DC Real Estate and Area Events: WWW.HOUSEHUNT.COM - HERE WE GO AGAIN -ANOTHER LEAD GENERATION SYSTEM

You are right to hate the lead generating companies.  We need to avoid the middleman and get out and find the leads ourselves.

Thanks for sharing!

Rob

Rob - Thanks for commenting. I really appreciate that. I agree with you 100%. Get out there and find the leads ourselves. Why pay money for something you have access to for free?

That is like me not liking the Signing Service companies that get me a bit of business.  I certainly do not like the cut they take, but it is also more money generated for me.  I would take it, but try to work on selling without their leads.  It is a bit of a catch 22, but whatever it takes to make the sale is more money in your pocket!

They just want your money!

Good post

Thanks for the heads up

Hi Lanre,

I agree with Rob's comment. I have tried a few a couples years back, big waste of money. Better to go out there give great service hey deserve, in turns you will get repeats and referrals. :)

Suzanne - I am glad to hear you say that. I used a lead generation company for a year and got nothing bad leads. I thought I was missing something new but I guess not. Thanks.

Armando -Thats all they want. Thanks for your comment.

Ronald - Do you use this service or you know someone who uses this service?

I can't say NO enough!  If they can generate leads, then so can we!  And for a lot less $$!

Jim and Maria - Its like these people just can't take no for an answer. Thank you both of your comment.

Yes indeed. If the RE industry will stop giving them money then they'll go away. Not only will we stop getting those annoying calls, but as an added benefit your website rank will start to creep up to fill the voids.

run forrest....run...these lead generating services stink.....i have had real estate.com, just listed.com....stink......don't do it.

Brandon - You are absolutely right. Instead of giving these lame companies money,we need to use that money and invest it in our business.

Konnie - I HATE WWW.REALESTATE.COM WITH PASSION. I am going at it right now with them. Those no good people trying to get some money off of me after I didn't renew my agreement with them. I am running far away from them.

Robert - I am going to have to check back with you in about six months. I can't spend no more money on advertising right now.

I would like to speak on behalf of the company in response to Lanre's post.  You are correct to find out about our services, especially when you have not heard about www.househunt.com.  We have remained consistent with our business model since 1995 and provide a complete system for real estate agents.  Beyond providing leads through our agents' exclusive community websites, we also give agents and brokers a free follow up system, continued customer service training and support, plus many marketing opportunities that promote the success of our clients.  Our agreements itself say it all: you can cancel AT ANY TIME if you are not satisfied with our service.  I am proud to say that the majority of our 2,000 agent members have been exclusive agents at HouseHunt for over 2 years, some since the beginning of our company.  If our service and our leads are so bad, I'm sure agents would have canceled their services with us.  The fact that they have kept their exclusive territories as part of their real estate business, speaks to our success.  Of course, I am speaking on behalf of www.househunt.com.  I encourage you to call any of our members nationwide and ask them personally how they feel about their exclusive community territories.  You may want to take a second look at HouseHunt.com and give your sales rep another chance.

I have never tried a lead generation company, but I have read several post on here and I even posted my own blog about the lead generation companies... and I can say that by a landslide that people say not to waste money on them.... you are better off spending the 200 or so a month on farming the area you know best and gaining leads that way.

 

I suggest reading The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller.  He provides a great system to start generating leads (I do not work for Keller Williams).

I have 4 House Hunt sites  and love them. My business is solely lead generated which then becomes repeat business. I sell anywhere from 3-5 houses a month with House Hunt alone. It has given me an additional income for sure. I couldn't imagine not having lead generation and I think it is where the new generation of Realtors is going.

 Hope this helps!

 Shane

Lanre ... our B2b services include lead generation and I've found that this is the "sizzle" that many agents are looking for.  But the TRUE VALUE in what we provide is good old fashion (and proven) personal promotion fundamentals.

Angelica - All I am saying is that if you are going to sell me something,why are you going to sell the same product to four other people? I have been receiving mixed reviews about www.househunt.com. For one success,there are probably more than five failures. Much success to you.

Nick - Thank you very much for your post. I am just really tired of just about all of these lead generation companies that claim to boost your business like 100% when in the process,you are robbing me right before my eyes. I am definitely going to read Gary Keller's book -Thank you. Great post.

Tony - You know www.realestate.com did the same thing with me. How dare they do something like that to you. Real Estate Lead generation are poisonous. I am not trying to bash anyone,I am speaking from experience and other real estate agents are telling me the same thing too. Thank you for your comments. Great post.

Shane - Congratulations Shane. I am beyond happy that it is working for you. Only if the success stories of real estate lead generation systems would be 90% good and 10% bad - It is the other way around. Also,it could be the market that you are in also that is playing a factor to your success. As we all know,every real estate market is not the same right now. and also,how long have you been using it? Great post.

Larry - Can you tell me more about B2b services?

 

Lanre - I have had my sites for about 4 maybe 5 years. I can say that the first six months or even up to a year may not have worked for me. I might have only sold 1 home. But instead of backing off and quiting, I decided to continue and keep trying to get territories and gain placement on the web. I was getting leads but not utilizing them well. I hit it big when I LEARNED HOW TO DO IT... I also have my wife calling the leads as soon as they come in, which i wasn't doing that first year and one half. So that is important to catch them while they are hot. You also have to be skillful on the phone, and know how to establish rapport quickly. If you are shy  or too aggressive on the phone calls to leads that come in, you won't be successful either. My wife created scripts which work to overcome hesitant buyers, without running them over like a train. 

Also, what is your definition of a good lead? One that buys this month, or in 6 months or in 2 years? Our favorite are this month, but we consider them all good leads... b/c we keep our pipeline filled for years.. and have sold 2 homes this month from leads that came in 2 years ago. And that money is just as exciting to earn, it is comforting in fact! It gives us faith to keep servicing clients long term, knowing they will call and be loyal when they are ready!

 Yes, I am in a good market right now, Nashville, TN and I know that has something to do with it. I also know that one of my sites might produce more leads than the other on a month to month basis. So if I had only one site then it might not be worth my while. But it is definitely a risk and I took it but hit the market when it was in its prime in 04 and 05 and it paid off big, and it continues to pay off big.

One more important thing, i know there are a lot of awful and deceptive lead generation companies out there, i listen to my fellow realtors, too. But do your own homework and call around, don't listen to salespeople alone, talk to the agents out there. One thing that keeps getting misquoted about househunt i have to set the record straight: they do NOT promise or guarantee ANY leads each month, and many will have wrong numbers; it is up to you to work what comes in, successfully to the table! But, they never, ever SHARE leads with other agents. I am truly the exclusive agent for my given territories. It seems other companies play that game, but not househunt, that i can assure you. I know all the other househunt agents in our market, and we never overlap.

I hope this helps! Shane and Susan

Lead generation companies are a marketing cost. Some like them, some think they cost too much. Haven't tried one yet as I am working to generate my own leads locally.

Any lead generation site that does not require money from you upfront, but only on the back end at closing is a good lead generation site to me.  I would say this site is a bust, but who knows.  Depends on your market and if your are influxing our outfluxing.  Influx is great through lead sites because it is generally a bunch of internet users who are unfamiliar with the area so the go to the lead generation sites.

The time it takes to read about the pay for lead systems is about the amount of time it would take to generate a lead by simply calling the people you know or talking to people face to face.

Pick up Bill Nasby's scripts for converting people face to face.

 

Best of the season,

Frank D'Angelo Broker/SRS

EXIT Realty Executives

www.CareersWithEXIT.info

Gary - I think you should continue to try and generate leads on your own. The same people's information that is online are the same ones that these so called lead generation systems sell to us. Great post.

Shane - You said it. You are in a good market. Plus,you purchased it like 5 or 6 years ago when the real estate market was much better condition than it is now. Again,I am glad that it is working for you. Just stay away from www.realestate.com. Great post.

Rob - Problem is that a lot of people ( A lot of them who are not ready,willing and able buyers )go these sites to register only to give bogus information. And these lead generation companies sell just about anything that they can get their hands on and tney know it. Common sense would tell them that they need to screen their leads very thoroughly before they sell it to real estate agents. They know that. But they dont care because all they care about is ripping people off. Great post.

Frank -Thanks. I am definitely going to check it out. Great post.

