I agree with Michael, I do the same thing when I rent a house. I always have callers drive by and call me back to set up a time when they want to look inside…weeds out a LOT of potential no-shows.
Another idea is the open-house type showing. Schedule multiple showing for the same time or tell people to show up in a certain time frame, like 10-noon on a Saturday. I started using this for rental houses and it really saves my time. I might have 12 people say they will show up to look in a two-hour period and that usually nets me 4 people actually showing up. Imagine if I would have set up 12 seperate showings…I would have been stood up 8 times!
I just wanted to share a quick lesson that I learned this month. I bought my first MH just about 3 weeks ago, and was so exited I went and placed my ad without following Lonnie’s model 100%. It is a 1984 2/1 and I stated as such in my ad…I also did not state a price. here is basically how the ad looked:
1984 Champion SW, 2 bd 1 ba, EXC cond. quiet park. All appliances WILL
FINANCE!
Mike 704-307-5881
Well…I got about 3 calls the first day and then over the next 2 weeks, got a total of maybe about 7 calls. I was a bit discouraged. I almost had it sold to the first person I showed it to but she backed out. Anyway…after the ad expired, I re-read the selling section of DOW and got some good advice on the MH chatroom and frm Ryan and ran a new ad that started just this last Tuesday…and it reads like this:
2 Bd MH in grt cond. All appl. $9K. WILL FINANCE or will
discount for cash. 704-307-5881.
Notice that I left out the year and number of bathrooms. So far since the ad came out, I have received at least 4-5 calls per day on the ad. Had 2 showings last night and I have 4 separate parties scheduled to come out this evening all at the same time…as Lonnie suggests…create some competition. 2 of those people have stated that they are cash buyers.
So, anyway…I just wanted to share that with the newbies out there like myself, wording ads seems to be an art in and of itself. Oh yeah, I am also using craigslist and getting a decent response from that ad as well…I even placed ads in the
rental’ section of craigslist with a headline that states Stop Renting - Start Owning
OK…enough for now…I am confident in getting this one sold soon, so wish me luck!
Re: All in how you word your ads… - Posted by JeffB (MI)
Posted by JeffB (MI) on November 10, 2006 at 17:35:51:
I’ve had similar experiences with different wording, and different results. The only thing I’ve learned for sure, is that what works today might not be the best ad to run tomorrow, and vice versa. It’s a constant effort to fine tune the ads, continuing to adjust as necessary to get the highest volume of calls from people who actually WANT to buy.
Of course, after some time in the business you rarely need to run ads, which is not only a cost savings, but time savings too. When my phone rings, it’s usually someone who either REALLY needs to buy or REALLY needs to sell. And I like it much better this way.
I hear that Jeff! I hope to get to that point soon.
I have some more showings today from some promising prospects. Had 2 no-shows last night and 2 others at least had the courtesy to call me and let me know they were unable to make it. That is another thing I am working on is to help cut down the no-shows at my showings.
Just another lesson in the Lonnie University curriculum!
Posted by Dr. B.(OH) on November 11, 2006 at 13:24:40:
I live 40 or minutes away from my MoHos. Other than crawling under a MoHo, the thing I hate most are no-shows. Maybe, in fact, they are the worst. At least when you crawl under a MoHo, you know why your there.
For $12 apiece on the internet, I put lock boxes on my homes. So far, I haven’t had any problems other than the occasional door-not-shut-all-the way or combo not reset to zero. I just want to keep the kids out. Their only desire is to cause demise to others’ property. Ask me how I know
Posted by Greg (CA) on November 12, 2006 at 21:28:38:
Here is an idea I got from the self storage industry.
Find a ten letter word that has no repeating characters, like VOLKSWAGEN. The number one=V, two=O, three=L,… zero=N. Let’s say the combination is 2468, write O-K-W-G and your phone number on the lock box. Instruct the prospect to phone you after they get to the home and you can walk them though opening process. Remember this works best with the Master type of lock box.
A huge added benefit, you know who and when they showed!
Thanks for the reply Steve…I have actually been kicking the idea of lock boxes around…just not ready to do that on my first deal. the last thing I need now is the extra worry of someone I dont know going in to the home without me being there.
Once I gain a little more confidence in this I will most likely go that route because, I have already made 3 wasted trips out to the MH with no-shows! And my time is just too short and valuable right now.
At least on my first couple, I am willing to put in the extra hours of showing to get my feet wet.
The guy that showed up today really wants the place but I am not comfortable with him and I know he wont pass the park application…however, I have another cash buyer who is very interested, has already seen it from the outside and talked to the PM and wanted to see it today but had car troubles. should be showing it to her tomorrow or Monday. Would be nice to have a cash buyer for my first deal eh? …and yes, I know…cash buyers are flakey…already had one back out on me…but I can hope right?
Posted by Steve-WA on November 12, 2006 at 21:37:37:
I use a consistent coding key for all my lockboxes: the year and the space number, so the MH in space #80 that I just bought and have for sale has a code of 0680
easy for my workers and managers to remember consistently, from house to house, and I just dont tell prospective buyers WHY I picked those 4 numbers, just what the 4 numbers are.
Posted by Steve-WA on November 11, 2006 at 16:15:11:
“the last thing I need now is the extra worry of someone I dont know going in to the home without me being there.”
Well, then, that’s why you prescreen them over the telephone. Get to know them, ask the pertinent will-the-PM-approve-them questions, tell them not to set up a meth lab in there, and to lock up when they’re done.
I’ve been using lockboxes (tell people “keybox” - it makes more sense) for years, after about the first two no-shows.
Highly recommend it, but find a box that is almost idiot-proof: you wont enjoy giving verbal instructions over the phone. Check this out:
I have since softened my stance on the Master’s, just gotta keep the little metal clip in there - this mook always lost it, because I thought it was to hold the key; turns out its actually a spring to automatically open the box.
Posted by Luke-MN on November 11, 2006 at 15:28:23:
I would add this to the lock box idea. I have the interested parties call me after they look at the home so “I know it is locked back up”. I also keep park applications in the home. I would say about 80% do call me after they look at it and then I can assess their interest if they want to pursue the home.
yeah, I agree with you Steve regarding prescreening them…I am still just now learning how to do that. Learning how to ask thge right questions and such. Once I get that down, then I think I will definitely go with the ‘keybox’ thing. That makes a lot of sense. I am already sick of the no-shows…no time for that. Thanks for the advise.
Posted by Michael(KCMO) on November 11, 2006 at 15:59:54:
Also, have them drive by to look at it from the outside BEFORE you agree to meet and show them the inside. This way you know they’re seriously interested and didn’t rule it out as soon as they drove up, even if they did show.
