Posted by Houserookie on January 11, 2001 at 19:11:58:
Thanks…so much…
M-a-r-k-e-t-i-n-g-- B r-e-a-k-t-h-r-o-u-g-h - Posted by Houserookie
Posted by Houserookie on January 10, 2001 at 14:45:20:
I posted earlier for free RE listing sites. Looking at those sites, they all seem to be making ZERO to little money.
Most are offering free listing with banners all over the place. Enough to drive people nuts…
What does everyone think of this idea for attracting more cooperative sellers. Start a website that offers free listing to sellers. 100% FREE. Let them list their properties to sell on their own.
Sellers advertises your URL and thier listing# in local paper, which in turn self promotes your site.
After a few weeks, you contact them and offer other
options to get their homes sold.
A good way to build both buyer and seller list?
I could help too(long) - Posted by Newbie
Posted by Newbie on January 12, 2001 at 11:17:21:
Dear HouseRookie,
I had a similar idea about a year ago, and I purchased the domain name: fsbo101.com, and a set of CGI scripts that allow home sellers to add listings and photos directly through their browser (hands off for the webmaster). My idea was to build a database of nationwide listings by recruiting investors from each state to market directly to fsbo sellers in their area, thereby retaining the rights to assist these sellers with any “creative” options for selling their property. I had some ideas for easy targeted marketing techniques too.
My concept for the FSBO101 site was to provide a content-rich resource for both the buyer and the seller in the FSBO marketplace, educating both on the nuts and bolts of buying or selling a property without an agent’s help. Topics would include making and accepting offers, contracts, closing procedures, financing (conventional and creative), lease options and more. My experience as a web developer tells me the site has to have a lot of valuable content to appeal to both buyer and seller in order to be “sticky” for site visitors. Also, this content area would be where we the investors would step in and offer to help ;^)
Unfortunately, my real job (as a web site manager for the fed govt.) has kept me way too busy to pursue this venture, and fsbo101.com just sits empty. Perhaps we could team up with others from other states and breathe life back into both my idea and yours as a joint investor effort? If you want to discuss further, please feel free to respond OR email me!
Good day,
Newbie
Forgot to mention… - Posted by Paul_MA
Posted by Paul_MA on January 11, 2001 at 10:35:40:
…how little success I had with web advertising. I’ve never had a call nor received an email from property I listed at the sites on the other post.
Could have been that extremely rural location of the property.
Re: M-a-r-k-e-t-i-n-g-- B r-e-a-k-t-h-r-o-u-g-h - Posted by Paul NM
Posted by Paul NM on January 11, 2001 at 24:49:04:
What if this was a two stage process. The CREonline site creates an area, (a classified area?), where individuals who want to have listing web sites can post their URL’s and perhaps some geographic and/or other information that would help a potential buyer search.
These individuals then offer the free listing service in their area as Houserookie described. My thought is that any one individual would not have so much activity that the automated features of CGI etc. would be necessary.
I have a couple of domains I would be willing to fool around with if anyone has a killer idea they want to try out. I am not offering to do fancy graphics, just some text and perhaps a few pictures.
As an example, I want to see if a website that offers education and explination would successfully compete for attention in the “I Buy Houses” category of the classifieds. My logic is that many people don’t want to talk to anyone about their problems right now, but do want to learn more about their choices. www.HandymanHomes.com is the kind of site that can be put up in 3-4 hours to test this idea.
PaulNM
Hey Houserookie. - Posted by ACI2020
Posted by ACI2020 on January 10, 2001 at 20:36:41:
I think that’s a great idea. It can’t hurt to try.
Email me and we’ll toss around a few ideas. I’m sure that could fly in a local targeted area.
-Aci
Been there, done that - - Posted by RBJustin
Posted by RBJustin on January 10, 2001 at 17:34:09:
Houserookie,
I had the same idea this summer! I did something about it, $3000 later, I have the site now, now I’ll tell you the problems.
The major problems is to GET sellers. You need funds to majorly promote your site to make it stand out beyond the tonnes of other free listing sites. As Stacy said, this is a good niche market, you just have to market this right.
The problems I have right now is basically getting sellers and agents. JP Vaughan has a very good idea with using this site as a protal to advertise listings since it already has the traffic, but a new site, it’s really hard.
The reason why it’s costing me so little is because I have enough programming (HTML) and Graphics experience to develop the front end of a website. You also have to look at the back end; most of the time it’s way more expensive to do! The back-end as in CGI-programming! Fortunately, I can sort of fiddle my way through integrating HTML and this Back-end programming.
Well honestly it’s a great idea and I’m actually pursuing that right now too! I’d love to hear any suggestions on what to do!
Best of luck,
RBJustin
http://www.realtybar.com
One thought… - Posted by Glen
Posted by Glen on January 10, 2001 at 17:33:32:
Certainly it is a goal of most creative investors to make contact with a lot of sellers, especially motivated sellers…and this method may work to achieve that goal. But, if you give a seller hope of making a retail sale without you (getting cash soon at their asking price), you may either delay a seller accepting your solution or help them find another buyer without you and without any compensation to you. If a seller is truly motivated, you don’t want to delay in getting the deal done…or you may miss it entirely. If I was in your market area, all I would have to do is contact every seller you posted on the web for free and try to make a deal with them before you do. Just a thought.
