newbie ?????
I am a newbie, very interested in getting started as a bird dogger in north florida/georgia area and I have a few questions that are coming to mind as I read these postings.
Does a birddogger need business cards?
if so what would a typical business card say?
I also wanted to know the best way to find investors.
Where would I get information on leads?
How could I gain access to an MLS?
if anyone can answer these questions I'd appreciate it.
Thanks in advance,
mdorn66
mdorn66,
If you're really interested in birddoggin, I suggest that you invest $50 in your education and buy John Locke's Birddogging ebook. You can find it here at TCI under the shop tab at the top of the page.
I'm sure that most of the info you'll need will be there, but to your questions:
1) Yes, you should have business cards with at least your contact info and what you do.
2) Investors and leads are found by advertising, networking, and plain old fashioned looking.
3) Find a hungry RE agent to get on the MLS. Agents need to make money too, so either offer them some yourself or get them in on the deals when they close.
Good luck
Roger
Hi Mdorn66,
Those are all great questions.
You should definitely have business cards, and as Roger indicated have your vital contact info including, name, phone, fax, e-mail and website. You may want to include a personal message such as “Finding Leads for Investors!”.
You can find Investors in classified ads, bandit signs, REI clubs and also at foreclosure sales.
Obviously gathering lead information will be essential to your success. You want to provide quality motivated seller leads to your Investors, which will save them time and money. Not only will you earn referral fees, but you will also gain valuable knowledge from your Investors.
Good luck.
[addsig]
Thanks, for the responses guy's. I am really anxious to get started. Do you think it would be wise to become an agent or would it be easier to find an agent and pay a flat fee for the MLS? Also, the reason why I am going the birddogger route is because I am very new to real estate and I don't have the capital to invest, but my credit score is a 650. Is this a wise decision or should I go another route?[ Edited by mdorn66 on Date 05/15/2003 ]
I don't think that you could ever go wrong by starting out birddogging, as long as you do it right. You'll need some serious investors lined up BEFORE you start scouting for deals. One of the best ways around here for finding the serious $$$$ investors is by going to the real estate auctions, estate auctions, and foreclosure sales. The people bidding are the ones that buy property with cash. No creative techniques, no confusing offers, and no BS. These aren't the "I Buy Houses" guys in the paper, though they can be a potential investor buyer as well.
I don't think that it is wise to become an agent if you want to be a RE investor. The are several topics in the forums concerning this, but in a nutshell, it's a hinderance more than a help. MLS listings won't really help much to a birddog. These cash investors will already have multiple agents who find properties for them as soon as they hit the books. The only possible source for you in the MLS is expired listings. These people may be motivated to sell.
Roger
Thanks again.So I guess my next question is what are the sources that birddogs use to find leads and how can a birddog be of any help to an investor when they can use an agent?Sorry about all the questions, I guess I need to invest in john locke's book and get my questions answered. I really appreciate the advice, I'm learning so much everyday.