How to Get FSBO Listings
- 1). Locate FSBOs in your target area by looking through classifieds ads and notices posted on public billboards in grocery and/or convenience stores. Pay attention to any such signs along neighborhood streets. For more leads, subscribe to a FSBO lead service. Attend an open house for a FSBO home, and follow up with a "thank you" note to the owner that includes information about homes you've recently sold in the neighborhood. Record all FSBOs you locate, and include any actions you've taken such as calling them or sending out direct mail advertising such as a postcard. Note any response(s) you've received.
- 2). Make contact with the home's owner. A phone conversation can yield the fastest results; however, the Federal Trade Commission has strong guidelines on solicitation calls, so learn first whether the owner has joined the "do not call" registry. If a phone call is out of the question, there are other ways to make contact. It's always easiest to "break the ice" when someone introduces you. Ask your LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter contacts whether any of them knows the owner. If the owner has listed an email address, send a quick note. To reduce the chances that your email will be deleted, offer an incentive such as a free report on tips on selling a home or a free list of resources to help the owner sell the home.
- 3). Follow up with interested owners. If you have promised to help an owner sell a home, deliver on your promise by checking in regularly. Every communication between you and the owner should be focused on him, not you. Don't forget about those owners who were not interested when you made initial contact. After a few fruitless months, they may be frustrated and may be willing to sign with you.