has anyone got any luck mailing letters to FSBO and EXPIRED listing?

Mailing is a cowardly waste of time. Get on your horse and show up at their doorsteps.

Yes I've had alot of luck mailing to expired and fsbo's. I picked up a great expired last week with 2 letters from top producer. BigC

why not use mail and show up in person! if you combine all of the "weapons" at your disposal you are more likley to win,

and remember knowing is half the battle.

That's EXACTLY WHAT I'm GOING TO DO. I am going to drive all the way to Yonkers, Farmingdale, & East Northport NY, Newark NJ, Jenkintown PA (burb of Philly) and all the other out of state and several hours away homeowners to relist their expired 2nd homes!

What a brilliant idea! I can't wait till I find an expired whose owner lives in Hawaii!! It'll be a great business expense.

But how do I get into those pesky gated communities, that are created just to keep people like me OUT?

If I went to every expired and fsbo in my area, i'd need a horse. Just mail till they list or die.

if you mail and i talk to them in person and tell, who do you think will have the higher chance to build repor and have them list?

Door knocking is the most aggressive approach. If you can't door knock, then call them. If you're in a very competitive market place with a lot of aggressive agents, your letter will lose 99% of the time. Why wait for them to contact you, go out and contact them.

cowardly is a bit harsh. I dont like cold knocking either. Get off your high horse.

I hate cold calling but I have been doorknocking expireds in my area. I've been sticking to the ones that are either in my own town or that I've shown that are a little farther. It's a double plus when it's one I've shown that's near my house, then I can say hi remember me, I showed your house a couple of times, I noticed it's expired. I leave the car door open and the engine running and just tell them I can't stop now, I was just passing but would like to make an appointment to show them my marketing plan and leave them with a bio and some information about the company. It's pretty friendly in my neck of the woods, no one has shot at me or slammed the door in my face.

If you don't have the basic balls to contact a FSBO or Expired in person, you don't belong in this business. Not harsh, just a fact.

You should not be trying to take listings out of your immediate service area. Proper servicing of a listing requires many personal visits and you should be concentrating your efforts intensely on a small geographical area. And you should be personally contacting ALL fsbos and expireds within your service area personally and in living color, NOT by mailing.

Mailing is OK for farms as a supplement to the real meat and potatoes of real estate - contacting and making clients out of people on a one-to-one physical basis.

Mailing to fsbos is just plain stupid. Call, make an appointment, get in the damn house and lock up the listing. If you don't, I, (or someone just like me), will.

You will end up with the listings, sooner or later. Others will spend their time licking stamps and watching HGTV.

Correct approach. Correct attitude. Excellent results will follow.

Mailing to fsbos and expireds is an example of the timid approach that leads 85% of all agents to wash out.

The ones that are left are the ones who got a horse.

Who said anything about taking listings out of my immdediate listing area?

You should pay attention.

In case you missed it the first time, I said that many of the homes on the market in my area are SECOND HOMES owned by people who LIVE OUT OF STATE and ADDITIONALLY, MANY IF NOT MOST HOMES ARE IN GATED OR PRIVATE COMMUNITIES WITH VERY STRICT NO SOLICITATION RULES.

Sorry, I felt I had to use the caps...you didn't hear me the first time I posted.

[quote=Perky_REALTOR]

That is a tough one. In that case I'd call unless they were on the do not call list. At least you know you'd probably be the only agent calling them. I have a hard time sometimes with expireds that are rentals. It's like following a trail of breadcrumbs to find the owner, because sometimes the address on the transfer is another rental that they used to live in.

One thing that has worked for me is what I call the "six degrees of separation" approach. If there is a FSBO, there is sometimes someone I know who lives nearby, that I try to get to recommend me. This has actually worked for me a few times.

I much prefer your "six degrees" approach. I do not have the personality or inclination to door knock or cold call and for navarac to say that unless you are willing to do it you shouldn't be in this busiess is the height of arrogant ignorance.

Brian Buffini seems to have done very well while hating cold calling and door knocking. I much prefer his approach, but I would hardly tell someone who doesn't care for Buffini's style that they have no business being in real estate.

What works for one personality isn't going to work for another. I much prefer working my SOI and harvesting leads from my blog.

