I got my first 5 real estate deals without cold calling a single person.
My Mom: Totally cheating but I somehow convinced her that she wanted to sell and move. She ended up buying the exact same house she owned before but 4 houses down. (Insert monkey covering its eyes emoji) Thanks mom! But seriously, reach out to your friends and family. They know you and trust you already so why not call them rather than a complete stranger you've never met that doesn't want to talk to you. Ask Grandma to let her Tuesday night BINGO group know that her granddaughter is selling real estate.
Stalking: My very first listing I got was because I was good at stalking people. When I was little I had a spy case and would literally walk around my neighborhood pretending I was an investigator (cheers to being an only child). A sign call ended up letting me know that someone in their community was going to be listing. I searched on tax records, found the names of the neighbors and Facebook messaged them all. The sellers ended up messaging me back a couple months later and listed with me. They joked around at closing that they were glad that I had creeped on them. Don't be afraid to creep...Pretend you're a Scottsdale guy at the bars.....
Open House: When I was new I did open houses every weekend. My follow up game was on point and I would write every single person a hand written thank you card and put them in my database. I hate things that are forced so I never made a single person sign in to my open house. I was friendly with people, connected organically and found a way to add value before asking for their information. I would offer to send them listings in their area or a free home value estimate. Three of my first listings came from open houses. My third listing came from a family I had met at an open house 5 months prior. I ended up selling their house and purchasing, renovating and selling their mothers house as well. I still keep in touch with them to this day and consider them friends. Keep in touch with people....Treat them like family....Show that you're not just after their business.
Mailers: My very first set of mailers I sent out got me a listing. I know, I got lucky on this one but hey, it could happen. This listing I call my chicken soup listing. I met with the lady who wanted to sell and she had already interviewed with another seasoned agent from my brokerage. I went on the listing appointment and she let me know that she wasn't feeling well and didn't plan on signing any documents that day. Deciding who to list with is a huge decision and the last thing I would want is to pressure someone into listing with me if its not something they are 100% confident in. I left the meeting and dropped off some chicken noodle soup, a get well soon card and left the ball in her court. I swear to you, if you do things with a good heart, you will be successful.
Social Media: This is the biggest way I get business nowadays. I remember being a new agent and posting a condo for sale on my Facebook page. My good friend, Kevin, messaged me and asked if he could see the unit. He ended up buying it with me, selling it with me and purchasing another home from me earlier this year. Post frequently, post what people want to see and remind people of what you do.
My motto has always been that if it's not something I want to do, I won't do it. If I would have tried to force myself into the cold calling box, I probably would have quit real estate. I want to work with people that want to work with me. I want to grow a business garden that's planted with friends, family and people who will become both. I am successful because of the amazing people I get to help and get to know.
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