Good Morning, Captain!  Greetings from the Treasure House!

You know, I hear from agents around the office all the time, "I can't prospect - because of the DO NOT CALL List!"  Trouble is, they never prospected BEFORE the Do Not Call laws were enacted anyway - DNC became a convenient EXCUSE not to prospect.

Here's the only 100% way to verify whether or not a phone number is or is not on the Do Not Call List.  You interested?

Go to this website -

www.telemarketing.donotcall.gov

You need to register on this OFFICIAL U.S. Government database as a TELEMARKETER (please, don't let the label scare you).  Then you can register, AT NO CHARGE, for up to FIVE AREA CODES serving your marketplace.

After you register, and get your username and password (one of the most confusing, supposedly-"secure" password set-ups I have ever done), you can check phone numbers anytime.

Let's say, for example, it's Tuesday morning, 7AM, and you have just found 15 expired listings on the MLS.  Of these, you look on a phone number lookup service, like www.anywho.com, or www.whitepages.com, use the "Reverse Address"  function, and you find six houses with phone numbers listed.

Go to the Do Not Call website, above, sign in, certify that you will not use the U.S. Do Not Call list to terrorize the American public, and select "Interactive Phone Number Search."  Here, you enter the Area Code once, at the top of the page.  Then, enter up to ten, seven-digit phone numbers, and click "Search."  Numbers come back "Registered" or "Not Registered" in a matter of a second!

Remember, for those that come up "Registered", you cannot call for the explicit purpose of SOLICITING A LISTING.  Therefore, a call that begins, "Would you like to list your (expired) listing with me?" is not appropriate. 

Should you have a BUYER, however, you CAN call to check on STATUS - "Are you still planning to sell?"  Or, "If I encounter a buyer for your home, would you let me show your property to my buyer?"

Guys, I'm not a lawyer (Thank God!)  So double check their interpretation of the law, as well as your office policy here (my official disclaimer!)

But, please, don't let the Do Not Call list be your EXCUSE not to prospect for business!

Would love your thoughts on this - hope it helps you!

DEAN & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO