Wrapping Up Homes With a Big Shiny Bow

The Vision’s Gettting Harder to See

It seems there are more people than ever sitting on the sidelines waiting for someone to give them a signal that it really is okay to buy real estate again. Some are waiting for the basic economic impossibility of the market improving without buyers purchasing the inventory. Some are content to wait until prices go “lower” even when they have no clear concept of how low is low enough.

Many expect the bottom to be so designated with large signs like you see on the side of the freeway – “Welcome to the Bottom, Enjoy the Ride Back Up” – even though history tells us that we won’t know that we reached bottom until it’s already past us.

Some buyers absolutely aren’t motivated. Others are unaware that they might be motivated if only the right stimulus – the right property – was placed before them.

And that’s where I come in.

It’s Time to Decide

Over the past week or so, I’ve been sending blast e-mails to accumulated lists of buyers (one such list is 60-odd deep at the moment) with information on bank owned homes in the areas where they’re looking.

Not “pardon me but if it’s not too much trouble would you like me to send you some listings of some bank owned homes that you don’t really need to look at if you don’t have time and it’s okay because I’ll be sitting here waiting in case you need me.”

Rather, I’m being as direct as possible, almost daring the folks not to e-mail me for more information. “There is a home in (name the area) with the lowest list price we’ve seen in five years.” And a few days after that, “there’s another bank owned home that on a per-square foot basis is less expensive than the other.”

Each e-mail has brought a half-dozen responses from a largely silent group. And in those responses are the nuggets I’ve been trying to unearth … motivation, actual needs (as contrasted with the property I sent), real timelines for purchase … honesty.

Managing Your Time

There’s only so much time you can devote to the non-motivated. Set them up for automated listings and let them look at the pretty pictures for as long as they want. But remember always that they’re just looking at homes and not really buying them, at least not yet.

Find a way to uncover the truly motivated (since, like the bottom, they don’t usually come with large signs attached telling you who they are) and you’ll keep your business moving forward.

Give them the homes with a big shiny bow on top. Dare them not to open it to see what’s inside.

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Topics: Real Estate