The issue in simplification is this - >
Specifically, when it comes to "foreclosure," I’m not as experienced in that area (honestly, I’m more of a Google Ads guy than a Facebook guy).
However, the key is to position yourself as the buyer who can purchase quickly, with cash, and without any hassle—essentially the classic approach of a wholesaler or investor.
and in that way your in the white when it comes to the 'legal' aspect of it.
I wouldn’t claim to solve these deeper issues directly through the ad creative.
However, you can address these concerns during a phone conversation if the issue comes up in your screening process with the seller.
Understood. I appreciate the feedback. My only thing is I’m looking to position myself in a way that encourages them to engage my ad to begin with. Making the same “quick, cash offer” that millions of others are making allows them to compare my offers to others. That’s what I’m trying to avoid.
Frankly, I’m not surprised but that’s only because those are the most popular strategies. It may not be the most efficient way to find leads because it depends on insane volume.
Regarding Facebook Ads and the discussion about legitimacy in presenting yourself as someone who can assist these people, I’d offer this suggestion: Continue targeting the same audience on Facebook, but adjust your concept and marketing message. Position yourself as a buyer who purchases homes quickly and for cash, without explicitly presenting yourself as an expert. In the ad creative, you can mention that you're able to buy houses in foreclosure without signaling that you're a specialist in foreclosure-related issues, if that makes sense.
Continue targeting the same audience?
Wait what?! You, a self-proclaimed "expert marketer of 16 years" are seriously telling him to continue marketing people who explicitly do not want to sell their house?
Wait...
you think when someone does not want to sell their house period.. that the solution to them not wanting to sell their house is .. "Position yourself as a buyer who purchases homes quickly and for cash, without explicitly presenting yourself as an expert."?
So you think THAT will change their mind and want to sell? Please please please, stop giving people advice. I beg you.
Regarding Facebook Ads and the discussion about legitimacy in presenting yourself as someone who can assist these people, I’d offer this suggestion: Continue targeting the same audience on Facebook, but adjust your concept and marketing message. Position yourself as a buyer who purchases homes quickly and for cash, without explicitly presenting yourself as an expert. In the ad creative, you can mention that you're able to buy houses in foreclosure without signaling that you're a specialist in foreclosure-related issues, if that makes sense.
Thanks for the feedback! The thing is, they get 2,004 messages and calls a day from buyers offering the same thing. So I was looking to position myself differently.
I understand that that’s super risky in this case so I’m reevaluating my choices.
I wouldn't ask for legal questions in an open forum. Especially when 90%+ of opinions (and the people) are very very questionable.
Before I go into this...
Are you legitimately trying to help them without any interest in buying their house and making deals?
Are you paying money to run ads just to help?
What are you getting out of it? Meaning, if you spend money on ads you are expecting an ROI correct?
How are you making a return on this?
Legitimate question.
My advise depends on what your true end goal is.
I love it. I was hoping for a reply like this. Most fake this, but you are genuine.
My response to you is then this.
First, be careful, because human nature is a treacherous one. No matter if you try to help, if they can exploit you they often will.
Like others have mentioned you need a license and even when you don't if something goes wrong, you could face lawsuits if you even smell like giving them official advice.
My REAL advice however is this, and I hope you take this warning seriously.
Let's talk about foreclosures for a second.
According to data a few years ago (it is worse now) every 3000 mailers will get you 1 deal, which makes the chances of them wanting to sell their house 0.03%.
This means 99.97% of the time, when you approach someone in foreclosure they are not interested in selling.
So understand what you are factually doing...
You are going through all this trouble to EXPLICITLY try to find people that do NOT want to sell their house (people in foreclosure), to try to get them to sell their house?
To really paint a picture for you...
This is equivalent to you paying money to get a list of vegans that are also animal rights activists, to try to sell them baby-cow burgers.
Your intentions are great and if all you were trying to do, was to help others I would put on my cheerleader outfit and pompoms and cheer you on. But if you want an ROI, as well, the industry has been lying to you, and everyone else.
Foreclosures, probates taxliens... all circumstances that explicitly do not drive motivation to sell.
I am writing a book on the topic and here is a passage from my book.
Circumstance does not imply motivation. Motivation is an emotional response to a circumstance, not the circumstance itself.
Someone in foreclosure, job loss, tax liens, are all circumstances. Although the sensible solution to that circumstance would be to sell their house, the reality is that the emotional response to these circumstances is to try to keep their house not sell it.
I am not trying to be a negative nancy here. Just trying to give you data (not opinions, so you can decide on the best course of action.
Good luck brother!
