Twelve Ways To Find Buyers For 2009

Catch them on their way into the Airstream show room... Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

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1. I'm concentrating on past clients that are willing to consider real estate as an investment. I want them to own at least 1 investment property for every child they have and plan to send to college. The market is down and it's a great time to buy. By the time the child is ready to go off to school the home will be paid for and can be sold, borrowed against or have good cash-flow for tuition and other expenses.

2.  I like ya Brian, but I can't share all my secrets!!! ;)

Ok, I felt a bit guilty....

2. Working with CPA's and financial planners on IRA's that allow real estate purchases.

3. Helping borderline and non-qualifiers with financial coaching and accountability on living within their budget, paying past due bills and setting aside for down payment.

Hi Brian - I could use some help, too so I will follow this post for pointers.  Please clarify point 5 "Develop an Employee Benefits Program."  Not sure how that leads to buyers.  Thanks!

I certainly am looking for ways to bring in more buyers just like all of you - so I will keep checking back to look at all the comments.  Thanks!

Brian-  I'm on the real estate side so all I can tell you is that I always refer "my mortgage guy" because 1) he has always returned my calls (usually requesting a pre-approval letter while I'm writing up an offer) within 10 minutes, that's if he doesn't pick up immediately, 2) he gives high-attention, time-intensive, and personality adapted service once he does start working with a client, and 3) he stops by to visit and makes me laugh when times are slow! 

He's a great guy, I love him.

-Kathleen

I know newsletters are not that popular, however my newsletters have brought me business. I write my monthly newsletters, so they are very personal. I have only one page related to Real Estate the rest is about life and fun in our county.

Brian - I suppose that I will continue doing the things that have worked. I never was a big fan of spending lots of money promoting me. So here are a few...

1. Oldest thing sales folks do....work with past clients. Get involved. Have coffee. Learn more about them. Rather than just say "realtor for life" , spend the time getting to know your clients and actually having an interest in them beyond the next sale.

2. Circulate. Get out of the office. Develop a few wandering routes that include stopping in on friends at work. Ask about them. Bond. 

3. Focus on being an asset to any relationship and remove the focus on what the relationship will provide you. Trust that being a valuable person only requires that you do your best.

4. Get involved in a community group. You will meet new people and have the opportunity to include them in you sphere. Meet with them for coffee, one on one. Get to know them. The worst that happens is that your community is better off and you will have expanded the group of people that know you.

5. Stop worrying about selling and begin to focus on serving. No one wants to be sold, most people prefer to be served.

Brian, I had to chime in but here we are on a blog site and nobody is mentioning blogging.  Blogging has brought some people here on AR some new business.  I have found that I get a lot of hits when I write about local spots (i.e. attractions & dining). A fraction of these people than actually continue to read my real estate related blogs and if they're serious they contact me. I also try to answer questions posted on other sites.  The key for me is to continue to serve and get as much exposure as possible.  If I'm providing quality service then the clients will come.  Okay that last line was too much like "Field of Dreams".

Brian - some of the ways I use include the following:

1. Open houses - a Realtor can partner with a lender to host an open house. Of course you get some lookie loos - but they are still a good source of finding buyers.

2. Blogging in a specific community or neighborhood consistently.

3. Networking - play tennis, book clubs just to name a couple of ideas.

• Create a neighborhood network where residents can contribute information- the papers and chamber of commerce are way behind on this.
• Host business meetups, blogging meetups.
• Hold a subdivision/neighborhood meetup where people can meet each other a few times/year.
• There are numerous opportunities to get involved with your local businesses- service facing or retail and have them sponsor a farming newsletter, or maybe you write a newsletter just aimed about your town with a section not just about real estate, but about local styles, local restaurants.  Make it electronic, but advertise it in these local storefronts.

There's no limit once you get started brainstorming.

I'm back, I like the employee benefits program in your post. Oldie but goodie.

Got to smooze em' a little!  If you have a good relationship with your title/escrow company.  Ask them to provide you with all the names and phone #' of buyers  that didn't close.  Make sure you also ask what the reason was?  Also, ask for contact info for buyers that got cold feet and backed out of the deal.  This is not illegal by the way!  I started using this technique I learned  from my Investor mentor years ago.  I find alot of Potential Lease Option Buyers this way.  I also, go to city web sites/public records-specifically Probates and look for cases that are new. Then I find out if any Real Estate assets are listed..  A cordial polite sorry for your loss letter offering your help is required.  It's preferrabe that you deal directly with the Executor of the estate rather the the attorney.  You can also register your name as RE Agent to handle the listing/sale of the property for the Court. You will need to read up on the procedures used by your local court and get educated a little bit about how probate sales are handled.