An Introduction to Buyers Lists

Buyers lists are a wholesaler's ultimate weapon. Whileto have some cash on hand for their next
many argue that the property itself is the mostinvestment.
important part of wholesaling, it is the buyers list thatPersonal Website
helps you move properties at a lighting fast pace,Another method is a personal website for you, the
and it is the buyers list that allows you to leveragewholesaler. There are a number of ways to go about
deals and earn the most money for yourself.doing this effectively, but one of the best ways is to
Buyers lists help you convince sellers that you cancreate a website that talks about yourself and your
move their property in a short amount of time, andsuccesses, and shows off some of the properties
they provide you with the information you need toyou have unloaded, prices, etc. You may even want
differentiate between a good and a bad deal.to showcase currently available properties as well.
The buyers list is the most important aspect ofAre you likely to find buyers for those current
wholesaling real estate. However, because of this, anproperties? Not at all, but you can have a form that
incomplete or inadequate buyers list virtuallyinvestors that happen upon your website can fill out
guarantees failure in the wholesaling industry, and anto be notified of potential properties in their area.
extensive and comprehensive buyers list is almost aYou may even find some sellers as well.
complete guarantee of success.Direct Mail
What Are Buyers Lists?Various direct mailing methods are also very useful
Buyers lists are long, well researched lists of propertyfor finding buyers. Sending direct mail letters is a small
investors and any applicable information about bothinvestment, but the potential to find people
their wants and their buying habits. Buyers lists areinterested in properties is very high, and the likelihood
not something that you find online - they are createdthat they have been found by other wholesalers
by you, the wholesaler, using various techniques thatmuch lower.
help you locate who might be a potentially interestedOnce you have found these hidden buyers you will
investor in properties you expect to offer.need to woo them just like you need to woo the
These buyers lists are usually very large - as large asmore public buyers by calling them on the phone and
you can possibly make them, in fact. Having hundredsconvincing them that you will be the best contact for
and hundreds of potential buyers at your disposalthem in the future.
means that you have multiple individuals to contact inA Comprehensive List
almost every location and who will be interested inNow that you have started compiling the list, you
almost every type of rehab project.should also be adding as much information as you can
The primary reason that your buyers list is so large,about your buyers. You will learn more questions to
however, is because you want to be able to dealask as you start to gain more wholesaling experience
properties from any location across the country - but(everyone has their own questions that are helpful to
most investors are interested in locations they canthem) but you are not only looking for contact
visit easily, because they are very likely to remodelinformation. You are looking for information on the
the home in order to resell it at a higher value.houses they buy, their financing, their history in the
Therefore, your goal when creating the buyers list isbusiness - anything that you can use to help yourself
to find multiple buyers in a large number of locations.complete future transactions.
Creating the ListSome of the questions to ask include:
- Starting the Buyer Search- What states are they currently making purchases?
While it may feel as though the best way to go- What cities and what neighborhoods are they
about building a buyers list is to search for buyersinterested in?
once you find a great property deal, that is actually- Are they interested in investing in rehab projects?
the wrong way to go about creating the list. Instead,- What level of rehab project to they prefer?
you want to be building your buyers list from the- What level of rehab project is acceptable?
moment you begin wholesaling - long before you- How much are they willing to invest in repairs?
have even found your first property.- How much of an investment are they willing to
That is not to say that you should ignore a good dealmake?
just because you have no buyers in the area. Rather,- How much of an investment do they usually make?
finding buyers can be a long and laborious process -- What types of financing do they have available?
and you only have a very short term contract on theThe questions you can ask are virtually limitless,
property with which to deal it. Even if you find thethough it is best to have all of these questions
best property in history, there is no guarantee thatplanned out ahead of time so that you can ask them
you will be able to find a buyer in time if you do notin the beginning rather than call and hassle the buyers
already have contacts, and the seller is likely going tolater.
grow impatient and go back on the deal.More About Your Buyers Database
Instead, start finding buyers the moment you decideWe have discussed why your buyers list is such an
to become a wholesaler and do not stop even afterimportant piece of your wholesaling success, but it is
you have dealt a few properties. As mentionedimportant to also remember that your buyers
earlier, your buyers list is the ultimate weapon - notdatabase is also an important learning tool for you. A
only will it help you sell these properties, but it willgood wholesaler can get by with a comprehensive
also help you convince sellers that you are the go tobuyers list, but a great wholesaler can use their
guy (or girl) for completing the sale.buyers list as a way to learn more about themselves,
- Ways to Find Buyerstheir buyers, and their properties.