It is not just "denial". It is anger, stubbornness, frustration, "if I can't get my house no one will". They rather burn the house to the ground than sell it.
And none of it is relevant. What IS relevant that these people do NOT want to sell. These are not the audiences we are after. They are not motivated. CAN you make a deal? Of course, you can. 0.03% of people in foreclosures will sell. So you need to send 3000 mailers to get the Gods to grant you one.
While everyone just turns off their brains, and work harder instead of smarter just for that illusion: "see I did so much work, it has to mean I am closer to the reward", but sadly it is all it is an illusion.
I rather work smarter, not harder and have whoever that is motivated, come and find me, instead of me chasing them.
No one said that buyers assume "every" seller on the list is motivated.
What I am saying, buyers think there is a good chance that people on their list is motivated. Nothing could be further from the truth.
What I am saying is this:
Take 10 random people in foreclosure and ask if they want to sell (not even at a discount... but sell period). 10 out of 10 will say no
Do the same with probates, tax liens, etc. etc.
The answer will be No.
So do you understand what I am saying? It is not that buyers "don't assume EVERY person on the list is motivated"... no not even talking about that.
What I am saying is this: You are explicitly, going out of your way to target people that explicitly do not want to sell, and ask them to sell.
Hence my vegan example. This literally is the equivalent of buying a list of vegans, to market baby-cow burgers to.
it is not just a bad audience for us... it is the WORST POSSIBLE audience for us. You are looking for people who want to sell at a discount, yet most people on Biggerpockets buy up lists of people who do NOT want to sell. Isn't this insane?
Remember, none of this is my opinion. I am just giving you data! Can't argue what I am saying because this is simply data. Opinion has no place here.
Note:
Luck is 50-50.
What everyone is content with and labels as "normal" is 0.03-99.97. That is not luck. That is suicide!
I make 6 figures/ wholesale deal. It is not because I am doing something amazing. It is not that I am doing something special. Other people simply do things completely wrong and that "doing it wrong" is commonly labeled as "normal" or the norm.
Listen to the data, leave emotion out of it, and crush it!
And about your filtering question.
Understand this:
What is a list? A list is a filtering mechanism, right? Are you motivated? Get on my list. Are you not motivated, get off my list.
I have however just established, that lists can not filter motivation. Remember motivation is an emotional reaction TO a circumstance, not the circumstance itself. Lists only give you a circumstance.
So lists don't filter motivation. If it did, the success rate to get a deal from a list wouldn't be 0.03% right
Here is the good news.
You do not need to know who is or who isn't motivated. You do not need lists.
Read my lips.
You do not need lists.
Where would you go get food if you were a hungry lion in the savannas of Africa?
The watering hole.
I don't care who you are, your butt will be at the watering hole at some point today. All you have to do is wait for them to show up because they will.
Similarly, you do not need to know who is, or who isn't motivated. All you need to know is where they will be when they BECOME motivated.
Google!
Let me ask you a question...
When was the last time you planted your butt next to the mailbox when you got bitten by a rattlesnake waiting for someone to send you a mailer on what to do when you get bitten by a rattlesnake?
NEVER!
People do not wait for a mailer call or text when they are facing a dire problem. The more severe the problem the higher the chance for them to do take the initiative to do something about it.
Now you may start to see why I think mailers calls or texts literally is the dumbest most retarded and stupidest thing an investor can do.
Why?
When someone becomes motivated they are not going to wait for your mailer to arrive. They hit up Google, find my website, and sell to me.
By the time your mailer arrives, their house is long sold to ME!
So with mailers, you will ALWAYS target low-quality leads, because the high-quality leads, motivated sellers, do not wait for your mailer.
Read my post here:
https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/93/topics/1215116-all-i...
If you have more questions, ask away!
1. I love the way you write. Super conversational, haha.
2. This exact reasoning is what's drawn me to digital marketing and copywriting as the best way to attract motivated leads. It's why I'm asking for help setting up FB Ads instead of cold calls.
When was the last time you bought a house from a random mystery caller?
Never. Especially as a retail buyer. It'd be absurd. Selling your house to a mystery caller is equally absurd. Not to say it doesn't happen. I just find it inefficient.
All in all, none of this matters as much as the offer itself and that's what I'm looking to focus on. How many pain points can I solve with my offer? It's bigger than just a dollar amount. The more pain points you can solve for the seller, the easier it is for them to make a decision.
I wouldn't ask for legal questions in an open forum. Especially when 90%+ of opinions (and the people) are very very questionable.
Before I go into this...
Are you legitimately trying to help them without any interest in buying their house and making deals?