Your better off with a cup of coffee at 9 am....sitting at your desk and open the white pages. Start will letter A and make sure you have a dial tone. I promise you will generate more leads that way (although I have never done it) than to subscribe to a service like this. Your first lead may be from John Wayne or something. :)

Lanre - I'm a househunt agent, just down the road from Shane.  I talked to Shane before I bought my first territory in January of 2006.  I was skeptical too.  I initially had two territories right outside of Nashville and then in January of 2007 I cancelled one territory and now I only have one.  I went to one territory because my territory (Mount Juliet, TN) supplies me with plenty of leads and I close those leads.  I've tried other lead generation services too and I personally am a big fan of househunt.  Like Shane said, you've got to work the leads.  I call the leads immediately and I have talked to people while they were still on the site because I called so quickly.  What most agents do not realize about internet leads is that 9 times of 10 they are a long-range buyer, 6-12+ months or more.  So if you are looking for immediate closings and satisfaction, internet leads in general may not be for you.  Househunt has been great for me.  They will have to pry my territory out of my cold dead hands.  It works if you work it. 

Robert - I wouldn't mind a lead from a celebrity. At least I know that this is a good possibility that they are going to close the deal and not back out. Great post.

Rhonda - You are right. Most leads from the lead generation are like 6-12+months lead. I have a boat load of those. Now I need to implement my marketing to get good solid leads. Also,the real estate market plays a key role also in the leads. I am Maryland/Washington,DC. You are Tennesse. I am definitely happy that it is working for you.

I WAS THE MOST CYNICAL PERSON YOU WOULD MEET WHEN YOU MENTION LEAD GENERATOR SYSTEMS  I CANT BELIEVE ANY SYSTEM WOULD WORK ......I LOOKED AT ABOUT 5 SYSTEMS ALL CAME UP SHORT .

I HAVE USED A LEAD GENERATOR SYSTEM FOR OVER ONE YEAR AND I HAVE TO SAY THE RESULTS  SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

34% OF MY OFFICE CLOSINGS CAN DIRECTLY BE ATTRIBUTED TO THIS SYSTEM ,  WE DO ON AVERAGE 24 CLOSINGS A MONTH WITH 58 AGENTS ALL 12 AGENTS WHO ARE ON THIS SYSTEM AFTER 90 DAYS PULL IN 2 CLOSING MINUMIM FOR IN OUR MARKET WHICH  EQUATES TO ABOUT $3500 EACH CLOSING ,I CHARGE THE AGENTS TO BE ON IT $200 A MONTH SO FOR A $600 INVESTAMENT FOR 90 DAYS THE WORST CASE I HAVE IS ONE CLOSING BUT COMMISSION WAS $3400

IN FLORIDA MY OFFICE IS IN TOP TOP 10 EVERY MONTH ,

IN OUR LOCAL MLS OUT OF 360 OFFICES WE ARE FOR 2007 #7 FOR SOLD ,THE MOST UNBELEIVABLE THING IS THREE OF THE TOP SIX ARE OTHER MLS BOARDS ,THE OTHER THREE HAVE TWICE ARE AGENT COUNT...............

THIS SYSTEM IS NOT FOR ALL AGENTS THEY MUST CALL THE LEAD BACK WITHIN 4 HOURS EACH AGENT IN THE SYSTEM GETS BETWEEN 20 AND 35 LEADS A MONTH THESES ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING IN 60 DAYS +, I HAVE 12 AGENTS ON IT NOW I WONT PUT MORE ON IT AS I USE THE DEAD MENS SHOES CONCEPT ONE GETS OFF ,ONE GETS ON ,,

HEY WHAT CAN I SAY EMAIL ME FOR COMPLETE DETAILS AND I WILL SEND YOU A LINK

SEE YOU ALL AT NEXT CONVENTION !!!!!!!! 

Lanre,

Buying referrals online works...But, you have to make sure you do your homework and work with a company that is serious about making sure YOU succeed and not just focused on their own bottom line.

Thought you'd like to see a really interesting video from a fellow real estate agent, Amanda King from Century 21 in Bramptom, Ontario. She just grossed over $5 MILLION dollars in sales thanks to Real Estate Client Referrals - a unique real estate referral agency (not to be confused with lead generation - the two are as different as night and day!)

I should also add that Amanda was named as Century 21's International Realtor of the Year - a HIGHLY prestigous honor.  In fact, she gets nearly 40% of her business from us.   Where would you be if you knew you could get business like that - just by working with Internet referrals? It's amazing how the internet has transformed the real estate industry.  To view the video, go to realestateclientreferrals.com/home15.php and if you want to see more testimonials like this one, go to realestateclientreferrals.com/news.  Call me if you want additional details -- 800-977-7058

Hmmm, notice Wayne up there with his pom-poms for the lead generation system. Does it have a name? Those are great numbers & I'm skeptical like Lanre? Drop us a name to check out won't you??

Don't have a scarcity mindset on this do you? Looking forward to hearing from Wayne.

Lyn, I am also waiting to hear if Wayne replies.

My only experience was with a fsbo lead generation company. They emailed leads daily to me the only problem was they did not seem to realize the geography of Canada. they would email me leads 2 provinces over from where I work my market. That is about 20-25 hours drive time. They finally started to get the picture and at least emailed me listings in the same province but nowhere near where my market is, Finally we decided to part companies and it was amicable. They just did not have it for our market.

We have an agent using House Hunt in our office.   I was offered the same "territory" after the agent in my office had already started using it.  That is the biggest problem that I see, the fact that the territories are not exclusive like they say they are.

In my experience with Househunt.com, the territories are exclusive.  What you probably ran into is the fact that there are several reps selling territories.  If you would have elected to go forward with that territory, when it came time to set up our site, they would have informed you that the territory had already been taken.  You would have had to choose another territory because they are exclusive.  I had the same thing happen when I first started with Househunt.  It's first come, first served and what's available today may not be available tomorow. 

Lanre,

I would suggest rather than dismiss potential opportunities at the outset that you create a complete marketing plan based on the things that have worked for you in your market in the past.  Focus the majority of your efforts on these items.  In the 2.0 world of the new real estate I suggest that you be proactive and select a hand full of potential companies and then complete a serious due diligence analysis on select lead generating companies.  Select one of these companies with discretionary dollars not targeted to your 2008 marketing plan and incorporate this company into your business plan.

I have earned more than $26,000 in incremental 2007 commissions from 2 lead generating companies one of which is HouseHunt.com.  I researched them for six months and talked to about 25 agents before I committed to them.  The worst case scenario for me with HouseHunt was that I earned no business and I would have been out about $650.  Just a cost of doing business.

 As it turned out, I have spent (invested?) about $9,000 in lead generating companies this year and earned $26,000 in INCREMENTAL commissions from the sites.  For every dollar I invest I earn an almost $3 return on the investment.  Any CFO would tell me to ramp up my investment with that type of return. This is a small part of my business and I can tell you that I would not have earned the $26,000 without the two lead generating companies. I have three closings scheduled in the first sixty days of 2008 from these leads and I have a huge pipeline of prospects that will generate at least 20 sales in 2008.  If I did a better job with the leads I'm sure I could convert more of them and that is not the fault of HouseHunt.com or anybody else.

 I can't tell you how close I came to dropping another lead generating company and just as I was about to drop them the first lead "popped."  The another and another.  I can't help but think how close I came to quitting right before it worked.  If you try a company stay with it and react FAST to any lead that comes in.

Best wishes for a prosperous 2008.

Tim

My comment is for Tim....

Smart man!  Companies like ours only work if you yourself are willing to let them work.  This takes two things: Time and Diligence.  It takes time to get these buyers to go...and it takes the diligence of the agent to stay with it for the long haul, work with these clients, and eventually you will reap a reward.  Good job, Tim!  I just wish I had you on my network...sounds like you know exactly how to do this. 

This is a great blog.   Lead generation is the name of the game.  Some like to pay for leads from companies and others do quite well generating their own leads.