Finding buyers is about two things:Think of your buyers database like a psychological
1) Looking for Cuesexperiment - all of the data points represent pieces
2) Being Socialof information that are either similar or dissimilar from
There are only two types of places to find buyers:other data points. When you start to group this data
Public arenas (like clubs and property groups) andtogether, you can learn about your buyers and what
hidden locations (such as newspaper advertisements,to expect when you contact them.
which we will discuss later).For example, assume you have several buyers that
At public arenas (and, in a sense, with hiddenyou found via the classified ads tip mentioned above.
locations), you are going to need to use your socialYou mark that you found them via classified ads in
skills and influence to impress buyers and convincethe buyers list. Some of these buyers were very
them that you have enough knowledge of thereluctant to hear from you while others were more
industry and enough trustworthiness that you will bethan welcoming to receive your call. You can also
able to provide them with good deals that they willmark that in a buyers database as well, noting their
be interested in. They are just as interested in greatpersonalities so that you can be prepared to who
properties as you are in selling them, so there is ayou are talking to when you call them up in the
good chance they will be happy to give you theirfuture.
information because they, too, are looking for theAs you continue to be a wholesaler, you may find a
next big score.common theme - those that were reluctant to hear
The most common public arena is real estate groups.from you are actually your best buyers, and those
It can be hard to get invited to these groups andthat were happy to hear from you are the buyers
equally hard to find a way to contact the membersthat are trying to rip you off.
of these groups, but if you can find a membership listYou may find a completely different experience
or introduce yourself to just one of the members inyourself, but the point is that that is useful
order to get invited to one of their events. You caninformation that you can use to learn from the data
likely find investors at other high income non-realpoints you have gathered - information that can help
estate meetings as well, but real estate groups are ayou learn more about your buyers even before they
good place to start, especially if you are looking in aare placed on your list, and information that you can
new area.also refer to when you call your buyers.
But one thing to remember is that real estate groupsYour buyers database is not just a list of prospective
are targeted by every prospective wholesaler.buyers - it is the central place for all the information
Investors only have so much money that they canyou have on your buyers, including information on the
spend on new properties, and if every singlebuyers as people so that you can know exactly who
wholesaler is contacting them to try to unload theiryou are dealing with even when you have not
properties, these investors may either be tapped outspoken with the buyer in a long time.
in terms of both financing and patience from beingLeverage
hassled by the inconsiderate wholesalers that mayThe final point about buyers lists is that they must
not be contacting them about properties of interest.be as comprehensive as possible. The more buyers
That's why you need to look for buyers outside ofyou have for a particular piece of property, the
real estate groups - people that may not be targetedeasier it will be to ask for larger deposits, more
by as many wholesalers but may have equally asmoney for the property, and other items that you
much money to invest in new properties.cannot necessarily ask for when you only have a
- How to Find Hidden Buyersfew buyers. Multiple buyers allow you to leverage
There are a lot of different ways to findthem against the others in order to get more from
unadvertised buyers. Every wholesaler learns theirthe property - and the more you get from the
won tricks to catching some of the subtle ways thatproperty, the more you will profit.
prospective investors accidentally advertiseSummary of Buyers Lists
themselves, but here are a few methods you canAn effective buyers list guarantees that you are
implement in order to catch people that might begoing to be an effective wholesaler. The buyers list is
investors:your primary reference for:o Contacting buyers when
Classified Adsyou have a property for sale in their area.o
Buyers do not go about advertising themselves inConvincing sellers that you have buyers that will be
public locations. What they do, however, is sell theinterested in their property.o Finding multiple buyers
properties that they have purchased and fixed up forthat you can use to leverage more generous income
resale. Look for key words like "owner financingfrom.
available" - a commonly used term by investors, andThe buyers list is the single most important tool you
a very uncommon term to find offered by standardhave for profiting as a wholesaler. Spending time
home sellers and businesses. Anyone offering ownerensuring that it is full of prospective investors in
financing or similarly uncommon information could bemultiple areas across the country is your key to
someone that invest in property - and you nowhaving a great deal of financial success.
know that once they make that sale, they are going