Sunday 20 March 2011

Get Motivated Sellers to Call You by Sunil Tulsiani

The best way to get great money making properties is to have the people who need to sell their properties very quickly for whatever reason, i.e.  job change, divorce, multiple closings etc. Most of the time they want a quick closing and keep it confidential.
  
In order for motivated seller to call you, you will need to advertise in your local newspapers such as, Toronto Star, Mississauga News, Globe etc. Here are some time tested ads:

"Sell your house as-is, within 7 days"
"A free report reveals how to sell your house in five days."
"Discover how you can sell your house in the next seven days."
"Would you like a sold house in the next 72 hours?"
"Divorced? Job loss? Need to sell your house quickly? Call now…
"I can buy your house now for cash."
"I buy houses for cash"

Remember, most people do not want to sell their house for Below Market value. They want top dollar. You are looking for people who, for whatever reasons, have gotten into a situation that forces them to sell quickly. I have personally met people who have either lost their job and waited for a long time, hoping their problems will go away. When the bank is about to foreclose on their house, they become very motivated, at least to save their credit (and ego).

Remember, finding motivated seller who is willing to discount their property is  hard but when you do - it could mean $30,000, $40,000 or even more in your pocket.

Real Estate Lead Generation by Sunil Tulsiani

Lead generation is one of the hottest topics in the real estate industry, and with good reason. Leads are the first step in the business relationship. So without them, you have no business.

But real estate lead generation is also one of the most confusing topics for new real estate agents (and even some of the veterans). In fact, ever since I have been involved with real estate marketing, one of the most frequent questions I get is: "How do I generate real estate leads?"

  
  
  
Re-think Traditional Lead Generation Methods

My goal is to change the way you think about lead generation. Back in the "old days," purchasing real estate leads was a popular strategy. And while a lot of agents still use this approach to real estate lead generation, it is by far NOT the most effective way to go about it.

Think about it for a moment. When you purchase real estate leads, you are basically buying the names and phone numbers of people who (A) don't know you, (B) haven't asked to be contacted by you, and (C) could very well have an agent by the time you contact them.

In other words, you will be cold-calling strangers, in an age when cold calls are dying out. This is not the best way to approach real estate lead.

Website Lead Generation - Make People Want to Contact You!

One of the best things you can do to generate real estate leads is to make people actually want to contact. Think about the difference in mindset here. In the previous scenario of cold calling, you are contacting strangers who don't know anything about you. And because we live in an age of skepticism, they will have a level of distrust right from the start.

But instead of contacting strangers to introduce yourself, what if they contacted you and introduced themselves? For one thing, they would be much more inclined to listen to what you have to say. They would be more trusting and receptive as well. In other words, you would have a much easier time building a business relationship with them. Now that's the way to go about real estate lead generation!

How to Generate a Response

Sure, having people call or email you is the ideal scenario for lead generation. But how do you go about it? How do you motivate people to initiate that critical first contact? Well, there are several things you need to do. Here's a summary:

1. Be Visible

Obviously, people cannot contact you if they don't know you exist. This is where your business visibility comes into play. Online visibility is a big part of this, which is why search engine optimization is such a hot topic among real estate agents. The more visible you are online, the more likely people will be to find you.

You can also increase your business visibility by publishing articles in your local newspaper, publishing articles and press releases online, being active in your community, conducting free seminars, and other aspects of PR. Visibility and awareness are the first steps to generating real estate leads.

2. Be Valuable

The agents who are most successful with real estate lead generation are those who understand the concept of "perceived value." When a person perceives something as being valuable, they naturally want that thing. In real estate terms, this perceived value comes from many elements:

A real estate agent with unique knowledge of a certain niche ... or one who offers access to the best listings ... or one who has a proven (and illustrated) track record of client success ... or one who streamlines the process by networking with mortgage folks ...

These are all ways a real estate agent can increase his or her perceived value, which is the value your audience perceives you to have.

You can also create an item with a high perceived value, and you can in turn use this perception of value to generate leads. Let's examine the concept of "free reports" as an example. Many agents use this approach to real estate lead generation, but they botch the strategy because the report in question does not have a high enough perceived value -- not by a long shot.

A report entitled "Top Ten Home-Buying Tips" does not have a strong perceived value and therefore will not generate many leads. Why? Because (A) it is generic, (B) it does not identify closely enough with the target audience, and (C) it's information that you can find anywhere. It is not exclusive "must read" information. It will not motivate the average reader.

So how do you increase the value of such a report? Easy. You make it a "must read" document. Instead of basic home buying tips, why not boost the value and put people under pressure to read the piece? Why not promote something like this: "Which Happytown Schools Are the Best? Exclusive Report Tells All."

This kind of document would have a much better chance of motivating people and generating leads. It would be easy to tie into real estate, too, so most of your leads would be qualified ones. You could create an even better "hot button" report with a little imagination and knowledge about your community.