Our real estate market is hard in 2007 so when i say this lead generation system is the best i have looked into i am not pulling any crap on anybody ,anyone who knows me know i dont look for the easy way out ,my 58 agents would kill me if i got rid of it ..

i have on it for over a year ,Scott Forbes Regional owner can attasee to my office success,email me i will forward or look it up on www.exitrealty.com

company i use is realty generator email me i will send my exit Memo's accounts for yourself or call me i will talk you through it

its not for everybody if your agent is lazy or i will get to them later person it wont work

i give you my 14 agents phone # you can ask them

 

Wayne,    What do you think will happen to that company now that HouseValues bought them out?  I was curious about your thoughts on that...

I  SPOKE TO "REALTY GENERATOR"LAST WEEK WHO SAID THIS BUY OUT IS GOOD FOR THEM AND US AS A END USER BECAUSE IT FREES UP MANAGEMENT  TO MARKET THEIR PRODUCT AND DEVELOP A MARKETING STRATEGY ,THE OLD MANAGEMENT STAYS ON WITH HIS TEAM ,I REALLY THINK THIS IS A GOOD MOVE .IT SOUNDS LIKE "REALTY GENERATOR"WILL BE TREATED LIKE CHINA TREATS HONG KONG ,WE ALL WHO OWNS IT BUT DAY TO DAY RUNNING WILL BE BY TOM AND HIS TEAM ,I LOOK  FORWARD TO MONITOR "REALTY GENERATOR" AND REPORT

ANYBODY WANTS MORE INFO CALL ME 773 528 9222 THANKS

SORRY MISSED MY CELL #772-5289222

I am surprized at the number of blog comments that are suggesting that non-web leads are still the viable area for concentrating time and effort.  There is surely enough evidence that the buyers are going to the internet before they even tell their best friend about a potential move.  If you believe the statistics about buyers using the internet, I only see two choices.  You can create a website on your own that generates leads using a template site or a webmaster.  Or you can use a lead generation company like www.househunt.com to provide the leads.

I have had my househunt site, www.the-woodlands-real-estate.com since July of 2004.  The additional income I have gotten from the site has transformed my business.  Internet buyers can be a fantastic way to obtain out-of-state buyers.  I will pay househunt all day long before I aill pay the Relo companies a large percentage of my commission for out-of-state buyers.

Make a choice!  If you prefer to market traditionally and avoid web-generated leads, I suspect the buyers will eventually stop showing up at your door.  Think about the data and how it impacts your business and plan accordingly.

Kathi,

Thank you for your comments!!!  I couldnt agree with you more.  Maybe we can do some business together.  You should call me and we can talk about getting some additional referrals your way. 

Lanre,

I have had Househunt for 5 years, and in the first year, it paid for the  next 3! Househunt will not overlap territories, ever! They have a sales staff that probably doesn't check the area as well as they could and don't realize when they are calling that the area is not available. They have a wonderful support staff and training system. I use the email drip system that they provide and get calls from leads I didn't even know I had. You must call the leads immediately. Most are long term, but I've had many many leads that bought right away. I can't say enough good things about househunt. Money well spent! Friends from my office have had other lead generating companies that they would cuss on a daily basis, so I understand your fears. There are many many useless lead generating companies, but househunt is not one of them. Good luck!

Lanre--

I have been using a couple of internet lead generation services for the past 8 months and I have mixed reviews.

I believe that the inherent value of the system varies from agent-to-agent.  Without a doubt, it takes a certain type of agent to excel at building, maintaining, and growing an internet business component.  It is a very different type of customer and business model from that which originates from a referral or a direct phone call.

Despite these differences, I believe that it is a component of the business which every agent should pay more attention to a buyers and sellers become more internet-oriented.  Even if internet lead generation services do not represent a viable long-term alternative for your business, I believe that many of the auxillary services offered provide clues as to how to structure, maintain, and grow your business -- both on and outside of the internet.

 

my opinion: you are your own lead generation company. take the money you would spend on that and put it to better use. 

Well, all I can say to the people bashing lead generation companies is this. It wasn't too long ago that MLS went to the Internet instead of a book which most people probably never experienced, including myself. But how many of you go to the Internet to research common things like; stocks, banking on-line, email, etc... These buyers do the same thing and are much more knowledgeable about the areas they are researching and most of the time have narrowed down their search to only a few homes. For me I have used 3 lead generation companies since 2003 and do spend a lot of money a year for them. They pay for themselves in one sale. I have written 5 contracts in the last 6 days and all were from lead generation companies. My average time in the car with these buyers was less than 3 hours, meaning not much overhead and out of pocket expenses. In todays market when I hear everyone is slow, I am so busy I have to hand out business. It is amazing that some people will bash a company without even trying it first hand. Shame on you or maybe I should say thank you because it is more money for us agents that do use lead generation companies. I happen to have finished in the top 30 agents in my company in the region the 4th largest real estate firm in the nation and most of that success is because of lead generation.

Shane - I am glad that it is working for you - Bravo. But for every agent that is successful with a lead generation system,there are 1,000 more who would beat the living crap out of them. They all dont work. As you know,every real estate market is different. And why do you have to use three lead generation companies. Why not just use one?

Lanre,

I appreciate your input. I am not going to sit here and have an argument about what works for who. I think anyone at anytime can make anything work if they want too. I have 3 companies because I have a team of agents that I refer business out too. I would buy more if they were more in the remote areas that I work. But I only can service middle Tennessee. I am the exclusive agent for each territory. I am trying to help agents like yourself find a way to generate more business because it has obviously worked for me and many other agents. But agents like yourself want to sit on a computer and write about how bad it is, instead of trying to find a way to make the systems work for you. I have been busy writing contracts this week or I would have responded sooner. I wish you and every other agent that has time to bash companies that you probably haven't even tried the best of luck in 2008.

Sincerely,

Shane

My suggestion is this: I would get on Househunt.com, and call several agents that currently use their system. I have been using Househunt for almost 4 years, and have had tremendous success with their company. I have many friends that have tried other lead generating companies that have not been successful. Unfortunately for all of us, there are many more lead generating companies that simply just take our money, ,than companies that work. In my opinion, I'm sure the area has something to do with it, and the company plays a large part as well. I do know that Househunt does NOT share the leads. Only one agent can have each territory. I have had several agents call me through the years to ask how my experience has been. You'll never know unless you call. Then, base your decision on what you hear. Househunt has a great training program and their support staff is always wonderful!  I average 5 to 6 leads per day, some bad, some good. Overall, it is well worth the money I spend each month and gladly pay it! Good luck, whichever way you decide to go!

I am not spending time bashing people Mr.Shane. Again,I am very happy that it is working for you. And I am not here to fight anybody -ITS NOT MY STYLE AND IT WILL NEVER BE MY STYLE. Again,every real estate market is different. So before you try to accuse me of bashing a company,ask real estate agents in Maryland,Virginia and Washington,DC if they use lead generation companies? And if they do,is it working for them? Real Estate Market in Tennesse is not the same as Maryland,Washington,DC and Virginia? And how do you know that the leads are only being sent to you? I had the same leads sent to me twice? What do you call that? But thanks for your input Shane,I really appreciate it. I might give them a try one day who knows considering the great things you had to say about them. Continue success to you. Keep in touch.

Elizabeth - I called real estate agents last time when I first used www.realestate.com and they told me it is good. But I got nothing but horrible leads. Once the real estate market gets better,I might consider using a real estate lead generation company. Thanks for your input.

Lanre,

I agree with you that lead generating companies aren't for everyone. I'm quite sure the area and market conditions play a large role in the quality of leads. Shane and I have both had a wonderful experience, but I do know it is not for everyone. I feel very lucky to have snatched my territory when I did, with a great company. I certainly would not do lead generating if it isn't something you are comfortable with. Most internet leads expect a call immediately, and if they don't hear from you, they are off to the next web site. It is a substantial commitment,  both monetarily and time wise. Internet leads can also take some time to get on paper, due to relocation, etc. I have experienced it all with my leads....quick closings, and working with clients for several months before they were ready to move forward. Overall, it has been great for me.  That's the wonderful thing about our business, so many choices for all of us, and we all conduct our business in a different manner, each with success. There really is no right or wrong way to get leads, just what works best for us individually! If we all work hard, and stay focused, we will surely be a success! Best of luck to you, and I hope your market turns around for you soon! Hang in there!

Elizabeth Cooper

Elizabeth - Thank you very,very much for your very kind and encouraging words. Continue success to you. Take care.