What is funny is that out of 20 new agents in my training class years ago the only agents to actively pursue FSBO's and Expireds where the first ones to drop out. One knocked on every ones door. She took listings and yet she still couldn't make it. Another one did the same thing but never took a listing from it. She dropped out. Another one knocked on doors couldn't make it and became a buyer's agent. Let's see 5 of them that I know of never did the FSBO or expired route are still going strong. I tried both knocking on doors and mailing and neither worked. I also tried just about everything else and got business from other prospecting and I am still in it. So to say you must do FSBO or get out of the business is just wrong. Everyone will have a different method that works for them. There is no one perfect model. Only one perfect model for you. It's the finding it that is the key to a successful real estate career.

This is anecdotal and does not indicate general reality. If you took 2 groups of realtors and divided them into those who pursue fsbos/expireds in person vs those who do passive mailings, the in person group would blow the mailers out of the water. Your example is an aberration.

Of course, this presupposes that once you knock on the door, you have something unique to bring to the table.

You can do whatever you want. Rookies are being educated here. And if they want to survive in a declining market that has a glut of agents, there best chance is to follow my aggressive advice.

Not that of some dopey system hawker. Of course most people are going to pick a "system" that plays in to their perceived self-weakness: "Oh I don't like to door knock and this particular system doesn't advocate door knocking. I like it!"

Just get out there where the buyers and sellers are, put yourself in front of them and sell them!

Also, this isn't about how to be an agent. It's about a specific topic: mailing to fsbos/expireds vs. visiting them in person. Visiting is the way to go. Mailing to them is the "easy way out". And the easy way out usually doesn't work. Especially in real estate.

To all rookies: Don't listen to the lazy and weak agents. Get your butts out there and do what it takes. Don't buy systems and don't give in to your weaknesses. FSBOS and Expireds want you to sell their damn houses. Get out there and show them how you plan to do it.

FSBO door knocking = easy $$$$$, that simple.

Um, I am quite familiar with the market in northeast Pennsylvania. There are plenty of fsbos and expireds that are NOT vacation homes or gated communities. I'm not sure you know your own market all that well if you think that most of the market is vacation/gated.

navarac, how many expired listings have you personally listed in the last thirty days using this approach?

Expireds: None. FSBO's: 2. This has been more of a FSBO month because I'm picky about what type of properties I decide to list. They have to be properties that will actually sell. They also have to excite me esthetically. And the available FSBO's were better homes in better areas and on better lots. The available expireds pretty much sucked over the past few weeks. I don't want them. Let some other agent wrestle with them.

But, I do have one hot expired that I will be contacting this week in person . 3 houses away from another one of my listings that just sold a few days ago. It's a beauty that's been listed with Foxtons with a 1% co-broke. Gee I wonder why it didn't sell...

Also I see you are hawking a system. So I really don't want to argue with you about the merits of door knocking. You obviously have an agenda since you are selling a system.

Which is fine. This forum is an open marketplace of ideas. The consumers of ideas can either take my advice, someone else's advice, or buy a system. The choice is theirs. I KNOW my system works. And it's free. Except for overcoming a little minor insecurity.

of the nearly 4700 expired listings currently on the database, 780 are listed as "not in a community."

And in doing an unscientific search of 5 random addresses with a community of "none", I can tell by their address that they actually are in a community and the realtor or assistant for whatever reason chose "none" rather than name the community.

Of almost 3000 current active listings, fewer than 700 are "not in a community."

MOST homes may not be vacation/2nd homes, but MANY are. MOST homes currently active and currently expired are in communities - and MOST of those communities have posted rules about trespassing - (that would be "coming in uninvited". )

You can either be helpful and actually post something helpful, or you can be arrogant and condescending.

I can confirm what navarac is saying from an investor's perspective as well. Aggressive prospecting (calling and door-knocking) with a clear understanding of WHO needs you and WHY they need you, is by far the best way to go.

Yes of course you CAN get business from really good direct response marketing. But it takes a lot more money and patience than most people have.

I think it's worth noting that "aggressive" doesn't mean you go out and badger people until they cave. Prospecting is primarily a sorting process just like marketing. The only difference is you're not waiting around for the world to come to you, you're actively going out and getting what you want.