Are you paying money to run ads just to help?
What are you getting out of it? Meaning, if you spend money on ads you are expecting an ROI correct?
How are you making a return on this?
Legitimate question.
My advise depends on what your true end goal is.
I love it. I was hoping for a reply like this. Most fake this, but you are genuine.
My response to you is then this.
First, be careful, because human nature is a treacherous one. No matter if you try to help, if they can exploit you they often will.
Like others have mentioned you need a license and even when you don't if something goes wrong, you could face lawsuits if you even smell like giving them official advice.
My REAL advice however is this, and I hope you take this warning seriously.
Let's talk about foreclosures for a second.
According to data a few years ago (it is worse now) every 3000 mailers will get you 1 deal, which makes the chances of them wanting to sell their house 0.03%.
This means 99.97% of the time, when you approach someone in foreclosure they are not interested in selling.
So understand what you are factually doing...
You are going through all this trouble to EXPLICITLY try to find people that do NOT want to sell their house (people in foreclosure), to try to get them to sell their house?
To really paint a picture for you...
This is equivalent to you paying money to get a list of vegans that are also animal rights activists, to try to sell them baby-cow burgers.
Your intentions are great and if all you were trying to do, was to help others I would put on my cheerleader outfit and pompoms and cheer you on. But if you want an ROI, as well, the industry has been lying to you, and everyone else.
Foreclosures, probates taxliens... all circumstances that explicitly do not drive motivation to sell.
I am writing a book on the topic and here is a passage from my book.
Circumstance does not imply motivation. Motivation is an emotional response to a circumstance, not the circumstance itself.
Someone in foreclosure, job loss, tax liens, are all circumstances. Although the sensible solution to that circumstance would be to sell their house, the reality is that the emotional response to these circumstances is to try to keep their house not sell it.
I am not trying to be a negative nancy here. Just trying to give you data (not opinions, so you can decide on the best course of action.
Good luck brother!
It is not just "denial". It is anger, stubbornness, frustration, "if I can't get my house no one will". They rather burn the house to the ground than sell it.
And none of it is relevant. What IS relevant that these people do NOT want to sell. These are not the audiences we are after. They are not motivated. CAN you make a deal? Of course, you can. 0.03% of people in foreclosures will sell. So you need to send 3000 mailers to get the Gods to grant you one.
While everyone just turns off their brains, and work harder instead of smarter just for that illusion: "see I did so much work, it has to mean I am closer to the reward", but sadly it is all it is an illusion.
I rather work smarter, not harder and have whoever that is motivated, come and find me, instead of me chasing them.
I wouldn't ask for legal questions in an open forum. Especially when 90%+ of opinions (and the people) are very very questionable.
Before I go into this...
Are you legitimately trying to help them without any interest in buying their house and making deals?
Are you paying money to run ads just to help?
What are you getting out of it? Meaning, if you spend money on ads you are expecting an ROI correct?
How are you making a return on this?
Legitimate question.
My advise depends on what your true end goal is.
I figured this would be super complicated somehow. I appreciate your response, Jay.
There are probably other kinds of distress I can focus on with less hassle. My bet remains the same though. I want to try and solve a painful problem before the offer.
I wouldn't ask for legal questions in an open forum. Especially when 90%+ of opinions (and the people) are very very questionable.
Before I go into this...
Are you legitimately trying to help them without any interest in buying their house and making deals?
Are you paying money to run ads just to help?
What are you getting out of it? Meaning, if you spend money on ads you are expecting an ROI correct?
How are you making a return on this?
Legitimate question.
My advise depends on what your true end goal is.
@Oladimeji Sonibare
I would be very careful offering support as you typically need to be considered a credit counselor in order to do what you’re doing. While you may be trying to do the right thing, if you buy the house from them below market and they find out later on chances of you getting sued by a pro bono attorney is very high.
I do not know why people claim to try and help a homeowner when they are really trying to help themselves. Just be honest and try and buy the house.
Hey, All!
I’m starting a FB Ad Campaign to help distressed homeowners in preforeclosure and could use some unofficial advice on the law.
For context, I’ll be providing actual support (showing them how to request payment plans, forbearance, etc) and making an offer to them ONLY if we’ve exhausted all options and they’re:
1. Unable to negotiate with the bank.
2. Uninterested in keeping the home.
3. Not qualified for any public/non-profit assistance.
Am I able to run traffic to this offer legally? People typically run traffic to “We’ll Buy Your House” ads and I don’t want to enter any murky legal territory with mine. Just want to lead with value.
What do you think?