It's all about results and tracking them.  If the programs produce results they should be worth the money.  I think my biggest concern is long term contracts that these companies usually require.  I've looked into Justlisted.com and they want me to do a 12 month contract which i'm very skeptical about doing.  I would be ok with a 3 month trial and if the leads are legit I obviously would continue to use them.  Hopefully I can find a place to make my money work for me.

Greg,

When I joined Househunt.com they did give me a trial period before signing the contract. I would hope any legitimate company that truly can supply some sort of "good" leads would be willing to do so. I had a wonderful response during my trial, or I obviously wouldn't have signed the contract. If they believe in their product, I would certainly think they would be willing to offer that. I would ask. All they can do is say no! Good luck if you decide to go that way.

Thanks for the info on house hunt.  All the comments were worth it alone.  Have a great day 

Greg-None are these leads are legit and that is a big problem for me. The same leads that they are giving you,20 other real estate professionals are receiving them. They are nothing but crooks. We need to just start generating our own leads so we can put these companies out of business. They are the middleman that are cutting into our money.Thanks for your comments.   

Elizabeth - Hi Elizabeth. That was my biggest mistake in using lead generating companies. I didn't do a free trial since the company was offering one. Thanks for making that point. Thanks for your comments.

Russ-Anytime Russ. Do you thinking of using Househunt? I would highly recommend you not to use it. Thanks for your comments.

 

Lanre,

We all learn from our mistakes...We all work differently, and what works for one, doesn't work for another! Geographical areas could play a part in how to best generate leads as well, I would think. I would hit your sphere of influence to get started if I were you. I do monthly mail outs and if you'd like some ideas of what I send, I'll be more than happy to share! I have a listing interview this week from my mailouts last month. Hang in there. Spring is around the corner so maybe we'll all get busy busy busy soon!

Elizabeth - Thanks Elizabeth. I would definitely appreciate it if you let me know what you do for mail outs. I did postcards but I didn't have much success with it. However, I didn't do it for so long. I learned it takes over 12 months for you to get at least one lead. I haven't been doing door knocking but I am going to go back to do that this week. Thanks again for your comments. Great post.

Lanre,

I am sending out monthly mailers to my subdivision, and to another lower priced subdivision.  My subdivision has about 140 homes and the other close to 250. My first mailer was an introduction letter, with a CMA of 2007 of the subdivisions. My next mailer was a 3 year appreciation chart, with a link to my web page showing all of the solds in 2004-2007. My March mailer will be absorption rates for our area, total, then broken down to our school zones. If you'd like a copy of the letters I have sent to give you an idea of what I"m doing, I'll be happy to send them to your email!  It costs about $200 a month for postage, but am starting bulk mailing this month. That should save me a little, and every little bit helps, doesn't it? I have some decent ideas for mailers that I will be more than happy to share with you.

Elizabeth -Please e-mail them to me Elizabeth. I am always open to more ideas. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

RUN...don't walk when it comes to "lead generation" companies.  The reply from a member of the company in question was - if this service was so bad, then why were the agents not leaving?  Simple, that 6 month or 12 month contract that they had to sign that entitles your company to HALF of the remaining money due your company should the poor sucker (I mean agent) realize what has happened to him/her and wanted to cancel your contract.  This is just another variation of the HouseValues.com scheme where they try and get you on the hook for a very poor service and then make money on the back end by actually CHARGING you for the privilege to LEAVE.  Need more info??  Just log on to www.ripoffreport.com and look up Housevalues.com or anyother service that's been around for at least six months.  Or even easier - just Goole.com the name of the company and complaints or scam or fraud - you'll know really quick if this might be a bad idea.

Just my 25 cents worth.

Jason Messer

 

Lanre, lead generation systems are probably good for someone just getting in the business. I would not sign up wit hthem because they do sell their leads over and over again.

Lanre,Thank you for starting this discussion. The points that are made are very helpful.

Jason- Thank you for sharing ripoff.com- This is very interesting information

My principles stand in the way.  IF I can't create enough goodwill, friendships and networking to produce clients on my "own", then I need to get out of the business.  My principle is that I'm NOT going to pay a computer geek (no offense) part of my hard earned real estate commission when all he did was more or less trick someone into giving him their name, number and email address and then I bust it from there.

If I'm going to give away 20% or whatever it costs to a robot company I would just as soon stand on the street corner with a sign saying "20% CASH BACK UNDER THE CLOSING TABLE TO MY BUYERS"

 

  I should add my name to the victims list of Housevalues.com. I got ripped off in my newbie year of  2005. The market was supposed to be "HOT" even for new agents. I didn't get 1 good lead. Yes, I did know how to service. I only received 5 leads all year. They were bogus!That has left a bad taste in my mouth for lead generating companies. BUT, I may try another one IF I hear good things about the company. I did have househunt give me a call, I told them after my last experience of lead generating companies it would be good to take me off their list permanently. This is a great post for info on the subject.

Yeah these companies compete with you for leads in your area then sell them back to you. I wouldn't spend money there, I would spend it on my own site to get the same leads and others.

Jason - Only if I knew about this website when I signed up for www.realestate.com. One of the dumb mistakes that I made my first year as a real estate agent. Thanks for your comments.

Mike - New or Seasoned pro real estate agents,I wouldn't recommend them to anyone. They suck.  Thanks for your comments.

Barbara- You are very welcome. Thank you very much for your comments.

David -I agree with you 100%. Me paying some dumb computer for leads can be a way of saying I dont want to work hard for my leads. That is not a good sign. Thank you for your comments.

Windy-Sorry about that Windy. Dont feel bad,I gave over $3000 to www.realestate.com only to close 0 Deals. Frustrating,but you that's life. You learn from your mistakes. Thank you for your comments.

Ross-I am only spending money now on promoting my business. Thanks for your comments.

This is a very informative thread, and I'm very interested to see that agents that are using househunt are piping up with their experiences.  I'm actually pretty curious about the system now and want to investigate it to see what they charge.  

I'm also very thankful for the warning against realestate.com!!! 

Angela- I dont like lead generation companies at all. I think they suck. They need to stay out of our business and let us real estate professional do our jobs. Thanks for your comments. Great post.

I've read most of the posts here and I'm a past user of lead generation.  My problem is with the entire concept and not the company.  If real estate agents allow a non-real estate practionier to do the computer guru work to get the leads and then sell them to the real estate agent, then your feeding and supporting these organizations.  To me it's only a matter of principle.  HOW do these "Lead Generation" companies get these leads to begin with?  Has anyone ever thought about the nuts and bolts?  They create websites for FREE Mortgage Information, FREE Neighborhood Information, etc. and when those people "sign in" for this free info, the Real Estate agent gets a "lead".

If real estate agents did their OWN websites for valuable web content then WE'D be the one's getting all the leads....THEN if they wanted property outside of your area...why not REFER that lead to an Activerain member associate and get a fee FROM a Realtor. 

Like I say....I have nothing against any lead generation company...only the Concept of sharing a commission with a NON Realtor.  By non Realtor I'm talking about a person that actually has a Lockbox Key and actually Shows Houses.  These companies are pimping us. 

I've had great success with lead generation netting 18k in commission from the leads alone last year.  It's half the business I do.  With 80%+ of people beginning their home search on the internet, it's nice to be able to get in front of these curious consumers at the inception of their decision to begin investigating real estate.  Then when they are ready to by, they've been receiving drip e-mail from you the whole time and you're just an e-mail away.

 

Most of the leads are total rubbish, but the ones that translated have been great customers that I really enjoyed working with.  Most of the customers were cash buyers too, oddly enough.  My first sale was from a lead generator and it was a 450k house (which is an "expensive" home here in Gainesville).  I can see the point David is trying to make.  I guess the $$$ is speaking louder to me than reason though...I gotta eat! 

David - I agree with you 100%. When you think of it,that's what they are doing. They create a free website,people sign up to receive free information and that free information they get,they sell it to us. I need to do that -Seriously. I just cant build a website. But it is a great though. And you are right,it is the entire concept but the companies play a part also. Thanks for your comments.

Angela -I am glad that you got something out of it. Me,I didnt get nothing out of mine. But every Real Estate Market is not the same. Thanks for your comments.

For those who are actually using House Hunt: How much does it cost?  Or Lanre - Did the rep you spoke with actually tell you how much it costs?