I don't doubt that it works. I do doubt that it's the only way to do real estate successfully though.

to be fair. i have a system that i made up using my knowledge plus all of my studying, and i also have a system that borino gave to me, his system does work and it is solid all you have to do is follow it. he even says in there that is is the consistency in using his system that makes it work. you can never get the best results from trying something every once in a while, you must do it regularly and repeat your positive results. i must say that if an agent has no business plan, they would benefit greatly from his system. it shows an agent to do what you and i do on a regular basis. i have added his system and implemented it into my business plan. i have already seen how using my system which is 100% aggressive door knocking plus his system together works great, and to be totally honest his system gave the accountability that my system lacked. what helped me out was actually something that i dont like to admit..... the phone! i was 100% knocking, well i took it the next step. now i knock and call along with mail. i still knock. i just added 2 more things to do to kick the competition. i am trying to be more aggressive than the next person.

i am now more focused than ever before, i cant wait to wake up each morning, because i feel that i have no problem going out that day and crushing the competition. getting the listing appointment and going up against other agents is exciting to me.

i am not a fan of hobbs herder. i personally know somebody who coaches there and he is a great guy, but i would never buy into the mass marketing (to expensive for me and to broad). i like to target a select audience and give them the package and results that they want.

i usually refrain from posting on threads that turn into arguments because i dont come on here to debate back and forth and call names. the last thread that i remember posting on that was remotely like this one where people were calling others out was "the great nosellercost ordeal of 2007" when that not so popular because he runs his mouth off guy was literally asking people to tell him why they despise him, for whatever reason it was.


navarac-- i like a lot of what your say as far as your aggressive attitude and just doing it, but the manner which you say it could be found to be offensive to some people, which in turn might make your point (which is probably valid to some degree) go to the wayside because people stop focusing on the topic and start focusing on the way that you present your case.

Yep, I was too timid to approach FSBO's & Expireds in person and knew that mailing was pretty much a waste of dollars... so I left them alone. And did just fine.

I feel that navarac is one of those agents that believes they are ALWAYS RIGHT no matter what everyone else thinks. I have knocked a total of maybe 10 doors in my 3 yr career and I am going strong and surviving.. And, I do not come from a big company either.. Actually, I recently opened my own office in Oct. 2006 with a partner.. We feel that if you do your job right!! Whether it be buyer side or seller side you will continue to benefit from you actions... We work mainly on referrals from prior clients. Plus, I am in the REO side of the business...

So to sit here and tell someone that just because they do not do fsbos in person or at all will result in not being in the business long.. Is just pure ARROGANCE!! And, that arrogance is why a lot of sellers do not wish to deal with agents when selling their home!!!

What works for one may not work for all!!!

Whoever said consistency is the key in an earlier post was right on. There are obviously people in this business that have had success with both methods. To say that "mailing" to fsbos or expireds is stupid and doesn't work is just plain, well, stupid and untrue.

I have closed, not just listed, closed 17 transactions so far this year mailing directly to and following up with fsbos and well over 20 expireds and we are only at the halfway point in the year. And this year isn't out of the ordinary, I have been achieving similar numbers with fsbo and expireds for years and will continue to achieve those numbers for many more years to come.

Oh, and for the record, I have done several drive bys recently and spotted at least 10 so-called FSBOS along my travels in my county. I wrote down the address and/or phone number on the signs. Got home and looked them up (whitepages.com for phone numbers, tax info for addresses) and then got the owner name. Every single one was already on the MLS as an exclusive agency listing - they had it listed with a REALTOR already.

Lest navarac think I'm lazy or too skeered or something. LOL

Ok...time for some levity?? The classic rock station I was listening to this morning had a snippet from a comedian...think "Jeff Foxworthy" accent:

"You ever see those "For Sale By Owner" signs in front of houses? Talk about a waste of paint. Who else WOULD be selling that there house...the neighbor?!

"For Sale By Neighbor" <laugh-laugh> "Come on in! They won't mind! They're on vacation anyway!!"

Hey...if you don't laugh you'll go insane!

LOL

That reminds me of a funny song "Here's Your Sign".

so far today i have mailed out 12 postcards called 3 (no answer) one line was busy so i am stopping by their house(i htink that they are home right now. normally i hit the houses at the end of the day, i feel i have better luck 5-7pm.

i have 3 new expireds i pulled this morning that i will work.

Hmmm...don't know that one. But if you hum a few bars...

Interesting discussion... Just my $0.02 - mainly in terms or expireds, and why mail should always be part of your marketing plan.

I am a big fan of going to the expireds (and FSBOs) in person. This business is still a people business. BUT - 20% or so are non-owner occupied and live out of the area. Another 20%-30% cannot be reached for one reason or a another, even on a weekend. That leaves you with only HALF of the leads you're able to reach in person.

