I got into the BPO THAANG a few months back and signed up for a few companies.

I even did a few.

But everytime I spent all day driving and taking pictures and analyzing comps and filling out forms (6-8 hours on average due to distance of properties and time required getting comp info) I had to ask myself....

After gas and time in - was this $45-80 paycheck really worth it?

I've decided it wasn't.

I'm getting about 3 orders a week - most over 50 miles away. I'm just ignoring them now....

suggest you do your own THAANG

30 minutes for the picture, 30 minutes to fill out form. That's all I am willing to do. No more than 10 miles unless they want to give me gas money. Yes, it's worth it.

If it took me all day to get the pictures and pull the comps, I wouldn't do them either. I can usually time it so that I have 3 or 4 that I need to get pictures of at once so I can do them all in one trip (usually an hour and a half or less for 3-4). Pulling comps took longer in the beginning, but it's pretty fast now. If I had 8 hours to devote to doing BPOs in a day (which I don't), I guess I could do about 5-6 start to finish including pictures.

It's worth it to me. I've learned about neighborhoods in my area that I wouldn't have without doing the BPOs. I've gotten a couple of listings which lead to a couple of buyers, etc. That made it worth it for me.

Keeping up to date with the local market and neighborhood trends make them more then worth it for me. I'm out driving around anyway, so I might as well make a few bucks doing it. Including processing pictures it takes about 60-90 minutes.

always ask the companies for more money and a couple of more days to complere the work. By doing so, I usually am working on 8 to 10 jobs at a time while I am out and about anyway. I get up at about 4am and input at least three jobs most every morning.

I like the idea that I have already brought in about $200 to $250 every day before most all other agents brush their teeth.

You could get up at noon and still be going before most agents I know. lol.

When I first started doing BPO's, I didn't get a lot of orders right off the bat, maybe 15-20 a month. The ones I did get were in the worst neighborhoods, hubby or a friend always come with.

But I knew that if I did an accurate BPO, not only would I receive more orders, but I would start to get them in better neighborhoods, and I have.

I'm doing anywhere from 50-100 orders a month, and while occasionally I have to venture to some scary parts of town, it's not that often.

Doing BPO's is just like any other RE niche, you get out of it what you put into it.

I pay a stay at home mom I know $20 ($25 now with gas...) to go take a picture for me. She is thrilled- coming from an $8/hr job to staying home. I don't take anything more than about 10 miles away. I would never in a million years do something 50 miles away.

Hi Katie,

Thanks for the post.

The hardest part of the job for me is the analysis of property value and the driving around. I'm also not great at uploading pictures ---or taking them for that matter.

Maybe - that's why it takes me so long - I'm not suited for this niche.

I don't know why I'm so curious - but I'm wondering if there are any common personality and lifestyle characteristics amongst y'all.

So For Any BPO'er out there that wants to answer.

What made you decide on this niche?

Do any of these things fit you?
- you enjoy working alone
- have above average analytical skills
- don't care much for prospecting, cold calling or marketing
- you listen to radio talk shows or books on tape while on the road
- you either get up at the crack of dawn to do your driving before 12:00 or....or stay up all night doing your analysis and submissions-- - - - - or both
- or?
- has anyone ever called you 'Ana/?'
- are you quietly squirreling away a fortune in well bought self managed single family rentals that cash flow?
- are you soon to become the millionaire next door?
- are you practical and sensible?
- have you ever considered a career in engineering, accounting, logistics or appraising?

Who are you?

What's you 'day in the life story'?

Heidi

I'm just wondering....?

I think you are making this too difficult. If you are struggling with these, perhaps you are just new at it. If you are having trouble with photos, pratice your computer applications. If you cannot do these quickly and accurately, then it is not for you. I initially started to get listings, and still do them for a few companies that I have worked with for a while that do give listings from time to time. Then, like Ben,I found that it kept me very up to date on the market, I have advance notice on some upcoming listings, and yes,I am very analytical and it keeps my mind clicking. If Katy does 100 a month for even a minimum of $50, isn't that $5000? That isn't peanuts. I don't do that many, it's only a small part of what I do. I turn a lot of them down if they are too far away or if I am too busy. But I do make enough to make all my monthly payments and that's nice for such little work. Its sure money, where a big real estate contract is never sure until it closes. "a day in the Life of-----" I don't know, what day is it?

Heid,

Initially for me, it was to get some cash flow going, that's why I started. And I ended up loving it.

I get to do most of the work on my PC, or anyplace that has a PC for that matter. PC's and I tend to get along.

Like Ben, and ky said, they really do help to keep you updated w/your market areas. And honestly, I never realized how many different market areas there are around me until I started this.

I agree that this isn't for everyone. An appraiser told me about BPOs and gave me a couple of names of companies. After doing some internet searching, I found some more and then I found this site and found even more. I don't do as many as most people here (I only average 5-10 a week) but its enough to make it worth my time. As a rule, I'm going to be out anyway so taking some pictures isn't a big headache. I do tend to do the other work at night after my kids have gone to bed, but that's just my preference.

To answer some of your questions, I am analytical, I have been called "anal", My previous career was in accounting and I do stay up late many nights.

Well thanks everyone for your posts.

BPO's are definately not for me. But I respect you guys for doing it.

I hope that more companies agree to pay extra for the increasing gas costs.

Good luck to all of you.

Heidi

I did go to school for engineering! I take my girlfriend with me and take pictures after she gets off work at 5. I'll take a few minutes during the day to pull comps. I don't mind prospecting. I'm a newer agent and am only targeting sellers. Since I'm not driving clients around all day, BPO's help me to fill the down time.