March 2020 – REIA of Oakland

How to market deals without large adcertising budgets?

The two most important skills that real estate wholesalers can have are sourcing great deals on properties for sale and finding solid buyers for their purchase contracts. In order to maximize the number of potential buyers you reach, it’s therefore crucial to know how to advertise contracts for sale in an efficient way (without running into any legal issues).

Wholesaling itself is legal, but keep in mind when marketing your deals that selling someone else’s property without a license is not permitted in many states. You should always make it clear in all marketing materials that you are selling a purchase contract, not the home itself, otherwise you could run into legal issues. If you’re unsure, talk to a specialist real estate lawyer to make sure you are doing everything above-board.

With that in mind, here are some of the best ways to market wholesale deals to potential buyers without the need for a large advertizsing budget:

Networking Events

One of the best tools a wholesaler can have is a great network of potential sellers and buyers. When you have an extensive network, you open up greater possibilities for word-of-mouth advertizsing. Up to 50% of word-of-mouth referrals lead to a successful sale, which makes it the most powerful kind of marketing, and what’s more, it costs basically nothing.

Going to local networking events is a great way to meet people in your area who could one day become your customers, or help bring you potential leads. You can find networking events taking place in your city on Eventbrite.com or Meetup.com.

You could also consider joining industry-specific groups, like your local REIA, or a business club, such as Business Network International (BNI). Alternatively, there are also one-off real estate industry events which you could attend to find buyers and sellers in your area.

Linkedin

Linkedin has become an essential online marketing tool for sourcing leads and generating sales across a variety of industries. Its free version allows you to filter searches based on a person’s type of job, position, location, company size, and more, meaning you can target your marketing messages at potential buyers in your area.

Linkedin allows you to send a connection request with a message to those who fit your target customer profile. If you don’t have enough time to sift through hundreds of professional profiles and contact them individually, don’t worry – there are many tools, such as Scrab.in, which you can use to automate your marketing efforts through Linkedin.

Cold calls

You may think cold calling sounds fairly last century, but the truth is that cold calls are still an effective marketing technique – although less effective than referrals, cold calls still have a 2% successful closing rate.

If you’re nervous about the idea of calling up strangers, there are tools you can use to send potential customers a ringless voicemail instead, meaning you won’t have to speak to leads one-on-one until they call you back and express interest in the property. You can find contact details for your target market by using paid tools, like Skip Trace Lists.

Social Media

Social media is one of the best options for marketing wholesale deals, because it provides a huge potential reach and requires less time and effort than other forms of advertizsing. You can upload a description of the deal and pictures of the house to attract buyers, while also helping you build visibility for your company or personal brand. Having a dedicated Facebook, Instagram or other social media page to promote your wholesale deals will also make you easier to find for buyers searching for homes in your area.

In wholesale deals, communication is key when dealing with both the seller and the buyer, so always communicate clearly and honestly about the fact that you intend to market the property deal. When advertizsing deals, you should disclose the current state of the property, and provide an estimate on any necessary renovation costs, as well as the estimated property value after repairs.

Image Courtesy of Martine Savard

The kitchen and bath may entice your potential tenants, but offering a beautiful, inviting outdoor space can be the tipping point for a place they’ll want to call home. The cost of beautifying a property varies greatly depending on the scope of the job and materials used. Since your rental property is a source of income, any expense must justify itself with a return on its investment — resist the urge to over-decorate. If you’re working with a limited budget, there are inexpensive landscaping design concepts to make the area more attractive.

Declutter the yard

Costing you not much more than your time, this is one of the easiest and cheapest way to spruce up your yard. Merely pulling some weeds and removing any dead or overgrown vegetation can freshen up the yard’s look. This may be all you need, but if you decide some landscaping is in order, you’ll have a clean palette to work with.

Outdoor Lighting

On a warm, sunny summer’s day, the outdoor area may look fine, but after sunset, it may lose some its charm. To experience what your tenants will encounter while enjoying a starlit nightcap, stop by the property in the evening and see for yourself. Is it inviting and attractive or boring and unfriendly? Landscaping lighting fixtures not only bring a dramatic look to the yard, but they can also double as an added security measure. There are several options that can brighten a drab looking space. For the garden, spiked lights can illuminate boundaries and walking areas, while providing a pleasant accent. Depending on your budget, spiked lighting can be hard-wired, battery-operated or solar powered. Another inexpensive alternative is tiki lights or string lighting with a timer or photosensitive switch. Easy to install, they can be strung through trees, from eaves or over patios or decks to highlight the space while providing a warm glow.

Paving Stones

If the outdoor area is small and/or receives limited sunlight, trying to maintain a lush lawn will become an effort in futility. Installing stone pavers will eliminate any dry or muddy dirt patches, instead turning it into an appealing useable patio area. After properly leveling the pieces and filling in the cracks, you’ve got yourself a multi-season functional outdoor space.

Flower Boxes

Flowers brighten even the most boring spaces by adding color and vibrancy, but unless you want to spend your time gardening, they aren’t always the best choice for a DIY landlord. If you insist on flowers for the yard, but don’t want the maintenance headache, incorporate flower boxes into your design. They are cheaper and require much less work than traditional flower beds — virtually eliminating the need for weeding. You can use old care tires or recycled wood for rustic DIY feel. For a bit more pizzazz, paint the rubber or wood frames to add color to your outdoor space.

Ornamental Grasses and Evergreen Foliage

Perennial ornamental grasses are versatile and incredibly inexpensive as compared to other flowers, trees or shrubs. Ornamental grass is super low maintenance, while adding lots of color and texture. Evergreen vegetation, such as small trees, bushes or shrubs add a dynamic that most tenants will enjoy. They require very little maintenance while producing a warm, plush setting with just an occasional trimming. Though most grasses and evergreen plants will thrive from direct sunlight, most will do just fine in partial shade. Plant or pot them near the patio, along walkways or fence lines for privacy.

Disregarding the outdoors can cost you with fewer walk-throughs and potentially excellent renters. Even if your property is a drab, concrete jungle, there are inexpensive, low-maintenance landscaping ideas to add color and character to the yard. Potential tenants might love the kitchen, but if the outdoor space looks like an abandoned graveyard, many will consider alternative properties. Renters shop on emotion, so if the space makes them “feel good,” that might be all you need to snag yourself a long-term tenant.