Plus, many expireds are not ready and/or willing to relist right away, even if you do meet them in person. This is where a good direct mail campaign comes in. A well-planned sequence of interesting letters, updates, newsletters and postcards can be very profitable.

Just like Brian said, CONSISTENCY is the key.

Here's Your Sign lyrics

LOL...that was great!!! A much needed laugh...thanks!!

Guess you dont have any balls either, according to navarac our official marketing guru.

Everyone knows that showing up in person is always better than mailing, but noone wants to be ridiculed or spoken to condescendingly on a supposedly professional business related question.

"Mailing is pretty much a waste of dollars."

Sounds something like what I said.

Actually, I shouldn't say that mailings are a waste of dollars - that's obviously not true if it's done properly and consistently. For me... it's just not the right thing.

As Borino said earlier - it IS important to get your business card and/or marketing material into someone's hands so they can find you when they want to find you.

And no... I have no balls. Still don't. Part of my charm.

Frankly I think you're full of bologna.

I'm talking rookies. Rookies will not be getting referrals, REO's or relos. They need to develop confidence, know how, and fearlessness. There is no quicker route to fearlessness than targeting specific fsbos and expireds and hunting them down like big game. This will payoff a thousandfold over the course of a career. Top listing agents have the fearlessness that comes from total confidence in presenting their abilities as salesmen. Doing a mailing to a group of fsbos is a terrible idea. Just go.

Even if your mailing is a success (which is rare), you still have to bring a dynamic listing presentation to the table. You will not become the type of agent that nails down listings by doing mailings. You've got to be in front of people.

Again, there are plenty of lazy bad agents who actually now make a living from referrals after 30 years of just showing up. That's not the type of agent you want to aspire to. They don't make any money anyway, just a living.

I am going to have to agree with Navarac here. Perhaps the harshness of his contribution has everyone in a flux. I don't think he means you won't have any success, it's just what VOLUME of success do you want to have?

Most people, even sales people, abhor the word pushy. No one wants to be grouped into that horrible group of people called pushy. The inference is that pushy annoys ALL people and that their non-pushy method is appreciated and loved by all-- not true.

Something else I find interesting is that pushy is a continuum. A huge one. What one person considers pushy is considered an attention to detail by others.

IMO-- More passive means of marketing result in longer learning curves and more sporadic success. Someone may have closed 17 deals from mailers and that is super, and it is really super if that was your goal.

But if your goal was 30 listings and you didn't know how to get there, I would advise you to put away the stamps and fill up the car.

IMO-- No is a decision not rejection. I love the word no, because that is a decision and I don't care the reason. Maybe they don't like my haircut, nail color, height, weight, etc. I don't care. Once you say NO, you have released me and I am free to pursue someone else. Super.

My last point is I like to be able to correlate my work efforts to success-- a ratio. Numbers don't lie. I just can't rely on mailings to produce solid reproducable ratios. And as a rookie with an almost non existent SOI, I need to do something that gets me in front of people in an impactful way.

I want to say something guys and even though this is not a philosophical forum there is a big truth: This planet is on the hands of people like Navarac: If you want something: go and got it! but not in the most easiest and relaxing way because you will be the 10th or 20th person in the line. From my personal experience: I was the number 14 salesman (in terms of productivity) into a group of 15 and everything started to change to me when I modified my behaviors and technic as salesman. Working more direct, aggressive and without any fear make me jump from 8 sales a month to 25 in a period of 4 months. Now I am learning a lot with you guys to sale Real Estate.

HMM! Quite an interesting thread!

As an agent who has made a ton of money with expireds over the past 15 years by using MAIL very successfully. I have also called (on a regular basis) them early in my career before the DNC days, and I have also showed up at their door as well.

Here is the most effective method today:
1. Have a strong letter and SEVERAL postcards to mail (every two days)
2. Those that are not on the DNC list call them at night and on Saturday.
3. If you're IN THE AREA (otherwise it's a waste of time because most people are rarely home) show up at their door in the evening.

And MOST OF ALL DON'T FORGET "The Fortune Is In The Follow-up!"

In order to succeed with Expireds and fsbo's as well you have to have a successful mail campaign as a part of your marketing strategy.

I just listed a FSBO today! I only called and met him face to face. Several times I felt like I didn't want to call again and look pushy, but each time I went ahead and made the call I got a little further with him. So, I guess what I'm saying is that I do agree with nav. It may not be for everybody, but I think it may be one of the best ways for a "Rookie" to get a listing. And listings lead to buyers, etc., etc.