To take this approach even further, you can add a visual element. Have a graphic designer create an eye-catching cover for your report, along with some thumbnail-sized versions to put on your website says.

3. Be Trustworthy

People don't trust strangers. I talked about that already. So if you cold call people as a stranger, you already face an uphill climb in terms of real estate lead generation. The key, then, is to inspire trust among your target audience. This will help you overcome the natural skepticism people have and make them more likely to contact you.

How do you generate trust? Testimonials help, especially when you use the former client's full name, photo, and neighborhood. A long track record helps too, as do professional certifications and sales awards (just be sure to tie these back to the success and satisfaction of your former clients.

You can also generate trust by sharing your expertise with people. Real estate blogging is a great example of this. If you publish a real estate blog over a long period of time, and people find that blog online (through search engines or otherwise), they will feel as if they already know you a little. If you publish quality content, people will realize that (A) you know your market, (B) you are active in that market, and (C) you obviously like to help people. Suddenly, you're not such a stranger ... you're a perfect candidate to be their real estate agent.

Lead Generation Success

Being visible, valuable and trustworthy will make your real estate lead generation efforts pay off in the long run. Is all this effort worthwhile? Well, let me ask you this. What would it be worth if you never had to call or email a stranger again? That's a goal worth striving for, isn't it? That's the kind of thing that can happen when you change the way you think about lead generation.

(What Are You Waiting For!!)

Benefits of Joining a Real Estate Investment Club by Sunil Tulsiani

Everywhere you look there are many real estate investment clubs to choose from.  Keep in mind that real estate investment clubs are different from real estate investment trusts or REITs. You can use the Internet to find local clubs and resources, or join an online club.

In order to get a feel for investing, its good to associate yourself with like minded people. Think about what you want from a club before joining. Support, information and motivation are very good common goals. But they’re certainly not the only reasons to join. You should identify the real purpose of any real estate investment club you consider joining.
Attend a few meetings before you pay dues. Ask questions about the group’s founders and their motives for setting up the club. Did they want to invest and learn together, or did they want to sell their products? You should find out who the members are and what they do. Think about whether what they offer matches your goals. Some more questions to ask would be: -Is the club set up for education as well as networking? -Will people making sales pitches for books, seminars or services hammer me? -Does the club focus on the kind of real estate I’m interested in? -How many serious investors belong to the club? Are they more experienced than I am, or are they mostly newbies?

You’re likely to learn more from experienced investors. Investing in real estate is a big step to take alone. Sometimes club members form partnerships. A partnership might actually help you feel safer about your investment, or it might let you purchase more property than you could alone. One real estate investor estimates that 95 percent of people who attend club meetings never invest, or give up after one or two tries. It can be daunting to discover the amount of work ahead of you. But a club can keep you from facing that work alone, so join one today!

Ways to Obtain Funding for Real Estate Investing by Sunil Tulsiani

USING BUSINESS OR CORPORATE CASH CREDIT

As a real estate investor or business owner Sunil Tulsiani notes that you may have been using your personal credit profile and credit cards for many ventures. Credit card companies, however, have become more stringent in the use of your credit cards. Sunil Tulsiani recalls that you may have experienced increases in your interest rate or a reduction in your credit line. Instead of using your personal credit and personal credit cards, Sunil Tulsiani explains that you can raise money for your real estate projects or working capital by establishing and building excellent business and corporate credit up to $200,000 and more in a short period of time, without hiring an expensive consulting service. Sunil Tulsiani believes that real estate investors should be using a business entity such as an LLC or corporation for their investment activity instead of a sole proprietorship and having business credit is one of them.
  
Business owners, such as Sunil Tulsiani, understand that the biggest advantage of having business credit is saving money. With no personal guarantees and regardless of what your personal credit looks like, your good business credit score will lower your interest rate on all types of borrowing for business services including:

-Business credit cards
-Lines of credit
-Real estate
-Vehicles
-Office equipment
-Business loans and leases
-Many more types of business financing

USING PRIVATE LENDERS

One of the easiest ways to raise money — without credit, a job, and NO PERSONAL GUARANTEES, namely, to get funding from regular people, not banks, and you’ll get it faster, easier and without limits as to how much you can borrower. Just think what you could do with that kind of borrowing power!

Using this strategy of private lenders gives you the ability to raise an unlimited amount of money quickly, into the millions. Why would regular people want to loan you money? Because they are looking for a better return on their money than what their Certificate of Deposits are paying or other very low interest rate investments, and they have the security of the real estate you are buying.

USING SOCIAL LENDING

Across the world social lending is being utilized as an alternative to traditional bank and personal loans, according to Sunil Tulsiani. Social lending sites connect individual lenders and borrowers through a peer-to- peer network that is streamlined, efficient, legally formatted, profitable, and most importantly, helpful. Social lending sites provide an opportunity to reduce loan rates and loan costs for borrowers and provide a rate of return for lenders which may beat investment alternatives.

