How do I deliver effective offers with Agents involved ?

[Colby Zeller]

Hello BP, I've been debating on how to proceed in my own journey when it comes to agents. The market Im looking to invest in doesn't seem to have many if any Investor friendly agents who are active. I've tried looking into BP and other websites but it seems most agents in my area are pretty strict on conventional methods. Is their anyone in the Springfield, Ohio or nearby areas who have any connections or ideas to help with my problem ?

[Bruce Lynn]

So if I read or understand your post correctly you are an investor, looking for an investor friendly agent to help you make offers in Spingfield OH?

If that is correct, I like @Andrew Freeds suggestion of going to real estate investing meetups.  In my area 1/2 the people that attending are agents.  Then you just have to make enough contacts to find one that will help you do what you want to do.

The other thing you might do is make a list of brokerages and go talk to the broker or team leader in each office.  Tell them what you want to do and see if they can recommend an agent who might be interested or motivated to do what you want to do.  My thought is you might want a younger newer agent to help you.  Maybe NOT brand new, but maybe a couple years in the business who is still hungry and looking to build/expand their business.

You haven't listed your strategy, but think about how it makes sense for an agent to help you and if it is realistic for an agent to spend time on it. I regularly have people call me and say things like they want to make 100 offers a month on $100,000 properties at 50% of asking price. I'm not sure that is a great strategy to start with, but you have to think, even with templates set up and as much automations as possible, it probably takes me an 1hr to do each one. So you make offers like that maybe we get 1. So now I've spent 100hrs for a $1500 commission that I am going to split in some way with my broker and I have all the expenses of getting there, taxes, insurance, VA, phone, software, MLS dues, E&O insurance, office rent, etc etc....so maybe I net out about $600 so that is $6/hr. Potentially we could outsource that to a VA, but I haven't found one I trust enough to get it all right in a timely and accurate manner. Not to say some investors don't have good ideas or good strategies, but not always profitable ones for me to be involved. Then what happens the strange month you win 10 vs 1, but you can only buy 2....now we're scrambling around trying to get you out of 8 contracts and spending more time on deals with ZERO profit, but we still have all the same expenses. Sometimes I've suggested we agree on $50-$100 per offer up front to get started and maybe credit that on resales. If you throw your hands up at something like that, then that also tells me you are not convinced your strategy is as solid as you think it is. Can we share the risk?

One thing that would make me more interested in some of the people that want my time and expertise, would be a good business plan.  Doesn't have to be elaborate, just simple 3-4 pages of what they want to do and how they're going to get there.  Part of that should be financing....how are we going to finance this venture.  I'd like to know their expertise, their motivation, but money has to be a big part of it and that's probably the biggest piece that needs to be lined up.

One idea is for you to get licensed and do it all yourself.  Normally I don't think that is a great strategy.  I definitely believe having a great realtor can be an asset depending on what expertise you bring to the table.   However maybe that solves your problem.  If you're interested in getting licensed let me know.