Congratulations! Many more will follow. And I'm sure your confidence level for the next one has been appropriately boosted.

Which is the whole point of doing it this way.

I have a 10 week postcard mailing program to FSBO's, and I list 20% of the FSBO that I mail to.

The reason that I'm given is that I have "persistence" without intruding on them.

I don't think it's a waste of time. Another reason I love Vermont! We're a small market, and I get a much better return on my investment on almost everything I do.

Am I going to make a million dollars this year - hardly! But I do get to live a very nice live in Vermont!

Mailing to FSBO's could be a waste of time in larger markets, I'll give you that.

I would like to see your postcards. Are they 'helpful" cards to the FSBO or are they "image" cards on yourself. How often do you send them?

I don't do image advertising - that in my opinion is a waste of money - again in a small market, everyone knows who the major players are.

THe postcards are helpful information, and a call to action to call me and ask for more information.

This is a 10 week mailing program. If they don't respond within 10 weeks, then I drop them.

What do you do, drive around and find new fsbos?

Well, I drive around in the normal course of business, and when I come across a FSBO sign, I stop, write down the address, and any contact information, and then I use town records to find the owner, and then start sending post-cards.

I also have some online sources like forsalebyowner.com and the like.

i mail off 8 postcards over a 10 business day period then they go on an 8 week mailing campaign, with one letter or postcard a week, then once a month for life till they sell.

i also offer to be their buyers agent if they sell the house to a buyer. (gives me a chance to build repor with no obligation to them to use me to list)

i forgot. htey dont get the postcards or letters till i stop by and try and meet them face to face. also at the end of the 2 weeks of postcards i go back and meet them then at the end of the 8 weeks. basically i have screened them and dont want to loose them to somebody else.

btw. got another appt this morning.

Couldn't have said it better. You have to look at your own definition of success. The average REALTOR closes 4 deals a year. You are probably considered a top producer in your company if you are closing 15-25 a year. I think it would be very difficult to do any more than that by relying heavily on direct response mail. And even if you are producing 25+ a year w/ mailers, you're probably spending a lot more money on marketing than the agent showing up in person, or calling on the phone, so your net profit is less.

Does anyone know the ratios of mailers sent to listings taken?

I know that about every 17 contacts (phone or door) I make to expireds/fsbos = 1 lead, 3 leads = 1 appt, and i take the listing 80% of the time. I don't take overpriced listings, and I don't work with non-motivated sellers either.



Never spent a dollar on mailers to expireds and fsbos, ever. 2006 I listed 23 expireds and closed 21 of those. Went 6 for 6 on fsbos. All appointments were set either on the phone or at the door.

Thanks for posting this it's interesting to see how your target market (motivated sellers who want cash) to mine (motivated sellers who need debt relief).

Here are my numbers: 15 calls = 1 lead, 2 leads = 1 worth making an offer, 2 offers = 1 purchase.

Yes. It got me in the door of an expired listing that I expect to list in a month or so. I also came THIS CLOSE to listing a FSBO; we were doing it the next day, then she got an offer that night. Aagh! Spent about 3 hours on the phone with her. My cell phone got hot!

My mailers have been getting results too. Got 2 calls to come see very expensive rural properties in the last week. Both are longer-term prospects, but hey... I was there, and not some other agent!

My mailers consist of a very useful magnet (really!) and a letter. My followup mailer is a newsletter. My farm is about 250 addresses so far. Any future letters I send to FSBO's or expireds will contain the magnet- it's a big hit.

-jeff

navarac,

In my area, rural Oregon, it's very difficult to physically go to properties. Not difficult physically- I have a car. Difficult in that us rural folk really, really do not want someone driving down our long country driveways. It freaks us out and makes us angry.

The thing to do would be to show up a week before it expires for a "preview", make contact THEN, and then call with a followup and remind them who I was. That might work. On our MLS, though, the expiration date of a listing is not shown. And that's ethically borderline.

I've fought it a bunch. I'm inclined to knock doors- I worked 11 years as a commissioned salesdude and am not afraid of the aggressive move- but it really seems to turn people off out here. Put it this way- the last fool who tried to knock on our door was probably 10 years ago, and we STILL laugh at him. It just doesn't happen out here.

If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear it!

-jeff

NOw, I'm a newbie, so I don't know if you want to adhere to my advice, but I take it that the last person who tried to door knock did NOT bring anything of value with him.

