I'm trying to do more marketing in my area including door knocking, calls, and mailings. I'm having a tough time coming up with a letter to mail out to clients for expireds and fsbos, I know some people are just really good at this sort of thing, if you have one and don't mind sharing it will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I have a postcard design that got me about a 1% response rate (out of those that were delivered, however more like a .5% response rate considering Red-X and the USPS are a combination for wasted postage) if you want to see it, inbox me.

borino has good ones at..

http://www.expiredplus.com/

Lindenmoe - I'm having a little bit of a hard time with, "I was a 24-year old immigrant, barely speaking English, broke and clueless." Was he selling himself to homeowners who barely spoke English, were destitute and clueless?

Do you have this Borino system? Have you tried it? Know someone who's using it?

You know when you click on the "yes, I want the FREE letters", one gets sucked into the eternal email spamming blackhole.

I clicked on a "free" report one time, and still receive emails from that person.

So, who do you know who uses it successfully and is NOT affiliated with Borino?

Hi VABroker, I actually ordered it and tried it. Over all I liked it a lot. Granted I didn't use the system exactly as he prescribed, I did use many of the concepts.

I ordered the C Proctor one as well, I thought the material on both was a bit out dated but again it's the concepts I liked. I model my business plan around a hybrid of these systems and books from 3 other familiar names in RE.

I don't know how good these would be to a seasoned agent, but for a new agent they were great. I got the "now" business I was looking for and am about to make it threw my first year. To date got 20 listings, with 7 closings scheduled (had 3 others fall through,) 3 leases closed, and one referral paid off, yet made zero the first 6 months (that was rough.)

Gonna try and triple the listings for 2012 and yeah I wanna close more too. Hopefully the add marketing channels I've started in the summer will be ripe buy spring.

Borino is pretty regular on ActiveRain. Checkout some of his video posts. My business partner and I plan to cough up the 249 bucks before the end of the year.

Borino does not spam. I have purchased his system and plan in implementing it....Jennifer Allan who used to frequent this board a lot and who does real estate in a way I respect holds Borino's system in high regard.

I have been a receiver of Borino's email newsletters for a long time - he has never spammed me.

Now, I had signed up for something from Kinder-Reese and had to mark them as spam because I repeatedly requested that they stop sending me their high pressure gimmick laden emails - and they continued to send them (Hurry this video won't be up long!) So after two or three times of still getting their emails after I asked them to stop, I finally started marking their stuff as spam in Gmail.

I like Borino's program - I just need to take the time to work it. I think like anything, it only works if you actually work it. I have not pursued ANY expireds in ages but I plan on doing so this year - as I want to move more toward having saleable listings more than anything else, and be very selective with the buyers I take out.

Can I just ask why on God's green earth does anyone ever get on Active Rain? I absolutely find it to be the most ridiculous thing ever.. although I think they have discussion groups.. the whole blogging (and commenting) for referral things is just the most ludicrous thing I ever heard of... even if it works 'okay' (which I do not think it works that well most likely although I never gave it a chance) it seems like you will never catch a top producer on that black hole vortex for sub-mediocre agents (sorry if you use). Right here, agentsonline.net I've found 100's of times more useful for learning and sharing than "ActiveRain" oh yes please make it rain, when I was a brand new agent I bought a rainmake account, let them charge me 1 month until I realized I was paying for nothing but a subdomain and a wordpress account with a crappy theme that had my broker's logo.. oh that's worth $20 a month! Plus the guy they have giving webinars insults anyone of average intelligence (if you know a modem from a mouse anyways) and he has quite the pompous and brash air about him..

look if I google this ridiculously long long-tail keyword phrase with quotes "homes under $254,420 in ABCville, Arkansas around the water with no frogs burping" then our associate who wrote a blog post with those exact words is #1 on Google!!! Look, it works for my name too!!! OMG MAKE IT RAIN!!!

/end rant.

Sorry.

Debbie from Remax California Oranges writes: "Ibsellin, could not have said it better myself!"

Kurt from Keller Williams Maine writes: "Interesting Article!!!"

Douchebag McGee from Century 21 writes: "HI I just joined Active Rain and am looking for referrals in BFE because I have no clue!!!"

ibdrinkin...

LMAO. Funny stuff. I realize that it's Saturday night for most people (almost 6pm here, still on floor duty) and that may have a bit to do with ibdrinking's rant above. Nonetheless, I'm not on AR (made a small effort at it a long time ago, but that's about it) but I know of many people who swear of how helpful it is as a platform, both to generate leads and to get referrals. Like most things, YMMV depending on your efforts.