Angela-I couldn't remember how much it cost? I think it was like $300 a month. But I am dont know anyone who is using it. Thanks for your comments.

good post, very enlightening for us new agents.  gives me a second thought on lead generation programs, i have been getting alot of calls from them, and they make it sound all exclusive and hard to pass up.

 

Frank Bailey

Frank - That's how they got me. But it was my first year in Real Estate and I wanted something to jump start my career by buying leads- BIGGEST EVER MADE IN REAL ESTATE. I will never do that again If we stop paying these middle men who are cutting into our profits,they will not be in business. They sell you the same leads that they have sold or going to sell to five other real estate agents. Thanks for your comments.

Interesting... I have the problem of international agents putting my listings on their site... as they want British Virgin Islands listings and then demanding money if they generate a lead. They take my listing from my web site. Since my website www.islandrealestatebvi.com has a very high search engine presence I turn these companies down. The companies who want me to pay for it, I tell them I do not want to compete with them to stay at the top of the British Virgin Islands real estate rankings on the search engines. This usually ends the conversation. Pam

Pam-  They want you to pay them because they generated a lead off of your listing? I just dont get some people. Have a great weekend.

Lanre,

I actually talked to a rep the other day.  what they tell you at the end of the conversation is that to initially start you have to pay $995 for set up fees!

Lanre...YOU HAVE ONE POWERFUL POST HERE!  And you're right...WE have to start producing our own web leads.

Here's my PLAN that I will put up a Post when it's all finished.

1) I am going to buy about 4 domains for key subdivisions in my area that I plan to work
2) I will re-direct those domain names to my website
3) I will mail a Postcard to every resident of the subdivision, inviting them to "sign up" via email for Updates I make to the page for any New Listings or New Sales, etc.  This should eventually establish me as the "expert" for that subdivision and produce leads for buyers and sellers PLUS I'll be the only one that has email addresses specific to a neighborhood

HERE is the "Working Webpage" I have NOT PUBLISHED to the public yet.  I'm looking to make sure I have all the content in there that needs to be before making it Live and sending the postcards.

Any comments / suggestions, please anyone let me know.  This might be just the angle WE need to start doing to create our OWN WEB LEADS FREE !  PS:  All the data is real and I know of some changes that need to be worked on.

http://www.networkrealestatear.com/PageManager/default.aspx/PageID=2097066

Frank- They talk like $995 is $9.95. If that is the case,why are you charging me? Just give it to me for free. Thanks for your comments.

David- Love the idea sir-Great marketing plan. I might do that myself. I am definitely going to change my website because my website has never generated any leads for me unless I put an ad in the newspaper or on Craigslist. But please let me know how your new plan goes once you start it. Thanks for your comments.

I know what you mean.  $995 is a lot of money, especially when you new to the game!

Thanks Frank. But the way,how is the SEO Optimization going? I got to contact you later to get the number for the guy and talk to him. Grea post.

work in progress but I'm happy with it so far

Wow Lanre...quite a wide track here with responses and success ratios. What it comes down to is some have succes...and some don't. As someone mentioned above, it is a marketing cost...and of course the objective is not to spend a buck to make a buck, but spend one to make 100! I did like the fact you mentioned to stay away from RealEstate.com...but only for selfish reasons. I am going to close $100 million + in from my company this year. Yep, my company is RealEstate.com, REALTORS.

RealEstate.com -You said spend a buck to make a $100. Actually with www.realestate.com its more like take real estate agents thousands of dollars and give them zero in return.

Lanre,

I have looked into it and the large initial payment is keeping me from trying.....I know 3 Agent's in my office who have used....2 still do 1 does not.....of the 2 still using, 1 has done great (11 deals in 18 months) and the other started in February and has 2 Buyer's he is working with.....

I too agree a crap shoot and better to farm and do my daily calls to create my base and grow my business.

Dan- I am glad it is working for them. But as we all know,every real estate market is different. But like you said,I am going to cold call people about listings in their area in the price range of 150-200k to hopefully get them excited and farm my subdivisions. I hear it is going to take at least 7 mailers for someone to recognize you. So thats what I am going to do. Thanks for your comments.

Well, it looks like almost everything that can be said has already been said.  But I will put my two cents worth in anyway.  I believe the best leads are the referrals you get from past clients.  I spend my money keeping in close contact with my past clients, meeting them for coffee, lunch or dinner.  They refer their friends to me and the cycle continues.  I do use Propertyminder for my website and after 9 months, am finally starting to get a little action.  I prefer referrals who know who I am.  I would never spend money to get leads.  I prefer spending my marketing dollars promoting my business through real people not mere names.

Gayle - I am going to change my website but I am exploring options. So far I am looking to go with www.pullan.com. However,I am going to check out www.propertyminder.com. I am always getting e-mails from them about classes that they have every month. My website has yet to generate a lead for me and I dont like that. I need a change. Thanks for your comments.

Lanre,

  What made you decide between these 2 over the point2 website?

Frank

Frank - I havent decided yet to be honest with you. But my Point 2 Agent website Frank just isn't working for me? And I have had it for over a year and a half. I should've gotten something by now. Even when I had the professional site,it just didn't generate any leads from me. Plus,I want a different layout and I want something that ranks high in the search engine.

www.pullan.com is said to be running a special this month ( They will waive the $495 ) and there is no CONTRACT- I like that. And propertyminder.com,I just always get e-mails from them and I like some of the agents website. But I like www.pullan.com a lot. Again,when I did a keyword search "Real Estate Lead generating websites or lead generating real estate websites,www.pullan.com was like number 4 first page on Google. Have a great weekend Frank. Great post.

Well I hear ya, I got a point2 site, and have had some hits on it, so I guess I"m staying put.  Keep me updated on what you decide.  I may jump aboard.

Frank - I will definintely let you know. More than likely I am going to go with www.pullan.com. And I am going to keep you posted on how effective the website is. Have a great weekend.

Thanks Lanre, I really appreciate all your help and advice.  It has definitely helped and continues to help me as a newbie in the real estate biz to start out on the right foot, and the right way.  You alright by me!

Frank

Frank- You are definitely alright with me sir. And thanks for your comments on my post "This is a good reason why some people dont like real estate agents.

I'm glad you posted this all the comments are great. Glad I won't wasting my time. Thanks Active Rainers

Andy-Thank you. I am glad you are not going to make a big mistake like I did about a year and a half ago. Waste of thousands of dollars. Thanks for your comments.

I was looking at pullan/e-prospecting too. Anybody have any feedback from using them?

Thank you all for your comments! That is why we like being part of Active Rain. We learn so much from each other's experiences.

I love reading all this lead generation stuff.  Question: what is the value of a lead to you?  Many would say a good lead is worth $5 - $30.  Is that true.  If you could generate 750 leads per month at a cost of a couple hundred bucks, would you know how to?  Either way, how could you put a price on 750 leads per month?  We've found SEO is the only way to go...give them just about everthing they want, and they will keep coming back to your site....

Great response!  I feel you're right about the SEO.  If the companies can get the leads on their site, then why can't you?  Your website is the key.  then if you get a lead that's not real, you didn't pay for it, you just move on to the next.

Wayne - I am going to sign up with pullan/e-prospecting this friday. They are waiving the setup fee of $495 and the first month is free. It is a special that they are running this month. Talk to Jonathan Patrick. He was very helpful in answering my questions.

Meli-I love being a part of Active Rain. So many great people here with great advice. Thanks for your comments.

Starfish-That's good. I wish you can get 750 good leads a month. But as you know,every real estate market is different. Thanks for your comments.

Frank-That's the thing Frank. We can get leads if we work them instead of paying someone to put us on first page of Google on for like four hours. Thanks for your comments.

Lanre,

 what about homes.com?  They called me today.....

Frank- They called me too. Matter of fact,they seem to call me at least once a week now. I will probably do it ONLY IF IT IS NOT A CONTRACT. However I am spending money on the new website that I told you about that I am getting through www.pullan.com. Homes.com rank high in search engines. But I will shop around Frank. The Real Estate Book is pretty good. In our area,there is a special that they are offering for $99 a month to do print and online. But I will have to do that for at least five straight months to get a sale. I know one sale will make up for it but my budget is tight right now. Maybe later. Land and Homes are TOOO EXPENSIVE so I wont do that. Great post.