I would think that if they brought a list of properties that have closed within a xx days, then the reception would be warmer.

I don't prospect to masses of FSBO's and Expireds. I pick 1 or 2 at a time and go after them with a vengeance. The ones I pick are homes that I really want to list. Homes that look and smell really good. Preferrably somewhat overpriced so I'm sure they won't sell while I'm bringing them into the fold. I bring huge perceived value to the FSBO's prior to ever getting their listing, including spending money. I gamble that this commitment will build some loyalty. It usually does and I usually get the listing. This program would work in any type of area: rural, suburban, urban.

I agree that random driving around in rural areas to locate FSBO's is probably not going to work very well, and showing up on private property in an area where privacy is a highly prized commodity is counterproductive.

I agree with Navarac, better to cherry pick a few from a neighborhood you know well than to shotgun your realty services to everyone within 6 counties... when you can tell stories about their neighbors, home inspections, and HOA meetings you know you are on the cusp of being a top producer in that community

I market to FSBO's and expired in my area. Ironically, I called a FSBO today and it happened to be a guy that knows who I am, and was looking to get ahold of me. Marketing to FSBO's and expireds can be very effective if they are a part of your integrated marketing campaign.

Thats great zach. What do you do?

Although I fully agree with navarac on this, I find it funny how he is putting down every agent who door knocks or cold calls and compares them to door to door vacuum salesmen. Yet, he this thread comes up and shows him to have done the same thing. Interesting

Or maybe, because he just does it on certain peoples doors (fsbo's and expireds) that makes him different.

He didn't say he went and knocked on their door. He stated he went after fsbo's and expireds.

Correct. I do not knock on doors and never have, and never would. However I understand newbie desperation and the need to do something, anything, to make something happen. So they turn to door knocking. Yes, of course it is ultimately a waste of time. Yes, most of them learn that and abandon it as soon as they discover more fun and creative ways to prospect. And yes, there are many charlatans who work "the dream" angle and sell desperate newbies all kinds of numbers-based door knocking schemes to generate "leads". Yes, the desperate newbies collect "leads" like baseball cards, mistaking a "lead" for something meaningful, when in fact the vast majority of door-knocking "leads" are vague and flimsy shadows of something that might, but probably won't, happen at some indeterminate future date. And yes, after an exhausting day of aimless wandering, stepping in dog poo, and avoiding walking on joints in concrete walkways, it is these apparitional "leads" that a desperate newbie points to as evidence of the days "success".

But the problem is, while this mechanical activity is taking place, a business is NOT being built, skills are not being learned, quality of existing service is not improving, Internet presence is not growing, systems and programs are not being developed, and the future is remaining static instead of dynamic. Meanwhile other really good agents are becoming smarter and more powerful with each passing day. And are becoming harder and harder to beat in a listing presentation because of their developed systems and programs. And becoming harder and harder to outservice because they are true experts.

That's why mechanical lead generation systems are doomed to fail. They just do not make you any better as an agent. And if you are not getting smarter and better and more powerful with each passing day, what is the point not only of being an agent, but being anything at all, or even being alive?

Read the whole thread, he was blasting people for doing a mail campaign vs not having the guts to knock on their door.

Although, I do agree with him, I just find it funny how he once said that and now tears down anyone who door knocks or cold calls.

But, you did say that you go and knock on FSBO's doors, do you not? If so, then you have "door knocked", perhaps just not in volume.. yet, to the FSBO owner you still look like a vacuum salesperson.

I'm not faulting you in this, I feel this is more affective then a direct mail campaign, perhaps the real power is when you combine the two and ad items of value as well.

For those that say Expireds don't work, they do. My system is based off four letters, and one post card. For instance, Monday you'll receive a letter, followed by Wednesday, Friday, the following Monday and then a post card a week later.

Currently, I'm at 6 appointments for every 50 mailed out.

Nice. What do you send. Do u follow up in person at all

I supply answers to the basic questions. Who I am. How I'm going to get things done, and how often I'm available. I do not follow up in person with Expireds at all.

I started the first of October 2010 and am going to close a little over a million by June 5th.

They say thats not to bad for a rookie, haven't met my personal goals - but I can't complain! My age, just turning 20 last week also can have its downfalls.

I'm not sure what good results are for a rookie.

Any results are good results So good for you.

It might be worth to invest into Borino's expired plus system for some more ideas.