How About “Almost Free”??? - Posted by J.P. Vaughan
Posted by J.P. Vaughan on January 10, 2001 at 16:35:29:
We are adding a classifieds program to the site very,
very soon. We have to charge a nominal fee of $4.95 per
listing to keep out the riff raff.
This site already attracts a ton of traffic. Why reinvent
the wheel?
Re: M-a-r-k-e-t-i-n-g-- B r-e-a-k-t-h-r-o-u-g-h - Posted by Stacy (AZ)
Posted by Stacy (AZ) on January 10, 2001 at 15:27:36:
This may work. It needs some tweaking, but so do all new ideas.
One thing to consider is that the web site needs to be advertised to attract sellers. Once you have the sellers, the buyers will be attracted to your site via seller’s ads. But to get sellers to visit your free site, and find out about your free listing, takes promotion. There are so many free listing sites already…Yahoo and Excite for starters.
For the houses I sell, I use a free hosting site to set-up a web page. You can see an example at www.homestead.com/49drive. You need to consider what advantages will differentiate your site from the other sites to make it attractive and viable to sellers.
You’re thinking outside the box. Go with it…
Stacy
Investor M-L-S… - Posted by Houserookie
Posted by Houserookie on January 13, 2001 at 02:21:48:
I think there are many investors that would like this idea.
It’s an excellent idea!!! While Creonline.com is a great forum for investor discussions, a separate site could be used to market to sellers. And for directing
buyer to properties in specific area.
This could become like the MLS for RE investors. Using the web.
It would be foolish for a single investor to try to
attempt nationwide due to rules and regulations that
vary from state to state, and area.
ONe of the main features of this site is in sharing
funding sources and new strategies to help everyone close more deals.
I have enough excitement thinking about this that plans are being executed as we speak, this Friday night. A secret website is being constructed as we speak. And will be revealed soon!!!
HOw many RE investors do you think we need to make this profitable and enjoyable for everyone?
Would this be a membership forum? Or Free For all? If it’s free for all, how will the site make a profit?
Houserookie
Re: Forgot to mention… - Posted by Houserookie
Posted by Houserookie on January 11, 2001 at 14:18:11:
Did you own your own site or advertise in web classifieds?
Re: Forgot to mention… - Posted by TOMas
Posted by TOMas on January 11, 2001 at 11:00:13:
what have you done online?
Which methods of advertising
have you used? and where?
How many properties have you
listed online?
Tomster
Re: M-a-r-k-e-t-i-n-g-- B r-e-a-k-t-h-r-o-u-g-h - Posted by Houserookie
Posted by Houserookie on January 11, 2001 at 01:00:51:
Hi Paul,
I’ve been busy on the phone all day. I think
a good domain in this type of marketing is
vital. NO one wants to list their home
on some-funny-and-long-name.com.
I agree with you in that people want options
first, then action later.
An ad like “I buy Homes” would have a difficult
time competing with “sell your home free @ full price”.
Are you talking about renting your domain or like
franchasing usage in different parts of the
country?
A two step process using creonline could work, but
how would a seller advertise his home in the local paper? Home for sale. Creonline.com/something.htm?
We all know what cre means but buyers look more for
homes.com follow by a listing number.
hey houserookie - Posted by joejoe
Posted by joejoe on January 10, 2001 at 23:44:46:
I think houserookie may be up to something
good here. problem is…most of us don’t know how to make websites.
So J.P’s idea could be the alternative. Then again,
if JP offers this service on creonline, investors like us could be in trouble since it’s just another reason for them to say no to us.
JJ
Re: Been there, done that - - Posted by Houserookie
Posted by Houserookie on January 11, 2001 at 24:50:57:
My programmer can do ASP, cold fusion, etc…
To me it’s mumbo jumbo…to her it’s cheesecake.
I willl keep u updated on what and how it goes.
Re: One thought… - Posted by Paul NM
Posted by Paul NM on January 11, 2001 at 01:14:31:
Hi Glen,
I wonder if this is really a problem? I would not expect a listing on my free site to be the only place sellers would advertise. I assume they would also be running newspaper ads, have a sign etc.
I think of motivated sellers as fruit ripening on the vine. Part of the ripening process is contact with “sharks” who want to steal their property, low ball offers, appointment no shows etc. If you were to call all the sellers on my site I would think of you as part of the ripening process 
However, if they have to talk, or email me to list their property and then call again to make changes I am ideally positioned to explore their motivation and set myself up as a facilitator. “You’re not getting any results, have you considered seller financing, a lease option… etc. Oh you don’t know how those work let me explain …” Am I correct in thinking this must be what Realtors do when they talk FSBO’s into signing listing agreements?
I have not tried this and perhaps it is to warm, fuzzy and labor intensive to work in the marketplace.
Paul NM
Re: Second thought… - Posted by HOuserookie
Posted by HOuserookie on January 11, 2001 at 24:47:05:
Hmmmmm. I think u have a point there.
But I think programmers can set it up to that
only necessary information appear on the web,
while still providing enough info for buyer to
contact seller.
Or maybe for seller to contact buyer?
Re: How About “Almost Free”??? - Posted by Houserookie
Posted by Houserookie on January 10, 2001 at 17:40:36:
How would this new classified section be different from the other free sites?
The point I am trying to make is we dont’ need just another listing site.
Also, how would this benefit investors since sellers will be coming here?
Why wouldn’t sellers just come here and list themselves?