I know what you mean; I got a problem with contracts (funny, isn't contracts part of OUR business, but we have a hard time committing!) LOL. There's just too many out there trying to lure you in, it's overwhelming. I'm not willing to "bite" any of them yet. Homes.com does rank high here in SA, but the 599 start up and the additional cost per months worries me.  My budget is lite.....   If after a couple of closings I may think about it.

Frank- You are absolutely right. We deal with contracts but why are we afraid to sign up for one? I feel a blog coming on. Anyway,I just signed up with www.pullan.com today. I will let you know if I am getting leads or not and if you should consider it. One of the reasons why I got it is because of the IDX. I think it means like everytime people fill out information on my website,it will automatically always e-mail them listings in their area that match their wants and needs. I might do the Real Estate Book in July or August if they still have the special. I will definitely keep you posted Frank.

Thanks Lanre.

Hey Frank. Just got my new website just two days ago. Too soon to tell you if it is working for me. But I do like what I see when people log onto my site. I will definitely keep you posted.

Lanre,  you going to share the website so we can give it some "hits" and check it out?  With us at AR, you'll get a ton of hits and that should give you a start.

Hi Lanre, I have to say that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE HOUSEHUNT.COM.  I get tons of leads from them every month and I think they are wonderful.  The amount of money I spend for each territory is minimal to the amount of deals I close.  I have tried most of the other lead generation companies and most of them are horrible.  I have been in real estate for 4 years and I have been with househunt.com for at least 3 years.  Our market is REALLY slow right now and if I didn't have the internet leads, I might be out of business, like many of the veteran agents here in town.

 

Kelly-Congratulations. I am very happy that it is working for you. I wish the other lead generation company that I wasted my money and time on worked but it didnt. Have a great weekend.

Lanre, how's things.  Did you ever try this househunt.com company?  How's your point2 site coming with the leads?

Frank- I never did try Househunt.com. Some people said that it worked for them. But for every success one,there are like over 1,000 bad stories with Househunt.com. I am going to advertise online at Washington Post since it has an account with Homescape. Everybody is spending money online to advertise now. But I still need some help as far as other websites to pay to advertise online.

Point2Agent website? Still not working. I guess I am going to have to get Mary Mcknight at Park Place1 to help me with my SEO. My other website that I got like three months ago has generated more leads than my Point 2 Agent that I have had for over two years now. Matter of fact,one of them who found me online,me and my colleagues are already working with the person. Great to hear from you Frank. If I find a good website that is worth investing money into,I will definitely let you know. How about your Point2Agent website? Is it working for you?

well actually I have been getting some hits on the point2 site since I went to the SEO guy I was telling you about.  In this economy most are just looking and not answering to follow up, but I have been busier.  It's all about telling everyone you know about the site and if you get any leads put them on a drip campaign (if you have the professional version).  I wish you well.  what's the other site you have that's getting the hits?

Frank- My other site that I am finding prospects that will hoping will turn into home buyers and sellers for me is www.buyandsellnewhomes.com. The web provider is www.pullan.com. Just about all of the leads that I am getting from my site also are just looking and not answering to follow up which is frustrating. But I am thinking of websites to advertise on. I have heard of www.cyberhomes.com but I dont know how good they are.

I know what you mean about calling and the leads don't answer.  I get that a lot as well.  It's like chasing a ghost!

Like with anything, you have to be consistent and get your message across.  One thing to think about...  How many unique visitors are you getting each week and how many pages are they looking at on your site.  if they are going on your site and only looking at a few pages, you do not have an effective website.  There is more to driving people to your site than SEO, you need your website on EVERYTHING and you need to direct people to your site.  I have a #1 expert site and it took me 5 months before I closed my first lead, now we close 3 to 5 of these leads per month.   As far as calling the leads back, NAR says that a buyer will choose a realtor within the first 14 days.  We call 3 times per day for 14 days before we put them on our drip that is from our Real Pro Systems website.

Lanre,How many unique visitors are you getting per week and how many pages are they looking at?  Where did they find your site, where did they come from?

I don't care much for the Point 2 sites but that is just my opinion.  What ever you use, take the time to build the site and keep it updated and fresh.

Frank-It is like chasing a ghost. Good to hear from you always.

Jeff- My new website www.buyandsellnewhomes.com is by www.pullian.com. It is much better than my Point2Agent website. I have always heard of Number 1 Expert. As far as calling the leads back,I agree with you. And that's why I need to continue to delete my database. I have a lot of people in my drip campaign that have been in my database for over a year and a half which is toooo long. Thanks for the advice.

 

Lanre, be sure that you want to delete that database.  I have closed buyers from 18 months of inactivity, but they were on my drip, when their time came, they bought from me and have now referred a fair amount of business to me.  Instead of delete, add to your database.  I just finished a success series class that lasted 8 weeks.  My goal was to add 50 people to my database everyweek and I really saw my business pick up more, and we continue that after the class is over.

Build that database and feed it every day.  What type of drip program do you put them on?  We use the 33 touch system for "mets" and an 8x8 and 12 direct for "not mets" until we meet them.  

Check out my site at www.knowpayneknowgain.com  we get 750 to 1000 unique visitors per week and close 3 to 5 buyers a month from it.  Our average page view is 12 pages for each visitor.   it does work, it takes alot of time to incubate the leads but in the end it is well worth the investment.  Our market really sucks here and even with that I should close in excess of 12 million this year.  Get a plan, work it and stick with it.

 

Jeff- Thank you very much for all of your advice and help. I really appreciate it. As I am preparing for 2009,I have been thinking of websites to advertise my services as a real estate professional. Do you advertise on other websites? And if so what websites are they? Any help would be appreciated.

Househunt does provide a valuable service for those agents that want to work the system the way it is intended.

Try this link Why List With The Payne Group  This is a list of some of the sites that we list on.  My assistant has a huge list of sites that she uses, we also have the Keller Williams Listing System that really blasts our listings out there.

Scott- I am definitely happy that Househunt is working for you. Its just that lead generation companies are not effective in every real estate market.

Jeff- I really appreciate it. I am definitely going to check it out. Have a great weekend.

Hey Lanre,

  What drip program are you using? 

Frank and Lanre, I have great luck with my Real Pro Systems drip.  It is NOT anything fancy, the emails are simple and to the point but they are effective.  Feel free to go to my site at www.panamacityhomesource.com and log on as a buyer.  You will automatically be put on the drip and you can see how the emails work.  I also use Top Producer for the action plans in addition to the drip from RPS. 

I have been with "REALTY GENERATOR" for 18 months and without it i would be out of business,this year my office of 50 agents has sold over 203 homes,condo's,land,this year my office is ranked #7 out of 360 offices in our county,in march we had 47 closings and 28 where from Realty Generator now out of 203 closing this year 118 is from RG over 50% that's unbelievable,

this RG is by far the only thing keeping me in business,is it for everyone no ,it takes a real agent who can work the lead into responding back in a timely fashion after 4 hours its gone!...we have a core of 8 agents who work it right and with the right return emails you will turn a warm client to a SMOKING CLIENT easy!!!!!!

I will be at the Exit Convention next week come see me and i will have our office ledger to show you how we do it ..its a office wide report.

Now "REALTY GENERATOR" has a special promotion where now the on the fence brokers and agents can get on board, its as follows

1...waiving the $1500 setup ...............................................................................................

2...waiving the $1500 system fee...................................

total saving of $4500

call Elliot Melement at 786-897-8723 he called me with the exclusive Exit deal if you cant get it up and running in 60 days Burger King is calling for you...Elliott was with Exit Florida selling Franchisees , and now is the sales rep for RG....

See you at the Convention email me any Questions on REALTY GENERATOR i will show you my stats

 

Frank- Right now I am not using no drip campaign. I am thinking of getting one with my website or constant contact. I just manually sent stuff to all of the people in my database all together one time through Point2Agent.

Jeff- Thanks Jeff. I am definitely going to check it out. Have a great one my friend.

Wayne-Thanks for the information Wayne. I am going to check it out hopefully this week. I am very happy to see that it is doing wonders for you. Have a great one.

