33 Ways to Find Motivated Sellers

by Jim Kennedy, Houston, TX

This was originally posted on our Main News Group by Jim Kennedy:

1. Place a newspaper ad (major daily)
   
   

2. Place an ad in Pennysaver, Thrifty Nickel, Greensheet, etc.
   
   

3. Bandit signs
   
   

4. Drive neighborhoods looking for vacant houses and FSBO's
   
   

5. Call FSBO ads
   
   

6. Search MLS for junker properties
   
   

7. Search MLS for expired listings
   
   

8. Contact landlords who are evicting a tenant
   
   

9. Contact landlords with properties for rent
   
   

10. Pre-foreclosures
    
    

11. Foreclosure auctions
    
    

12. REO's
    
    

13. HUD & VA houses
    
    

14. Tax sales
    
    

15. Estate sales
    
    

16. Properties with outstanding building code violations
    
    

17. Properties with outstanding health code violations
    
    

18. Condemned properties
    
    

19. Fire damaged properties
    
    

20. Out of area owners
    
    

21. Network with professionals, i.e. attorney, CPA, REALTORŪ.
    
    

22. Network with service people, i.e. letter carrier, pool service person, lawn service person, newspaper delivery person, carpet cleaning people, plumbers, etc.
    
    

23. Bird dogs
    
    

24. Wholesalers
    
    

25. Magnetic car sign
    
    

26. Distribute business cards EVERYWHERE
    
    

27. Career attire (Polo shirt with embroidered "I Buy Houses" logo)
    
    

28. Fliers
    
    

29. Door hangers

In my area (Houston), some of the big players also do #30. billboards, #31. radio spots, #32 TV spots, and #33. full-page ads in the yellow pages. Hope this helps. Best of success!