For those door knockers out there, do you knock on doors in neighborhoods with a sign at the entrance that says No Soliciting? I'd like to start knocking on doors, but every neighborhood around here says No Soliciting.

I mail the info.

Then don't solicit, Get something that is of interest to people and go door to door, give it away, introduce yourself, chit chat and move on.

Real Estate is a ruff business, but where there is a will there is a way. If someone complains just move on to the next house and forget about it.

Jim

Don't do it! I live in a subdivision with NO SOLICITING clearly visible at the entrance and even a sign next to my doorbell.

I'm constantly amazed at the people who ignore the signs. All they do is irritate the homeowners and ruin any chance of anyone doing business with them.

I had one guy knock on my door at 7:00 A.M. to try and sell pool maintenance. He actually started the conversation with "sorry to bother you so early, I was in hopes of catching you before you left for work." I pointed to the no soliciting sign and he asked what that meant! What an idiot!!!

Sorry to rant... it's not a good idea to violate this request!

Words of wisdom right there.

If you're knocking on cold doors, then I don't think it's a very good idea. If you're knocking an expired or fsbo, they NEED help, you just have to know the right approach, don't let the sign stop you.

At least until they call security and have you booted out, possibly even with a fine to go with it. Yeah! Go for it! Annoy the heck out of people who clearly do not want to be annoyed (the "clearly" ones are like Gulf Winds and have the No Soliciting sign repeated on their property.)

How dumb do you think people are? They're too stupid to figure out that the dopey little handout you give them is really a marketing ploy?

When I am home, I do NOT want to be bothered by ANYONE unless they are friends or have been invited by me. Someone down the road from me has a sign at the end of their driveway that says "If you're not invited, TURN AROUND NOW". I think they mean it...whethere you have some market report or magnet or not.

I have had a few folks knock on my door selling encyclopedias, "taking surveys", selling frozen food/meat, and just about everything you can think of. The only ones I ever consider talking to are the kids (scouts selling cookies, or stuff for school etc.)

HEY, there's an idea: send your KIDS to the doors!!! That's the ticket!! If you don't have kids, hire your neighbors, and send them to the doors with the market report! It's sure to work!

[quote=Perky_REALTOR]

Wouldn't that violate child labor laws?!

The main thing I'm worried about here is what you said...fines. And like another said, you could get the whole neighborhood angry at you for not abiding by their request to not solicit, and then you'll never do business in the neighborhood. But on the other hand, are people really going to get mad at me for giving them a report on recently sold homes in the neighborhood? And if that's all I do, is that really soliciting? Although I don't think it would be very effective if I didn't ask them if they or someone they know is interested in buying or selling. As far as mailing, there is no way that can be as effective as meeting them face-to-face. Also, I'm new and I don't have the budget available to do a million mailings every month. What I do have is time.

Wouldn't that violate child labor laws?!

Not if they are your kids!

The main thing I'm worried about here is what you said...fines. And like another said, you could get the whole neighborhood angry at you for not abiding by their request to not solicit, and then you'll never do business in the neighborhood.

It happens. At my monthly HOA meetings, they always mention who knocked, left a card or marketing info and not to support them because they can't read. They jokingly refer to them as the "reading challenged award winners".

But on the other hand, are people really going to get mad at me for giving them a report on recently sold homes in the neighborhood?

Yes!

And if that's all I do, is that really soliciting?

Why else would you spend the time handing out that info? You expect/hope to get business as a result, right? They aren't stupid, they know exactly why you knocked on their door! Especially when you offer them something that they didn't ask for!

Although I don't think it would be very effective if I didn't ask them if they or someone they know is interested in buying or selling.

You got it!

As far as mailing, there is no way that can be as effective as meeting them face-to-face.

Not true! Why don't you see if they have a monthly HOA newsletter that you can advertise in?

Also, I'm new and I don't have the budget available to do a million mailings every month. What I do have is time.

Pick a farm area & send as many cards as you can afford to, once a month. You may want to divide your list to make it affordable. Month 1, send to list #1, month 2, send to list #2. That way, you're covering the whole farm area every two months. That's six times per year that your reaching everyone! I'd take it a step further and divide the list to odd # addresses for list 1 & even # addresses for list 2. You never know, next door neighbors may talk to each other and bring up your mailing. "Hey George, did you get that card from Huntsyle about blah, blah, blah?" "No Bob, what did it say?"

You could also ask the local HOA if you could post some market reports in the HOA clubhouse or something...leave a stack on a table or pinned on the bulletin board, etc.

Futhermore, if you have TIME why not spend time writing BLOGS about the neighborhood.

I have been writing blogs, since late April or early May or so. I took trips out to certain communities and took pictures of the amenities, then wrote an article on the community, including a brief market report. At the end of the article I put a link to sign up for "Instant Email Alerts" - signing up for auto emails from a MLS search letting them know what's come on the market or been reducted, etc.

So far, I have gotten six or seven people writing me asking to get signed up for my email alerts, and I have had two potential buyers contact me and schedule appointments to see houses in the area, AND I got an exclusive listing - all because of my blogs.

These are people who are HAPPY to hear from me because THEY contacted me first.

Because I've been busy the last three weeks, I haven't written many blogs, but the last three that I wrote have all borne fruit of some sort - free.

Didja hear that/ Free. Only cost was the gas to drive around and take some pictures, and the 40 minutes or so I spent writing the blog.

Wow your are a real sunny person I guess. I probably would not want to market to a neighborhood full of people like that anyway. Usually they are a waist of time, but boy when they want something your are supposed to just bend over backwards to make em happy.

In most places those neighborhoods with the no soliciting signs are considered a suggestion, not a law. You call the cops for that and you will be the one getting the fine for waisting the cops time. And if you don't want to hand anything out, then just knock on the door and say hi introduce yourself, Like this, Hi, I am James Boyer with Keller Williams Realty, Just stopping by to introduce myself and say hi to my neighbors, I live just over on Morristown Street. Then let the conversation go from there, if it goes no place, then say goodbye and move along. That is not soliciting, it is being neighborly.

I really find this funny. I don't believe that people get annoyed with you if you knock on their door, hand them something, tell them you'll be happy to help if they or anyone they know might need your help, and then move on. I've knocked on a bunch of FSBO doors and have never had anything but smiles. Just do it. If they get mad at you then you wouldn't want to deal with them anyways.

Who said anything about calling the cops? Do you know the difference between hired security and the police?

I also do not think it is appropriate to make personal remarks.

I could say that you lack basic reading comprehension skills and you don't know how to spell "waste" but that wouldn't be nice, would it?

But then again, what can be expected from someone who can't comprehend something as simple as "No Soliciting?"

That's slightly different than trolling a private neighborhood knocking on random doors that say "No Soliciting." Those are people that you at least know MAY want your services.

I have on three different occasions driven in neighborhoods looking for specific type houses for sale for clients with success.

In one case, my client pointed out four different homes that he was interested in. It was a gated community ("No Soliciting") with lake front properties. I knocked on the door to see if they would consider selling, 3 out of 4 said yes.

Two other times, I drove a neighborhood and randomly asked different homeowners that were outside doing yard work, if they knew of any neighbors thinking about selling. 4 out of 5 did. I actually got 1 listing that eventually sold and sold 1 house to my client.

Why I don't just drive neighborhoods looking for leads, I can't answer. All the other cases I had a ready, willing, and able buyer. It works, I need to get off my butt and start farming like that even without a buyer.