So, I’ve been helping my brother get his feet wet in real estate investing and, as I’ve been working with him, it’s reminded me how simple this business really is.
We overcomplicate it sooo unnecessarily. :-/
Check this out…
So, my brother and I hopped on Craigslist and texted the contacts from For Rent ads. Just 3 easy questions:
- Is the house still available?
- Are you the owner?
- Would you be open to a rent-to-own or lease purchase?
And you know, we actually got a couple of text replies…
Just like that. Simple questions in a text message.
So that’s all well and good, right?
But here comes the part where you’d have to actually talk to the seller. That is on the most common tasks where people just freeze.
And I get it, I don’t like talking to sellers. I forced myself to learn how to do it, and then I hired VAs to do it for me later on.
But it’s part of this business and you have to learn it and you have to do it. There’s no way around it.
How do you learn?
- Practice talking to sellers… call them up and talk to them. Ask questions and send an offer.
- Role play with a fellow investor who understands the business.
Look, you DON’T have to know all the answers to seller questions or even use a script…
Just call them up and say:
“Hey, did I catch you at a bad time? Well, I’m interested in your house as
an investment property in the area, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about
it to see if it’s a house that I want to buy?”
So, phrasing it that way—with negative phrasing (Google it)—tells them (i) I’m an investor and (ii) I’m the one asking questions—they have to sell me on their house.
Here’s the thing, ads on Craigslist… these people are putting their contact info out there… they want you to call them because they want to sell their house.
So call them!
If they say ‘No,’ that’s okay… it happens. A lot!
Just send them an offer in the mail anyway and follow up with them later.
Always keep in mind, this is not complicated…
Just talk to sellers—5 a day.
Don’t have sellers yet? Practice role-playing. Maybe get a coach to do it with—perhaps, me… I love coaching.
I’m always working with students and clients about what NOT to say to sellers—what to say is the easy part. 🙂
Sales is a million-dollar skill. Practice talking to sellers. That’s it.
