I live in an apartment complex, due to a family situation with the house that my siblings inherited and that I was supposed to live in(ends diatribe on why I am a real estate agent with no real estate of my own!)

anyways...the apartments are decent but there is a roach problem. I mean we have the big ones, "palmetto bugs", and the normal ones. On some days you can see ten or more on the front steps. I've had three or so in the past two weeks in my dwelling. So I was thinking of farming the complex. I'm sure they abound elsewhere, although my side is right next to the trash dumps for our corner.

But I was thinking of maybe doing a flyer with a musclebound roach on it, saying something like "tired of the monsters, I mean roaches?....tired of paying rent with no tax benefits, etc..." Its a buyers market, dont let a good opportunity "crawl" away.

What do you think? Any ideas? Theres plenty of flyers that show up in the door and some door hangers. I dont want to do hangers so they want end up turned to litter. I myself have a habit of throwing the free newspaper's in a bag back into the breezeway. Many times a folded flyer slide all the way through the door are used around here for restaraunts and even the apartment complex. It gets my attention so I think I'll just use a flyer.

Anwyays....this would be my first farming attempt, if you can call it that so I would appreciate any ideas.

Anything out of the ordinary will get you a second look.

Maybe focus the roaches as "unintended roommates".

Good Luck!

Why aren`t you complaining to the HOA?

That is a great idea.
And it is a great way of turning a negative into a positive.
Use it to your advantage.
Get some cartoon type pictures of Roaches to add to the flyer.
People will take notice.
Make sure you add what is in it for them.
Speak to your prospect and their needs.
Team up with a local mortgage broker who can get the renters qualified for loans and add his info to your flyer and have him pay for part of the cost of the printing and delivery.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Remember, repetition is key.
Don't just do one flyer and wait. Farm the complex and drip on them monthly.

Thanks guys, and fla1, I guess I've gotten so used to it. But I am gonna complain to the complex to at least get them to spray. I would get one or two inside, not frequently enough to where it made much of a difference but now its getting out of hand. Maybe I will complain to the HOA, never really thought about doing so. I didnt think about it for an apartment complex, only the apartment managers.

I LOVE it!

I think it's a great spin. Even if no one is ready to buy, that will bet them talking. They will remember you!

I would leave out the part "Its a buyers market" and replace it with I can help you get 100% Financing and No money Down.

The Home Builders association in my market have had a big media campaign (Billboards, Newspaper, Magazine, Radio, etc) using that very line. "Its a Buyers Market" They don't realize the negative impact that phrase has. It is the sky is falling mentality.

Certainly, there are more homes for sale today then a year ago. Inventory has been sitting longer. The bottom line, sellers still need x amount without bringing money to the table. That phrase perpetuates the problem. "Its a Buyers Market" Buyers seem to think well if it is truly a buyers market then I'll low ball the sellers. They also think, if it is a buyers market than I would be a fool to pay fair market price on a home. Which means, they are looking to buy that much longer.

The buyers are going to do one of four things:
1) Look till they find a house that is overpriced in the first place and "low ball" which in reality is market price.
2) Make unrealistic low offers thinking "Its a Buyers Market" until they finally get discouraged and make a reasonable offer. (resulting in a much longer search/buying period)
3) Look and put in unreasonable low offers that get turned down until they finally get discouraged and QUIT looking (resulting in NO sale)
4) Make unrealistic low offers, that a seller after receiving multiple low offers finally accepts and has to bring money to the table or results in a short sale (because the house has been on the market for so long)

I blame the media for allot of our economic problems. When the media says "Outlook for the economy is looking grim this year" then George says to Martha "We better not buy that new car this year"

Well now the media is hammering us with Buyers and Sellers are using "Discount Brokers" and selling on their own saving money to krap like "Its a Buyers Market" which is a self fulfilling prophecy. We certainly as REALTORS do not want to perpetuate this line of thinking. There are still too many positives to get buyers motivated. 100% Financing, First Time Home Buyers Programs, and No money Down etc.

I like the idea as well. A good picture is worth a thousand words, and will get peoples attention.

Go for it.

Let us know what the response is.

Well cool cat, as a realtor, I would plan on informing them of what I mean by buyers market, that there are more houses to choose from, and that would have been my explanation, all buttered up to sound better than it is, just to help hook the fish when they call. I also planned on mentioning first time buyers programs. But perhaps I will reword the buyers market phrase.

I had forgot to mention that the day after I made this post I had another bastid crawling on my floor when i got home from running errands. I had sprayed so much that previous day that I think he must have ran through some because he was definitely "Not out, but definitely being handed his hat" as the guy said in the movie Contact...which I happen to like but I know most people could give a crap about... But when i stepped on him it definitely got his attention, so much so that he tried to take off running with surprising zest. I'm telling ya, these "palmetto" bugs are beasts. Almost sprained my ankle.