Finding off market properties.
Waiting around for an MLS listing of a perfect home that will meet every single one of your wants and needs might take a long time. In fact, that perfect moment may never even exist.
Of course watching MLS listings like a hawk is one of the major components of the job description of a realtor. So we are on it…
But there is a difference between being reactive and proactive.
We have to be both to be good agents for you. Reactive by browsing the MLS data daily, having saved searches, and automatic email notification systems for any criteria that we put into the parameters. But something that makes a difference between a good agent, and a great agent, is when a proactive approach is taken as well.
Here are the ways we can be proactive to find properties for our clients, and I’m talking off market properties baby. The crème de la crème of property listings.
Number one—We network with agents. And need to be calculated about it. Of course the more agents that we know the better, and it’s good and healthy to network with everyone for a variety of perspectives. When our time is limited, precious, and valuable, it’s important that we network with select agents who you think could actually have a listing in the area in which one of our clients are looking for. And one of the best ways to do this is to make a list of all the agents that have sold a home similar to what one of our clients is looking for, and where they are looking for it. We can email, text, and call all of those agents to express our clients wants and needs to see if they have anything coming onto the market soon that their clients would be willing to show prior to going onto the MLS. Which brokerages are prominent in the area? We can also reach out to the director of agent services or team leader to see if they would be willing to share ideas of which agents within their firm might be of interest to us. Because after all, selling properties is of interest to everyone in the brokerage and all of the staff as well.
Number two—Search Zillow and Craigslist for “For Sale by Owner” listings. These listings are normally not listed on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) (however they can be if they hire someone to make a limited service listing for them). Then we call all of these owners to learn more about their homes if they at first review online seem to be a good match for our clients.
Number three—Check expired data. And what I am referring to is; expired listings. And when this expired data is for properties that meet our clients wants and needs, perfect! When someone hires an agent to help them sell their home, they have a listing agreement with that owner. And all agreements have an expiration date. Have you ever pondered what happens when the contract expires? Well automatically it then shows up in the MLS as an “expired listing”, and that means that the owner is no longer represented by that agent. I have a way to find phone numbers, and can call each property owner to see if they are still interested in selling.
Number four—Take a cruise through the top neighborhoods our clients are looking in, and when we see a house that could really fit the bill, contact the owner directly or write them a handwritten note explaining how we have a client looking in their area and their home might just be perfect for them. We are always honest when saying that we need to see their house and gather more details before saying for sure, but ask for the opportunity to learn more.
Numba five—Generate a list of phone numbers for homeowners in areas in which our clients are searching in, and start calling them! Yes, cold-calling might scare people. Not only because of the fear of being called a bozo and being hung up on (the more people you call the more interesting things that you hear.. HA), but because one might worry about bothering people since they don’t liked to be cold called either. Well I take a very polite, simple, and engaging approach to this, and I have had a lot of success calling homeowners and investors. It’s all about the follow up and offering ourselves as value.
These are my top 5 ways for finding off market properties. And I love doing it! If you are considering purchasing a home in the next year, it’s important to have this process started sooner rather than later, because this form of prospecting can take time and a lot of detailed care.
And I do have to say, it’s fun, rewarding, and sooo helpful for our clients successfully accomplishing their goals!
We have to be proactive, but still cannot forget about the reactive strategies as well. They go hand in hand.
I am just one phone call away, one email away, or one text away. And no matter when you want to buy or sell, I would love to be a resource for you.
Thank you for reading this article!
Happy Home Hunting!
-Josie Johnson
Keller Williams Realty Integrity Edina
612-845-6229
This article was written by Josie Johnson and AI was not used in the writing process.