So if you dont see them in person, do you call them?

How many mail pieces do you send, and how many expired's do you try to contact?

I haven't been calling my expireds, I've found mailing to them has had a huge success rate - so far I've left it at that.

I send a series of 5 letters over a period of two weeks. I'm debating now on whether to add a couple more, or a postcard or two..

[quote=navarac]Mailing is a cowardly waste of time. Get on your horse and show up at their doorsteps.[/quote]

I don't understand. Show up at their doorstep and do what?? Demand that they make time for you because you showed up at their doorstep. Or are you suggesting this so as to mislead your competition to do things that take up a lot of their time. Why would you spend all that time drving around and wasting gas instead of sending them a mailing and then following up via phone? If their not interested, it's better to know at the beginning instead of wasting time chasing them down, don't you think? And if they are interested, they will definitely want to talk to you and make sure that they are home when you show up for the appointment.

Or am I missing something?

Terry
http://www.terryiwaniw.com/

The navarac system consists of contacting only the most lucartive sellers 2 weeks BEFORE their listing expires and showing them what a crappy job their agent is doing and why they should use him instead.

this is an awesome thread with massive value..
there is no correct way..the best is
1.keep mailing the fsbo and expireds
2. keep calling the fsbo and expireds
3. if you can doorknock them..

its called the force multiplier and why usa is regarded as the best military..
we dont have the largest army..
we dont have the best technolgy...

but we hit you from land, sea and air...

i cant doorknock lots of my expireds they are in condo or gated community...
lots of them dont pick up the phone cause im in an area with an entire mike ferry brokerage...
but i can mail them..callthem , mail them call them..
until they relist or say leave me alone..or list with me..
and either way is fine :-)

A good listing agent should have no problem with this. I don't care if other agents try to steal my listings, before, on, or after their expiration date. Go for it and good luck! (Hint: You probably don't have a chance in hell).

Except for the fact that its a violation of agency law and the code of ethics...

Not if done properly. And don't ask me to reveal what that means, I will only say that there are ways to prospect listings before they expire without violating the ethics code.

But again, if an agent is able to make a phone call and steal a listing, it is probably because the prior agent did an awful job and deserves to lose the listing to a more capable adversary.

We need to stop writing "ethics" laws that have nothing to do with ethics, and everything to do with protecting incompetent agents from legitimate competition.

navarac,

you are openly saying "proprietary". Secret magic system, "im not sharing..
So what the hell are you doing on this blog..not sharing?

You dont wanna add value and give back to the other members?

First of all this is a forum, not a blog. A forum is an exchange of ideas. That would include generalized ideas and specific ideas. I operate on this forum in the realm of general ideas and philosophy. Specific implementations are up to the individual. Some specific ideas represent a competitive edge that I am not willing to share. After all, we are in business competing against each other. This forum is read by competition in my local market. If you think I am going to think up neat stuff and hand it to my competition in a gift-wrapped little box, you are nuts.

However, anyone with any sense at all can probably piece it together from my generalities. Take those generalities, add your own creativity and innovation and voila, you have your own cool plan.

You shouldn't be looking for specifics anyway. You should want to come up with the unique lindenmoe plan to beat out your local competitors. Creativity means creating. Innovating. Think up something new. It's not that hard. And when you do come up with it, DO NOT SHARE. Use it to beat my azz in the marketplace.

I love when I see my local competition come up with a wrinkle to get an edge over me. Competition and new ideas is the fun part of this otherwise stupid business.

Actually when I read my past stuff, I am amazed and alarmed I have disclosed as much as I have. I must be losing my edge.

"Actually when I read my past stuff, I am amazed and alarmed I have disclosed as much as I have. I must be losing my edge."

You've actually been an amazing inspiration to me, so thank you.

well navarac, i do see your point about not sharing your proprietary system you built..

and if the guys like the realtor see enough value in your post do your thing..broski :-)

Maybe I shouldnt have listed..exact 13 action steps and should just said

blog guys blog and all your troubles will be over..

as far as be creative, innovate, etc..

that makes zero sense..

success leaves clues- tony robbins..

imitate before innovate..

find whats already working and expand on that!

microsoft did not invent or create the operating system
apple did not invent the mp3 player
netflix did not invent movie rentals
starbucks did not invent or create coffee shops..

the best way is to find a proven system..copy it
then tweak it..

get too creative and start inventing stuff in real estate..
instead of tried and true sounds like failure to me...