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Rainmaker
2,752,313
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Ward County Notary Services - Minot, ND
Owner of Ward Co Notary Services retired RE Broker

Yes I did Joan Cox, Retired Broker/Owner and in a way I continued to through out my entire career. I was pretty bold in letting people know my occupation even when I wasn't asked or if it wasn't a part of a conversation  about occupation.

Jan 09, 2026 12:30 PM
Rainmaker
560,983
Matthew Sturkie, CRS, GRI 909-969-3805
Action Realty - Apple Valley, CA
CRS, GRI 909-969-3805

I did a little. That was before everyone had cell phones. Used a criss cross directory. Did some door knocking too. 

Jan 09, 2026 06:13 PM
Rainmaker
6,394,006
Joan Cox, Retired Broker/Owner
Denver, CO
Enjoying Every Day to Its Fullest!

I too was told the best way to gain clientele was to cold call, and tried one day, and KNEW it wasn't for me.   I have door knocked for a specific client, and floor duty was very good for me.

Jan 09, 2026 04:31 PM
Rainmaker
622,390
Katina Hargrove 352-551-0308
Stake Your Land Realty, Inc. - Sorrento, FL
Broker/Owner, SFR®, e-PRO®, GRI, AHWD, REALTOR®

Joan Cox, Retired Broker/Owner I may have cold call few time. There was a for sale by owner way back in my early career and I dropped a flyer and then again couple of weeks later. They end up calling me to list their home for sale. We had a successful closing and we run into each other once in a while😀

Jan 09, 2026 04:07 PM
Rainmaker
4,681,771
John Pusa
Glendale, CA

Hello Joan Cox, Retired Broker/Owner I did cold calls when I first started.

Jan 09, 2026 07:59 PM
Rainmaker
829,804
Tony Lewis
Summit Real Estate Group - Valencia, CA
Summit Real Estate Group Valencia & Aliso Viejo

I tried cold calling and just didn't enjoy it or even find it effective.  I turned towards warm calling in which cases I did have a good reason to call.  I used things like expired listings or shere of influence.  Once I garnered a list of people I continued to follow up from them and aske d them if they kenw anyone that might be looking to buy or sell in the future.

Jan 09, 2026 03:17 PM
Rainmaker
1,634,075
John Juarez
The Medford Real Estate Team - Fremont, CA
ePRO, SRES, GRI, PMN

I knocked doors when I started out. It worked!

Jan 09, 2026 12:47 PM
Rainmaker
5,782,304
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Real Estate Broker

I did not. I "cold mailed." That worked. Right from the start I felt I did not want to do to other people what I didn't like being done to me. That also goes for cold door-knocking... of course, not something that was possible in NY City. But I wouldn't do that and haven't in Charlotte either.

Jan 10, 2026 06:07 AM
Ambassador
2,567,851
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Author, Golfer, Retired Broker, Wenatchee, WA

No! I didn't like being cold called, so I wasn't willing to do it.

Jan 10, 2026 05:57 AM
Rainmaker
2,990,175
Richie & You
people first-then business - Riverside, CA
Author & Consultant

NO

Jan 09, 2026 03:38 PM
Ambassador
3,555,709
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

 

NO. 

Jan 10, 2026 09:14 AM
Rainmaker
1,769,901
Gary Frimann CRS, GRI, SRES, ABR, SFR
Eagle Ridge Realty / Signature Homes & Estates - Gilroy, CA
REALTOR and Broker, Notary

I sent out postcards.  It seemed to work out OK.  I did OK as a Rookie.  I personally hated getting nuisance calls, so I chose not to go down that path.

Jan 10, 2026 08:21 AM
Rainmaker
5,946,119
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Oswego, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

I phoned expireds in the day's of land lines only. Saw to many other agents get frustrated with cold calling. Also did the "five and dime" calling for new listings. 

Jan 10, 2026 05:06 AM
Rainmaker
8,651,512
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

No.

Jan 10, 2026 04:20 AM
Ambassador
7,172,437
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Never cold call, just call people who have shown an interest, or those who have been referred to you.

Jan 10, 2026 12:29 AM
Ambassador
2,769,942
Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate
Fred Griffin Real Estate - Tallahassee, FL
Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker

 

"The Golden Rule" = No.

 

   Exceptions include Expireds, FSBO's, and people who have already expressed an interest in selling their property.  I defined those as "Warm Calls", not cold calls.

 

   An aside:

         The DNC List was scary when it first came out.  So even calling an Expired seemed ominous.   At that time (early 1990's),  my attorney told me that since that expired property had been listed in MLS, and since I was a member of MLS, that "might" constitute an existing business relationship between that Expired and me... but it had not been challenged in a Court.  The lawyer told me to "proceed with caution".    So I kept calling expireds; nobody ever complained to me that I was violating the DNC.

 

 

Jan 10, 2026 08:53 AM
Rainmaker
868,352
Steve Higgins
RE/MAX Kelowna - Kelowna, BC

Yes, I sure did, knocking on doors and tons of open houses for other agents. 

Jan 10, 2026 04:11 PM
Rainmaker
1,726,411
Thomas J. Nelson, REALTOR ® CRS,ABR,PSA,RCS-D, CFSP
Big Block LPT Realty 858.232.8722 - San Diego, CA
Coastal San Diego, Veteran's & Retirees Services

NO!!!! 😱

Well, I actually did it for 4 hours one day at my office as an experiment in 2004, to prove to my business partner at the time, how its a ridiculous waste of time and very demoralizing. I did this to convince her to join BuffCo. I've been working by referral mostly since 1988 through 3 careers, but purposefully since 1999 when I started with Buffini & Company 

Jan 10, 2026 05:16 PM
Rainmaker
954,915
Olga Simoncelli
Veritas Prime, LLC dba Veritas Prime Real Estate - New Fairfield, CT
CONSULTANT, Real Estate Services & Risk Management

Yes, in different ways.

Jan 10, 2026 02:06 PM
Rainer
482,501
Don Baker
Lane Realty - Eatonton, GA
Lake Sinclair Specialist

Absolutely not.

Jan 10, 2026 12:51 PM
Rainmaker
531,064
Kathryn Acciari
NewFed Mortgage Corp. - Shrewsbury, MA
Mortgage Loan Originator

Yes, and door-knocked too!

Jan 14, 2026 12:54 PM
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