Frank- Right now I am not using no drip campaign. I am thinking of getting one with my website or constant contact. I just manually sent stuff to all of the people in my database all together one time through Point2Agent.

Jeff- Thanks Jeff. I am definitely going to check it out. Have a great one my friend.

Wayne-Thanks for the information Wayne. I am going to check it out hopefully this week. I am very happy to see that it is doing wonders for you. Have a great one.

Lanre, Well right now I'm playing around with a couple of different options but if I run into one I like I will be sure to share it with you. Same, if you find one you like that's good and affordable.

Take care.

Frank- I might end up upgrading my website and get a drip campaign with them. Great to hear from you man.

My 2 cents. I think that asking for $1000 up front is beyong reasonable. I think paying for leads is reasonable, as it saves time. Asking other agents which companies work for them is a great way to find a good lead generator. I like Homegain.

Marcy MOyer Keller Williams Realty Palo Alto Ca.

My 2 cents. I think that asking for $1000 up front is beyong reasonable. I think paying for leads is reasonable, as it saves time. Asking other agents which companies work for them is a great way to find a good lead generator. I like Homegain.

Marcy MOyer Keller Williams Realty Palo Alto Ca.

i have not used a lead generation system yet as I thought the cost was high...The generator that Exit Realty uses sounds interesting - will have to check it out.

Marcy Moyer (Intero Real Estate)-Homegain is good in some markets but not all. Happy New Year to you.

Sonja Adams (Samson Realty, LLC)- There is one called Market Leader which is a company that brought Realty Generator and combined like Housevalues and Homegain. I am not interested. One I didn't get the one month or six month free trial like other many real estate agents here and two I dont think I will get very good home buyers and seller leads in Washington DC from it. Happy New Year to you.

I signed up with Househunt.com today.  I was very very very skeptical about internet lead services as I have heard really bad stories from agents getting burned.  I did a little bit of research and called 4 agents that use househunt.com not one of the agents had anything bad to say about the services.  I also looked at all of the agents that are in my area and most of them have been with househunt for over a year, so if they have been with the service for a long period of time they are having good success with the leads or they are independently wealthy and have money to blow! Internet leads are not for everyone as your going to get bad leads and good leads.  I have been looking at househunt for over a year now and finally decided to sign up because I saw the the same agents on househunt month after month after month.  I did have to pay $895 sign up fee and $595 a month for my area. I was also able to get the 2 first months for free, so my $895 pretty much paid for my two free months.  My rep told me that my area already this month has produced 100 leads and december it produced 150 leads, I think that number he told me is a little high but if the site only produces me 75 leads a month thats only $8 dollars a lead.  I'm sure about 35% of them will be bogus leads but its still a good cost per lead. I will update everyone on househunt in about 2 or 3 months to let you know if I'm having any luck with the leads. 

Please update me on www.househunt.com. For $895 that is pretty high. Hopefully you will get many leads from this. Much success to you.

Hi Lanre,

This is an absolutely GREAT and phenomenal blog.  I actually just heard about www.househunt.com only last night.  So, I decided to come on this site to see if anyone had did a blog on househunt.  Well, to my surprise, I found your blog with over 128 comments.  I FEEL LIKE I HAVE TAKEN A COURSE IN Lead Generating 101, 102, 103, 104, 201, et. al, and then received my certification because there is a wealth of insightful information here.

Now Lanre, since I AM in your marketplace, I want you to know that there are several agents just across the hall from you (KW) who are using www.househunt.com.  One person, in particular, is Emerick Peace.  He has bought several of the neighborhoods on www.househunt.com.  He has Largo, Kettering, and Clinton, MD.  I do not know about his success rate -- just thought that I would let you know that just in case you wanted a viewpoint that is in our local marketplace, perhaps you can talk to him, especially since he is just across the Hall from you.

As far as I am concerned, I have a lot of pondering to do.  What I can tell you is as I was perusing through my Target Neighborhood/Niche area in Washington, DC, I saw a for sale sign by another KW Agent.  Well, after I heard of the www.househunt.com on last night, when I went to this site, and then, went to my target neighborhood, GUESS WHO OWNED THAT NEIGHBORHOOD?  Yes, none other than the Agent who had the listing in my target neighborhood.  I am absolutely certain that this is how he received this lead.  Well, Lanre, this is another example to show that MAYBE . . . just MAYBE there maybe something to this www.househunt.com.  Trust me, I do not say this lightly because I have been with the HomeGain.com, the ServiceMagic.com (now called Realestate.com), HouseValues.com, etc. and it was not always a walk in the park.  However, I can tell you, Lanre, that I closed a few deals with HomeGain.com (it is just so competitive) and I closed deals with ServiceMagic.com (aka Realestate.com).  Never really got HouseValues off of the ground but what I can tell you is that I had a phenomenal deal with them, and I was getting a lot of leads since there was no other Agent in DC who had the zip code that I had, and my zip code was not a shabby one.  When I did take it seriously, there was a lady who wanted to sell her home . . . since I procrastinated, she ended up listing with someone else.  NOTEWORTHY:  HouseValues does have a phenomenal Internal Contact Management System that worked liked my little Assistant.  This was truly worth its weight in gold.  I simply loved this so much that I almost forgot that I was getting leads.  Again, I have said all of this to say that these lead generating companies ARE SIMPLY ALL WHAT YOU MAKE OF THEM.  I just REFUSED to pay a lot of money and not get any return.  I simply HAD to close a deal.  I was not accepting anything less.  In fact, after I received my license, one of my first few deals was with HomeGain.com.  It just took a lot of diligent effort and beting unique and paying very close attention to the client's needs.

Also, the young lady who mentioned www.HouseHunt.com to me on last night, she showed me the leads in her blackberry, since these are text messaged to her from www.househunt.com, and she was able to let me know at what stage EACH of the prospects were in the process.  In fact, one of the leads, she received in January 2009, and has already placed an offer on a home at this time.  The price range is in the $400k's.  She, too, is receiving much success with househunt. 

Lanre, this is a small taste of how www.househunt.com is now impacting our area.  Remember, feel free to talk with Emerick, and maybe, he can give you FIRST HAND experience and knowledge on www.househunt.com in our market place.

Thanks again for posting this blog . . . IT TRULY IS A GREAT POST!!!

I tried HouseValues and JustListed.com and they were a big waste of money to me. I closed maybe 2 leads from them in a year. I have been with HouseHunt for over 3 years and love it. During the past 2 down years they helped keep my head above water. This year my partner and I will close about 3 million in sales from HouseHunt leads. Like Shane Powell, I am finally learning how to manage the leads I get and contacting them as soon as possible is a must. Establishing a good rapport on the first call also helps get them to closing. We received a referral from a HouseHunt lead that I haven't even met yet and closed 3 properties from her referral. I have 6 closings in November and all of them are HouseHunt leads and will total over 1.3 million in sales. If we close on 1 one hundred thousand dollar property, our cost is covered for the year. HouseHunt sets up a website for a particular zip code and I get all the leads for that area. They don't promise me any number of leads, just that I will get every lead that comes in for that zip code. What I do with it is up to me. I will confess that I have probably left many thousands of dollars on the table due to my work habits in the past. If you know your local market well enough and can get the zip code for a hot market this service may work for you.

I tried HouseValues and JustListed.com and they were a big waste of money to me. I closed maybe 2 leads from them in a year. I have been with HouseHunt for over 3 years and love it. During the past 2 down years they helped keep my head above water. This year my partner and I will close about 3 million in sales from HouseHunt leads. Like Shane Powell, I am finally learning how to manage the leads I get and contacting them as soon as possible is a must. Establishing a good rapport on the first call also helps get them to closing. We received a referral from a HouseHunt lead that I haven't even met yet and closed 3 properties from her referral. I have 6 closings in November and all of them are HouseHunt leads and will total over 1.3 million in sales. If we close on 1 one hundred thousand dollar property, our cost is covered for the year. HouseHunt sets up a website for a particular zip code and I get all the leads for that area. They don't promise me any number of leads, just that I will get every lead that comes in for that zip code. What I do with it is up to me. I will confess that I have probably left many thousands of dollars on the table due to my work habits in the past. If you know your local market well enough and can get the zip code for a hot market this service may work for you.