What it takes to be a Real Estate Agent/Investor by Sunil Tulsiani

It takes a certain breed to become a real estate agent, or a real estate investor for that matter. Sunil Tulsiani points out that it's a profession that some people take pride in and are highly successful at, but it can also be a demoralizing and unrewarding one for others. Sunil Tulsiani explains that it has to mainly do with your determination.

  
  
  
Sunil Tulsiani notes that there really are no specific qualifications or experience required to become a realty agent, but there are some attributes that are essential if you're to make a decent living from it over a long period of time.
In every town, city, or country you go to, there is real estate. In the city you'll have more contact opportunities, meaning more chances for listings and sales. Sunil Tulsiani has learned that the city also has it cons. The competition is a rife and spreading your name, let alone your company in such a large area, can be a big challenge. Sunil Tulsiani has found that this market is more cut-throat and possibly requires a sales person with comprehensive client canvassing strategies and is, by nature, is determined and competitive.

Sunil Tulsiani recognizes that working in smaller towns and suburbs is a different kettle of fish. This market typically offers a slightly more relaxed approach but with that comes less potential clients. A friendly and well-respected real estate agent is required in these areas. You must be able to adapt to an area where everyone knows everyone. It's much easier to build a reputation but don’t forget that it's just as easy to ruin it. Sunil Tulsiani wants you to keep in mind that the key thing to remember is that word spreads quickly in small towns. Being able to build and maintain relationships is crucial.

There are some attributes that are fundamental, no matter which area of real estate market you're based. Being able to sell basically yourself with confidence is very imperative and so is being able to sell a product with passion. Sunil Tulsiani goes on to explain that you must have a warm personality with excellent communication skills, but the most important attribute to have is being able to sell something without coming across as "just another sales person". When clients realize that their real estate agent is actually sincere and honest and has their best intentions at heart, the more likely they are to buy from them. Based on what Sunil Tulsiani has experienced, there's simply no room for pushiness, arrogance or a lack of patience in the real estate game.

Don’t forget that there's also a lot of sacrifice involved. By no means is it a 9am - 5pm job. Realty agents are mostly on 100% commission so there really isn’t room for complacency. Sunil Tulsiani recalls that potential buyers are busy at work during the day so the only option to gather work is through evening contact. There's also the requirement to run open homes on weekends. This can generally be particularly frustrating, especially if the relevant home is gathering little interest. The most important thing is keeping your confidence level high, as well as your positivity for a certain outcome.
People are lured to real estate because of the quick buck it promises. But don't hold your breath; you won't get rich quick. An "overnight sensation" usually takes about five years. Sunil Tulsiani informs that, unfortunately, more than ninety percent of the people who take a real estate seminar quit after three months.

Real estate investing should be treated with the seriousness of a career. It takes months, sometimes even years for a business to cultivate customers and have a life of its own. Sunil Tulsiani elaborates that you need to treat it like any other business.

How to Find Good Property to Invest in by Sunil Tulsiani

When you are considering purchasing a property for real estate investing, Sunil Tulsiani points out that you’ll want to remember that there are generally two ways to make money on the property you purchased. One, for instance, is from capital appreciation. Sunil Tulsiani explains that this is where the value of the property increases, and the other is from renting your property out. However, how do you know whether a property is a good investment or not? Sunil Tulsiani has provided the following information to help you with this question.  

Obviously, one of the most important factors in determining whether a property is a good investment or not, is to consider the price of the property. Sunil Tulsiani recalls that if after you’ve made the initial down payment and your mortgage payment is over and above what you can rent the property out for, you’ll find that to be a poor investment. Sunil Tulsiani explains that one of the most important factors is determining whether or not the property will bring in a positive monthly cash flow for you.

Sunil Tulsiani adds that the location of the investment property is also an important factor. Regardless of whether or not you purchase a rental property well below its market value, if you can’t find tenants for the property, it won’t matter. Make sure you choose a property in a location where there is a demand for housing. Sunil Tulsiani has learned that researching the market can save you the hassle of a poor choice in real estate investing. Also, you’ll want to make sure the property you choose will appeal to the masses. Sunil Tulsiani notes that just because you like the uniqueness of a house, doesn’t mean someone else will and you may have trouble renting or selling when the time comes.

If the investment property you are considering is a fixer-upper, you may want to bring a contractor with you to determine the cost for repairs as well as renovations. Sunil Tulsiani informs that you’ll want to figure this into the cost of the property and if it will not yield you a return on your money, whether you plan to sell or rent, you are taking the risk that it may be a very poor investment.

Whether you plan to flip houses or rent them out, real estate can be a very profitable business for yourself. While determining whether or not a property will make a good investment or not can be difficult, the important thing to remember is to always do your research. Sunil Tulsiani finds it important that you find out the rental history on the property, the demand for housing in that particular area, and any other pertinent information you can find on the investment. Any research you do will help you to choose properties that will be beneficial to your real estate investing.