Anyone here send info to the executors of the estate, family, or even the attorney handling everything?

Has it worked for anyone?

Again, I would approach this from the other side. I don't think coming at this from the obituaries is going to be the biggest bang for the buck.

Approach funeral homes, attorneys that focus on these kinds of things and come up with a way to get included in the stuff they give to clients.

R

I was thinking about attorneys and funeral homes too.

Have you tried this?

With as many different ways as there are to prospect for business, we don't need to become ambulance chasers. I have seen you looking for advise on how to build your business on this board.

If you worked all the angles you would spread yourself too this and not be effective at any of them. Find a couple of methods you are comfortable with and you will become proficient due to the fact you are comfortable with the technique.

Approaching the recently deceased - don't go there.

"...you would spread yourself too THIN..."

sorry!

Tacky, tacky, tacky. Do your farming somewhere else. You will offend people if you work through the deaths.

Look 5 people died, quick mail them letters and call them. Way too tacky.

I don't consider that to be an appropriate and effective way to market. Spend your time evaluating your local market, select an area that you know, make it your target and be consistent while offering information and service of value.

A Realtor in my town actually bought a stake of ownership in a local funeral home and renamed the funeral home inserting his name.

Rebel Broker's idea was brought up in my real estate class, only after the class sat in stunned silence for about 30 seconds after the teacher suggested visiting funerals and inserting your business cards in the ready made business card holder: the folded hands of the deceased. lol

If you have a large database, plenty of people in it (or their relatives) will eventually die. Be the nice guy that your SOI thinks of as a great real estate agent so that you get that business.

Several years ago, I worked with a wonderful young couple who had a house to sell when they found their dream home. In the middle of our house search, they went to Kauai for their 2nd anniversary and... died in a helicopter crash on a tour of the Waimea (sp?) Canyon. That listing really sucked.

i would never ever ever ever have anything to do with profiting off of peoples death. obviously i would sell their house if they asked me to(i have done that before), but i would never solicit anyone to do that.

partner up with attorneys around town... work a deal(in writing, should not be hard to do with an attorney) stating that if you close x number of deals that are reffered from them, you owe them a free real estate transaction for themself or a give away for a client of theirs. make the x something like 5-10(whatever you feel comfortable with) closed transactions.

Be careful. . . Promising freebies for referrals would be a RESPA violation; same thing if the freebie was to the attorney's client as it still benefits the attorney. And putting it in writing will provide evidence against you.

why not. The price of getting buried nowadays is rediculous and somebody is raking it in. Might as well get in on it too. Me...I'll look elsewhere for business but hey, ya gotta go sometime.

I think they missed this opportunity for a plot on Six Feet Under

You might as well place your yard sign on the cemetary plot right before the funeral.

Seriously, would you be in a frame of mind to ask the advice of a funeral director about marketing a home? If you want to do anything, send some flowers to them and leave it at that.

It's morbid, no doubt, but widows and widowers and families need help. IIWY, I'd go at it from the attorneys and funeral homes that service the clients.

Nonetheless, I think it'd take a very patient and understanding person to help a family during such a difficult time in their lives. I hope you have those qualities - the last thing those ppl need is some jerk agent acting like he's Mr. Big, ykwim?

Gulf Winds, the bereaved may not be in a frame of mind to think about or ask about selling their home but the funeral director is there to help keep them focused on things they need to do. When my dad died, the funeral director (helps that it's a small town and nearly every family for the last 150 years has been serviced by this family owned business) suggested lawyers for me to contact. Don't recall that he mentioned a real estate agent but he probably assumed, like everyone else including me, that I'd be inheriting the property and living there myself. (been in the family for generations, and all that hooey.)

If you are able to handle grieving family members with dignity and respect, advertise yourself to funeral homes and estate attorneys as such, and ask them to include your information when providing materials to their clients.

You can create appropriate material for them to give to their clients. This will not be seen as being an ambulance chaser, but as someone able to help them.

I think I would work up a relationship with estate attorneys before a funeral director. Disposal of real property, after a death, generally takes place some time after the funeral.

Also, much of the public sees the funeral industry as one that takes advantage of people in a time of great stress and emotional turmoil. (Perky, no reflection on your dad, there are still some independants that put people and service ahead of profits).

Approaching the family some weeks later would probably be viewed in better light, with the realtor not looking vulturish and an ambulance (ok, hearse) chaser.

^^sometimes I really love living in a small town. :-/