Here is a good question that I received: How to best market to FSBO (For-Sale-By Owner) sellers 

Answer: One very good way to market to FSBO’s is to respond to their ads (online or paper) with a simple email (or voice message), asking if the property is still available.

The simpler your message the better. If you give them any “content” sellers tend to think they already know what
you have to offer and won’t call. So, I’d do something like: “Please call or email me if your home is still available.”

When they call or email you back you can send them a second email proposing a lease/option, or whatever it is that you’d like to offer.  Be descriptive when you introduce your solution, rather than throwing out a name for it that can easily be misunderstood or filled with pre-conceived notions.

In case you want to offer a lease/option or something similar, you could describe your solution like this: “Could I lease your home for a period of time before I buy it?”, or “could you wait to get your equity out for some time?”

I would plan on doing this yourself (”one-by-one” emails and phone calls) for a couple of weeks. Keep track of what emails work best, particularlty the 2nd emails (the onces you send when they first respond).

Once you see a pattern, you can set up an “autoresponder” email. That’s different from the 1shoppingcart autoresponder. I’m talking about a special email account that you configure so it sends out one message automatically.

So at that point you will send out a “teaser” email manually (and you can hand this over to your virtual assistant). When the seller responds by email they automatically get your second email response. (Yes, it will go out to sellers who respond by saying that their house is no longer available, but who cares…)

You can do the same with a 24-hr recorded message, rather than using your direct line for responses. – Always think “how can I automate this…”, even if it doesn’t seem worth it at first.

1. Can You Beat An Undefeated Team?

The Giants did. ”Every team is beatable, you never know,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. ”The right moment, the right time, every team is beatable.”

Like the Super Bowl, the game of real estate is war. It’s a game of mind, strategy and power. The team that’s on top of its game wins. Be like the Giants: Not just more listings – more SOLD listings. Not just more leads – more DEALS.

However, when one team looses focus because a sense of supremacy takes hold the game gets messed up.

What’s your goal in real estate? Get the highest price? Or sell as quickly as possible? Maybe both – sell as quickly as possible for the highest price? What’s your Super Bowl playbook? If you don’t know it you’re toast, that’s for sure. Is it for you to decide? Inexperienced real estate agents might blame bad strategy on the seller’s decision making power. Hey, coach, who is the expert here?

As you are reading every word of this article it is becoming clear to you: Buyer, seller, agent, investor alike – you are like the Giants in the Super Bowl. You can beat your opponent like the Giants. Even if they are yet undefeated.

2. The Giants Small Difference Between Winning and Loosing the Super Bowl

“We just hung in there on offense, kept executing,” said Giants Burress. “It came down to one play and we made it.”

Persistence is the nectar of every great Super Bowl victory and triumph. Super Bowl and Real Estate alike need persistent players who keep searching for the open pass, the complete play.

Persistence in real estate turns a lead into a deal. Keep meeting with sellers. Keep making offers. Keep looking for solutions and benefits you can bring to the play. And follow up like the Giants. That’s persistence.

The Giants upset the Patriots in the Super Bowl through persistence. Hang in there in your real estate deals. Keep executing, like the Super Bowl Giants, and make the one play when it comes down to it.

The difference between a real estate deal made and a real estate deal lost can be as small as one play in the Super Bowl. Let the Giants Super Bowl strategy motivate you to do whatever it takes, until you get your real estate deal.

3. The Loosing Perspective – It’s Not Just About Plays

“They played well,” Patriots Belichick said. “They made some plays. We made some plays. They just made a few more. We played as hard as we could. We just couldn’t make enough plays.”

Take for example closing a new real estate purchase loan. Tough lending environment is your oponent. What to do? Step one: Prepare. Be ruthless in qualifying your buyer. How often have I heard excuses and finger pointing at the oponents’ new strategy. That does not matter a bit! Take responsibility for your own actions.

“We played as hard as we could”, is ALWAYS a lame excuse when the looser says it. The real breakdown happened earlier – in the mind. Don’t take busy work for an excuse to not perform. Do the RIGHT things and with focus.

What does that mean in real estate? The buyer’s qualification has to be airtight. And that’s your responsibility if you’re looking to get a real estate transaction closed. A real estate transaction is like a Super Bowl play. If you complete enough plays you win. If you allow the Giants to complete the most plays don’t complain about tough real estate lending standards.

4. Team And Support Are Key To Get Your Mind Set

Giants Super Bowl star Eli Manning said: “I talked to Peyton and he said, ‘Go in there, have some fun, you can do it.’”

The Giants gave a perfect example in today’s Super Bowl. Direction, fun and encourragement are a powerful triple force. Light it up. Keep your fire burning. Like the Super Bowl Giants use it to do your real estate deals.

Get your mind set on success. How important is each of these steps in real estate. ‘Go in there’. Take action every day. Charge up on every lead. And: ‘Have some fun’. That makes all the difference. Beat the rut. The Super Bowl Giants beat the Patriots for their attitude, preparation and diligent execution.

‘You can do it’ – in real estate, too.

5. Like Celebrating Giants Super Bowl Victory

“It’s the greatest feeling in professional sports,” Burress said and burst into tears.

Appreciate your success like the Super Bowl Giants. Celebrate your victories. Celebrate each real estate sale. Party when the real estate loan has closed.

With all your busy work at hand it is easy to get distracted, even by the oponent. Keep score for the positive. Every Super Bowl play, every closed transaction is a small victory worth celebrating. Great inspiration comes from your own victories.

Inspiration also comes from watching the Giants Super Bowl upset. Are you ready to play your Super Bowl in real estate like the Giants? Let your inspiration start you today. “Go in there, have some fun, you can do it.”