No matter what industry you are in, marketing is an essential element for success. You may have built the proverbial better mousetrap, but the world won’t find its way to your door if it doesn’t know who you are, what you do, or how to find you.
This basic business principle is especially true for large real estate investors. No matter how much you know or how good you are at putting together great deals, if buyers, sellers, and other investors don’t know about you, you won’t get much business.
“Marketing is absolutely critical to profitable wholesale real estate investing,” said AC Johnson, who directs the continuing education course in wholesale procurement and coordinates the mentoring program for the Wealth Intelligence Academy®. “Surely you need to know the mechanics of the process e.g. B. How to calculate the numbers and complete white label real estate crowdfunding software the contracts. This is important. But people need to know you’re in business – if they don’t know, how are they supposed to know? Do you call them if they want to buy or sell?”
Johnson recommends creating a comprehensive and focused marketing plan that gets your name and contact information in front of as many potential buyers and sellers as quickly as possible. “Your goal is to find the deals before anyone else finds out about them,” he says. “You have to be creative for that. It doesn’t cost a lot of money, but it takes dedication and effort.”
Most real estate wholesalers are familiar with traditional marketing methods that include working with real estate agents and brokers, examining newspaper ads for “Must Sell” and “Home Improvement Special” lists, and following “For Sale” signs in shipyards .
“These methods work, but when a property is listed with an agent, advertised in the newspaper, or there’s a sign in the yard, everyone knows about it, and the competition makes it difficult to make a good profit,” says Johnson. “They want to stand out from the crowd, stand out from the crowd. And that can be done with clever marketing.”
Marketing techniques that work
Marketing strategies Johnson advocates include:
Contact local lawyers.
Send letters with your business card to attorneys specializing in bankruptcy, foreclosure, family law (divorce), probate, estate planning and real estate. These attorneys likely have clients who may need your services.
Connect with people working in your target areas.
Build relationships with regulars in the neighborhood you want to invest in. They see what’s happening and can alert you to potential deals. These sources can include postmen, meter readers, lawn installers, newspaper and pizza delivery people, and even garbage collectors. Caution: Although you may want to compensate these sources for leads that lead to deals you close, be aware that some states interpret such compensation as a real estate commission. Before offering referral fees, check with an attorney to determine if you can legally do so in your state.
Build relationships with private lenders.
Private lenders are not only a source of financing for real estate purchases, but can also be a resource for wholesale deals. Let them know you’re available when foreclosures come up.
Hang signs everywhere.
Post “I’m Buying Real Estate” signs on street corners, trees, utility poles, and even vacant homes. Check with local law enforcement agencies to ensure you are legally installing your signs. Invest in magnetic “I’m buying houses” signs for your car; however, check with your insurance agent to ensure such signage does not affect your coverage.
“Signs are one of the best marketing tools for a large real estate investor,” says Johnson. “A simple, easy-to-read sign on your car turns it into a rolling billboard, and you never know when the person filling up next to you, or the person shopping at the grocery store at the same time, might have a property to sell.”
Another benefit of having a sign on your car is that it lets people know what you’re doing when you’re looking for real estate in the neighborhood. “An unmarked car driving slowly through a neighborhood and stopping at vacant houses could inspire suspicion and make residents nervous,” Johnson says. “If you have a sign on your car that clearly identifies your business, you won’t be hassled by people who want to know what you’re doing. It also creates a trust factor that increases people’s willingness to answer your questions when you want to ask neighbors about the condition of a property.”
How to become a successful real estate developer
Real estate investment and development has never been a more popular pastime or career-changing challenge. If you would like to learn seven secrets for sustainable, successful real estate investment through development or if you would like to know how you can continue to profit from real estate even in times of market weakness, just read on…
1) Do your location homework
Did you know that professional real estate investors benefit from successful and sustainable location research even in times of market weakness? It’s true – no matter the market conditions, you can apply their location research approach to your real estate investments and also make consistent profits from real estate.
Take the time to learn all about a city you’re considering for your next real estate purchase and discover where that city’s up-and-coming areas are likely to be. If inner-city redevelopment projects are planned, check the real estate market in the immediate vicinity. If there is currently a space boom, check the immediate neighboring areas for potential for future price increases.
Don’t follow the crowd – have the confidence to buck the trend and stay ahead of the curve by positioning yourself in a market that’s about to boom, rather than one that’s already thriving .
2) Know what you can afford
While it sometimes pays to speculate, you should never be tempted to risk your own home. Plan your finances and be aware of what you can and cannot afford for down payments, mortgage payments, and renovations and refurbishments for your next real estate investment. Proceed only within the limits of your tightly allocated budget and don’t be tempted to overextend yourself, especially when the real estate market is highly competitive and the market is slow or stagnant.
3) Identify Your Target Market
After identifying your next real estate investment location, identify the types of people who are buying renovated properties in that location. Know who your target market will be and what they are likely to be looking for in a property in that location. For example, if you are investigating inner-city spaces, you may find that your buyers are young, single professionals and that the ideal property type for these people is luxury low-maintenance properties – look for suitable properties with renovation potential such as luxury homes and maintenance apartments and you will meet the needs of your target market. .. look for large houses with large gardens in the area and you will miss the market altogether and may have created a property that will not sell!
4) Renovate instead of rebuilding
Know your budget limits and your personal abilities. Do not consider taking on a property in need of a complete structural overhaul if your budget is tight or you personally do not have the time, skills or inclination to undertake the structural work yourself. Be realistic about what you and your budget can achieve and look for properties that fulfill that mission. Pay to get an independent and full inspection of any property you’re serious about buying before paying a deposit to ensure there aren’t any hidden surprises waiting under the floorboards to completely eat up your budget.
5) Manage Your Budget
With your survey in hand, you can contact homebuilders to get quotes and prices for fixtures, fittings, finishes, and fittings. Take the quoted and quoted prices and build your budget. Consider ongoing mortgage and utility costs and labor costs, as well as your insights and structure, and allocate your money accordingly. Observe each and every problem and be ruthlessly strict with yourself and your builder. If possible, have your contractor commit you to a contract with fixed completion dates and fees, and keep track of every single cent or dime each day. At the end of each week, add up your spending and expenses and make sure you’re not going over your budget. If you overspend, rein it in or you’ll have to shave it off other areas of development. Remember never skimp on finishing touches and always set up a realistic fallback fund for emergencies.
6) Appeal to the Widest Market
Forget putting your personal stamp on a property you are developing – YOU will not be living in the property! You should have already identified your target market, which gives you a good idea of the level and build quality to expect. Meet those expectations now without adding personal taste to the equation. By targeting the broadest market or lowest common denominator, your property will appeal to the majority of buyers, making it faster and easier to resell and capitalize on.
7) Make friends with a real estate agent
Your greatest ally in real estate development will be your real estate agent. Make friends with these guys and you will create a beautiful and successful symbiotic relationship that will benefit both of you to the maximum! Real estate agents are a source of untapped knowledge about the local market, who is looking for what property in which area, what additional features cost little but drive up the asking price, and what a buyer expects from your particular type of property. fundraisingscript Get the facts from your real estate agent, then use their advice. You create a property that you can market at a top price and on the widest market – you make more profit and you get a bigger commission, which guarantees a beautiful and lasting friendship!
Finally, remember that after buying, renovating and reselling, you are looking for the next real estate opportunity and any real estate agent you have worked well with will be on the lookout for suitable properties for your next investment, with all subsequent purchases being plentiful easier to get.