Back to topic, can anyone who has used Borino's program share their success rate?

ok ok,..im am not a theory kinda guy..i implement test track..

here is how i track..i use a 1-800- number with different extention for every marketing piece and a different url each marketing piece..i never guess anything..

i use borino program..and letters with others..


first a lil rant of my own..

how would you call jay kinders stuff gimmicks?
I respect and trust borino..no question..
but how do you place a higher trust level on borino..who does not sell real estate..
over jay kinder..who is in the top 50 agents in the world today.
this year wall street trends..jay kinder is in the top 25
in the world TODAY.
The y#1 agent in the state of oklahoma
2010 team did 400 transactions in Lawtoon Oklahoma? In this market?
Thats breathtaking..that you would place a higher level of advice on someone who doesnt even sell real estate..
oh think thats a fluke? Michael reese..jay kinder partner is also on the wa;ll st journal top 250 agents in the world
oh thats a fluke..how about top 50 in the wall st journal personal friend of mine Blake Sloan 28 years old #37 on the wall st journal top 250 list..352 transactions in myrtle beach devastated market
oh fluke you say..how bout christine lee..jacksonville florida
top 30 under 30..another fluke huh? adam top 30 under 30 vermont..
all using kindereese.."gimmicks"

all 3 realtor magazine top 30 under 30 winners..

ok ok rant over,..you people are nuts..

ok on Borino letters..
gets about a 1% response rate
I have taken about 5 listings..2 sold..made about $9,000

Now lets compare last week took 6 listings 4 came from jay kinder and mike reese marketing expireds program
2% response rate and hands off postcards..

I use both because borino's is low key and appeals to certain homeowners
kinder reese pieces are in your face..and appeals to certain homeowners..

kindereese expireds program goes out automatic handsfree-oversized postcards=huge benefit

borino, you have to print handwrite the envelope and add live stamp for it to work..but it works..problem is I get lazy and dont mail these as consistent..thats not Borino fault..thats Lindens fault

I have took listings and made money from both..

now lets talk about jay kinders "gimmicks"
it cost $1.00 to mail cause you have to use a oversized color invitation envolope, live stamp and include real plastic army men inside
But here the kicker I used the army man referral letter from kinder reese- cost $100 mailed 100 past clients
got 4 referrals 1 listing 3 buyers
1 already closed a $22,232.48 commission check.
from a $100 dollar mailing. I got directly from that jay kinder.

you see out of jay 400 transactions-200 of those were referrals.
so when he said mail this piece..i trusted him and did it.

Im not affiliated with Borino or Kindereese..I dont get anything for reccommending either.

But know this..I would NEVER reccommend something I didnt try test track AND MADE MONEY FROM..NO THEORY!

here is my best advice
get Borino first cause its free..
mail it to 100 expireds..
wwek 2
mail letter 2 to those same expireds,
week 3 mail letter #3 to those same expireds
call them and ask have they recieved your letters you sent
fist you must use a live stamp and handwritten envelope
you must pick up the phone and ask have they recieved the letters
you must actually do it..instead of crying and complaining
dont try to be clever and change his letters..use it word for word
go mail it today

good luck guys

Lindenmoe, the emails they kept sending me are gimmics - "Hurry, you don't know how long this will last" blah blah blah. The fake sense of urgency they tried to instill in my annoyed me. I do not like to be "sold" to - I do not like to be manipulated into checking something out because "Only 800 of these will be made available...hurry and reserve yours now while you can" and all that crap.

I signed up for their little newsletters and tips, etc, PERSONALLY DID NOT LIKE IT, mainly because I was getting too many emails from them, THEY WERE ANNOYING ME... and then I politely tried to get out of their emails. They kept sending it to me. I unsubscribed, clicked the unsubscribe link, sent replies back telling them take me off their list, and still their stuff kept coming.

That, my friend, is spam, and therefore, they lost my total respect. I asked them to stop sending me stuff multiple times and they continued to send it. I still see it in my spam folder from time to time.

I'm sure their system works but if it's anything like what they were using to try and "market" to me - no thanks. I do not believe in that kind of marketing. If it's annoying, out it goes.

I really don't care about who in Oklahoma has made a million sales using Kinder Reese. I don't. Neither does anyone else, really.

My comment was in reply to VABroker's question about getting spammed by asking for a free report from someone.

Context, dude. Context.

LOL @ibsellin. Actually I have learned a great deal of good stuff on ActiveRain but it's harder to find that stuff now - the problem is, most realtors are idiots, and only know how to spam. And ActiveRain is made up of realtors. Therefore, since most realtors are idiots, and ActiveRain is made up of realtors, it makes sense that most ppl on ActiveRain are idiots.

However, there are some good ones in there with great articles and tips and advice - if you know who to look up and follow, if they are actually still there.

Back in 2007 - 2009, it was a terrific place. And you're right - you can accomplish the same search engine results for free with Wordpress. But if you can find the gems, they're there...you just gotta mine for them.

I still read Jennifer Allan's blog, Borino, Broker Bryant (Bryant Tutas), Katerina Gassett, and a few others - but I'm pretty much done with ActiveRain myself, I just spam my own blog with listings when I think about it. :p