All Forum Posts by: Sean OToole

@Kevin Rhoden we can't help you in NY right now, so my recommendation would be to purchase your list from a service like Listsource, that specializes in real estate lists, and then use a second service to "match append" phone numbers. You'll find a bunch if you just google "phone match append".

I’d stick with the title driven companies over Exact for real estate leads. Corelogic (Listource) or Fidelity’s AgentPro247. Of course in CA their are better options. ;-)

@Joe Yobaccio - we tend to do videos on specific criteria people ask for - or general videos on how to use the app. You are absolutely right that our older videos are mostly focused on foreclosures and negative equity as that was what all of our customers were interested in during the foreclosure crisis. Today is different - there is no one standout opportunity. And since we aren't has been gurus you'll never see us push "the secret motivated seller list that will make you millions". ;-)

I will also guarantee no such get rich quick list exists - and if it did they sure as heck wouldn't sell it. Success in this market depends on where you are looking, what skills you bring to the table, what competitors in the area are doing, etc. We offer over 200 criteria including everything from absentee to vacancy, that can be used in millions of combinations. We're here to help you do better marketing, be more efficient, better qualify deals before getting in the car, etc. Not to say my team can't make recommendations of list ideas that they see work, or steer you away from ones that don't - they do that every day. But it is nuanced, not one size fits all. Hope that helps.

Best place to get ideas on what lists are working for people where, is right here on BP. As you get ideas for targets you'd like to pursue we'd be happy to help you implement them.

@Joe Yobaccio - yes, having been around 11 years and launching just before the foreclosure crisis I'm not surprised a lot of what you find is focused on foreclosures, and probably features very old versions of our app. :-)

The best source of newer information is here: https://help.propertyradar.com/. Also, I really recommend setting up a demo call with my team - they do a great job of staying up to date on what's working. You can do that here: https://help.propertyradar.com/how-to-contact-cust.... 

Best,
Sean

@John N Gietzen the primary things you want to look at with list providers is 1) the variety of criteria available (equity, value, vacancy, owner occ, etc), 2) the timeliness and accuracy in YOUR AREA (this is why there is no point in asking anyone which is best unless they are also in your area), 3) what data is included in your list - just a name and address, or complete details on property, phone numbers, transaction history, equity, etc. 4) user interface - you are more likely to use a tool YOU like, and 5) price. Hope that helps.

@Emma Bennett - despite being on 3/16 Irish, my parents laid it on thick... Sean Patrick O'Toole. ;-)

Note that @Michael Arens is right that even with a compelling message, it is harder now then in years past. Owners are less likely to move generally, and any sign of distress results in them getting a lot of mail, making it hard to stand out.

As far as changing your message, it is less about keywords, and more about creating interest. Clickbait works because it puts a question in your mind that makes you feel compelled to click and get the answer. Same thing is true with your card - much better to put a compelling question in their mind that will get them to call, then to tell them everything such that they have no reason to.

Hope that helps! 

Recorders do not abstract much information from the document. Often just grantor (seller, borrower...) grantee (buyer, lender...) date, document number and document type. All of the other fields (criteria) that a service like listsource offers are abstracted (manually entered by a person looking at the document). That is a difficult and time consuming process, and just a small part of the value us list providers offer. In addition to abstraction we also match the property to assessor records, parcel maps, demographics data, etc. Bottom line, you could never duplicate the service listsource offers for yourself for anywhere near the cost of just using the service. Vendors can do it because we spread the costs among thousands of customers. 

Hi @Emma Bennett, when you say you are getting no conversions / no "bites", do you mean you are not getting any calls, or that you are getting calls, but they aren't turning into deals?

Typically when we talk about a "conversion" we mean when it converts from a lead (someone who has called) to a transaction.

Either way the issue is likely not the data. More often then not it is the message.

If you aren't getting calls, then your direct mail piece probably isn't enticing them to call you. On this front think clickbait - the goal isn't to tell them about you, its about raising their curiosity enough to reach out, allowing you to start a conversation.

If you are getting calls, and truly not converting them, then your pitch isn't compelling enough. This might be related to not picking the right list, your not having realistic expectations, your not having a compelling pitch, or some combination thereof.

Don't assume, for example, that just because someone is an "absentee owner" they'll sell you their house for 30% below market value just because you sent them a "I buy houses" letter/postcard.

Bottom line, there is a lot more to it then the list. And no matter the list, if you have a compelling and realistic message and offer you'll do deals. :-)

Thanks @Joe Yobaccio!!! Unfortunately I learned the hard way that there are no "secret" lists, or "perfect" messages. This, like pretty much all businesses, rewards those who put in the work, are methodical, and have realistic expectations. :-)

Hi @Briana Dunne - Ah, I see now that is difficult in listsource, I'm used to explaining this approach for our product and thought listsource could do the same. That said you can get pretty close using the parcel id range search under geography. For example I found the parcel number I was interested in "106-090-007", then added the "range" 106-090-00" - which yielded 5 properties. Unfortunately it did not work at all with the full parcel number. :-(  Five is more than I need, but not terribly expensive. Make sure when you purchase the list to add the optional fields I mentioned above, and any others you think mail yield clues to how the county classifies triplexes in your area. Hope that helps. Sean.