Do You Think my VERY Targeted Marketing Failed, just because Number Games?

[Jim Witten]

I signed up for an online real estate software that allows me to see in depth info on properties, most of you have probably used it. I located properties in pre-foreclosure, properties with liens on them, proprieties underwater, etc... 

I also went through the newspaper obituary section and located the addresses of people who had passed away, I targeted addresses that were fully paid off, and ones that were not.  Now this may offend some of you, and your going to bash me over it, but its really just creative marketing that could actually help them out.  I think a lot of families who have to take over an estate when their family member passes away, would love to have someone come along and offer an all cash off market offer, than have to deal with selling it. Obviously some families keep the property.  Either way, the point was to target the trustee, who may not want to take on a second mortgage or whatever and needs to sell it.... you get the point.

So anywho, I sent letters to a total of 31 properties, between 3 different cities, essentially saying that Im looking for a house in the area, and will pay all cash, off market, etc.... targeting properties in pre-foreclosure, liens, underwater, or missed payments multiple times in the past, recently passed away, etc...

Now some of you probably are thinking they didnt respond because they felt I was trying to take advantage of them. Which is why I also tried mixing up the psychology of it, in some of the letters I mentioned how "I noticed it was in pre-foreclosure, and was wondering if me buying it off you would help you before the bank gets involved, would be mutually beneficial" type of thing (just a example not word for word what I said). Then some of the other letters I did not mention anything about the liens or pre-foreclosures I saw on their property. Just that I was interested in buying it all cash off market. 

Anyways, 6 weeks later not 1 single response. Anyone think its just a numbers game, like if I had sent out another 31 letters, maybe I'd get 5 responses, then another 31 letters and no responses?  idk..... I thought it was just as precise targeting as you could possible get, spent at least 10 just doing all the research

[Jon Holdman]

Too few letters.  You would be lucky to get even one response from 31 letters.  A few percent is all you're going to get for responses.  Send a few hundred letters.