  I got a taste of the lead generators last month when I signed up for ReplyRealEstate. My leads are people that don't even own the homes, but renting so how could they be legitimate leads that are selling their home? I was told that I would be the only agent that would get the lead's contact information, but somehow when I call them in an hour, they told me that other agents from ReplyRealEstate have been calling them. I finally cancelled with them and lost a couple hundred dollars without any results.

  I personally have not tried HouseHunt.com, but after the burn from Reply, I am staying away and doing my own leads.

Song San (Coldwell Banker Dynasty)-Hi Song. Thanks for stopping by. I would recommend trying some lead generation companies that are you pay them a referral fee at closing. There are some companies out there that are like that and I have even called some of them. But for some reason,I haven't heard back from them. Also read this blog I've Changed My Mind... Some Agents SHOULD Buy Leads. Have a great weekend.

ReplyRealEstate was blowing my phone up last week.   Generate your own leads with getting on the phone, call expireds, call FSBOs, call your friends, call your family.  Get out of the office, meet people and communicate with them on a regular basis.  Forget about paying for leads, get a good website and get listings.  The more listings that you get, the more buyers that you will get.  Remember, a buyer buys a listing, right?   So if you have the listing numbers, what will they buy?

I am still using and loving my number1expert site www.knowpayneknowgain.com PLUS i blog alot! 

Good evening Lanre,

Thank you for blogging about HouseHunt.  I'm surprised to see that a thread you started way back in 2007 is still active, but lead generation has been a HOT topic on ActiveRain recently.  At HouseHunt we know internet leads are not for everyone, but we offer a very powerful service to one agent per community.  That's our niche. 

We're experts at capturing internet buyers by building personalized community websites.  I will be happy to send you some examples, if you haven't seen our work.  By the way, I've been on ActiveRain for a little over a year.  I've been with HouseHunt 5 years this month. 

When you think about it, ActiveRain is actually a similar idea to HouseHunt.  ActiveRain is a nationwide network of blogs, while HouseHunt is a nationwide network of websites.  Both ideas are effective internet marketing, which is why I recommend my clients should use both.  Some of my clients are blogging right here on ActiveRain.  However, some of my clients are too busy to blog because they're responding to all the buyers we bring them.

Our CEO asked me to follow up with you, after he received a notification about your blog.  I will answer any questions you have.  I'm usually available from 10AM until midnight, your time, Monday through Saturday.  Please feel free to contact me directly on my cell.  714 309-1945.  I work with agents, teams, and brokers all over the country.  I take great pride in helping REALTORS build a profitable business for the long run.  One of my clients set a team goal of 100 transactions in 2010.  I think he can do it.  He's a very hard worker.  He wrote 3 offers on Christmas Eve, plus one more offer on New Year's Day!  We're bringing him about 65% of his business.

As I scrolled up a few comments, I noticed the following response from Uniqca Powell.  She mentions a top producer in your market, who is one of our longtime clients. 

Uniqca says: This is an absolutely GREAT and phenomenal blog. I actually just heard about www.househunt.com only last night. So, I decided to come on this site to see if anyone had did a blog on househunt. Well, to my surprise, I found your blog with over 128 comments. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE TAKEN A COURSE IN Lead Generating 101, 102, 103, 104, 201, et. al, and then received my certification because there is a wealth of insightful information here.

Now Lanre, since I AM in your marketplace, I want you to know that there are several agents just across the hall from you (KW) who are using www.househunt.com  One person, in particular, is Emerick Peace. He has bought several of the neighborhoods on www.househunt.com  He has Largo, Kettering, and Clinton, MD. I do not know about his success rate -- just thought that I would let you know that just in case you wanted a viewpoint that is in our local marketplace, perhaps you can talk to him, especially since he is just across the Hall from you.

"I have 6 closings in November and all of them are HouseHunt leads and will total over 1.3 million in sales."

Hi again Lanre,

I would like to thank Jim Crews for posting his HouseHunt testimonial above.  Jim and his partner represent Middleburg, FL on our network.  I'm a bottom line kind of guy.  I say use everything that helps build your business, and drop the rest.  As you can see, www.HouseHunt.com works!  :)

Bruce,

just my thoughts (not trying to hijack the post) I do believe that HouseHunt is a real system just like any other legitimate lead gen system, and they all require WORK WORK WORK, still have to convert the leads just like any lead generation.  My last reply was actually aimed towards ReplyRealEstate, they want to sell leads and not sell lead generation and I won't pay for their leads but believe that we have to pay for a lead generation system.

Like anything, lead gen systems are not instant machines, they take time and alot of work but do pay off in the long run.  I think that anyone who has tried HouseHunt, Number1, RealPro, Real Estate Webmaster, SEO, etc etc, and did not give it at least a year of dedicated work, can not make and informed decision of the effectiveness of the system.

I will be looking at HouseHunt at Family Reunion next month as things have changed alot since this blog was started.......

Bottom line is real estate is work, it is not easy and there is no magic potion.  Consistent lead generation is the key!

BTW, this is a great blog and I am glad it came back up again!!!

Jeff

Jeff Payne, Panama City Real Estate (The Payne Group at Keller Williams Success Realty)-Sorry that I am not just responding Jeff. I might have to take a look into Number1Expert.

Bruce Brockmeier - Coached By Crouch (Internet Marketing Consultant to REALTORS®)-I am not interested in Househunt. I am going to build a new landing web page,along with a Google Adwords account and Search Engine Optimization. And like Jeff Payne said,go out and get business instead of waiting for it to come to me. Thanks for your response.

I'm always looking for ways to produce fresh leads . When you search for lead generating systems on the Internet,tons come up. I have to confess that I have paid a huge amount of money on STUPID TAX by buying their products. They all convince you that their "systems" work with long copy ads. they get you all hyped up. The next thing you know  your in a trans and wake up with a credit card in your hand before you realize it you had already charged your card. I have spent thousands on different systems. here are some of them. Todd Bates, Matt Jones Favoriteagent.com, Top Producer, Lenard perry,Getthoselistings.com, 838 system. Realtor generator. Any kind of mailings are a waste of money compaired to your ROI.

I was an Investor as well so here's some names of the Internet "Gurus" that sell their get rich systems that are almost impossible to make money with. You need to realize that they require your time and effort to work but the difference of what they say in their copy ads and reality is vast. They make it sound so easy but in fact just to locate just one single investment gold nugget with any profit potential on average will require an investment of 1000's of phone calls and hours of looking at records and looking at properties. I'm talking about a HUGE amount of time and EFFORT. That is why they sell their Real Estate Systems, it's easier to make a buck. so here are some of them.

DC Fawcett,Chris Mclaughlin,Greg Clement,Lou Cozzolino,Preston Ely,Stacy Kellams,Kyle & Carson,Sam Bell,Nathan Jurewicz,Mike Collins,Arcadio Diaz jr, Greg Foster,justin Lee Josh Schoenly.Josh Cantwell,Ron Mead,Michael Kimble,Rich Schefren,Larry Goins,Chris Chico,Brad Wozny,Charrissa cawley. there's more but you get the picture.

I do have to say some good guy's are out their like THE REAL DEAL John Chow,Jeff Adams, Tim Mai,Dean Edelson,Mark Walers,Ron LeGrand a friend of mine. Marcus Campbell, looks like his simple site system may work. I'm just tired of all the RIP-OFFS out there.

Now the very best lead generating system out their that is FREE and works. DOOR KNOCKING! yes, it's back to basics again and you won't have to be afraid of the DNC and getting a $11,000 fine.

Good Luck my fellow Realtor and Investor Friendsout there. P.S Bill Nesby's system for door Knocking.

http://kcrepeault.servingriverside.com  www.freeREreports.com  www.shortsalesetup.com

www.househound.net   www.AgentassistPro.com 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are any of the agents above having RECENT success in Todays Market (Like 2010) with HouseHunt.com ? 

Thanks!

You will find plenty of people on both sides of the fence here. Does anyone actually believe that they are getting bad leads from Househunt or Google? There is no magic juice that only gets a good lead. A lead is a lead. WHAT YOU DO WITH A LEAD is what divides the successful from the unsuccessful online. Google traffic + value based lead capture = leads. Big deal! Everyone can do that today. What do you do with your leads to convert them. Ask that to anyone that uses any of these systems and you will find out why there are winners and losers.