Rogelio Robles says that you might not be aware that not all properties on the market are listed in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which makes it harder to find deals. In reality, a number of houses are sold every month without ever appearing on the MLS. Also known as quiet listings, they are a great resource of information for those who know how to uncover them. Actually, it will be simpler to locate these properties if you put the following advice into action.
1. Real Estate Agents and Brokers:
Homebuyers and sellers are assisted by real estate brokers and agents. They often have lists of people looking to buy homes (buyers) and people looking to sell homes (sellers). Sometimes, they convince homeowners to sell their homes by showing them that the market (the place where homes are bought and sold) is good for selling.
According to Rogelio Robles Florida, some agents have special listings that they keep secret (pocket listings) to help sellers get better deals. When you first start working with an agent, it might be hard for them to find you a good deal that’s not listed publicly. But as they get to know you, they might share secret listings with you because they trust you to buy a house.
2. Roofstock:
Roofstock is a website where you can buy and sell houses that people rent out to others. They have lots of houses for sale, and some of them are only available on Roofstock, not on other websites where houses are usually listed. When you want to buy a house on Roofstock, you can quickly make an offer online without needing to talk to many people.
This makes it easy to buy houses that aren’t listed publicly yet. Normally, when someone sells a house, they wait for many people to offer to buy it. This makes the price go up because more people want to buy it.
3. Direct Mail Marketing:
Direct mail marketing means sending letters or postcards directly to people who own houses, asking if they want to sell their house. Sometimes, homeowners haven’t thought about selling until they get a letter from someone who wants to buy it. So, if you’re the only one who sends them a letter, they might decide to sell the house to you.
4. Contractors:
Contractors are people who fix houses. They might know about houses that will be sold soon because they are fixing them for the owners. If you’re friends with a contractor, they might tell you about a house before it goes on sale. Sometimes, owners ask contractors if they know anyone who wants to buy their house. If you’re friends with a contractor, they might tell the owner about you, and you could buy the house before it’s listed for sale.
5. Networking with Fellow Investors:
Networking means making friends with other people who invest in real estate. If you know someone who wants to sell a house, you can offer to buy it from them right away. Sometimes, making friends with other investors can help you find houses to buy that aren’t listed for sale. Knowing other investors can also help you learn about different ways to buy and sell houses.
6. Driving for Dollars:
Driving for dollars means driving around neighborhoods to look for houses that might be for sale. If you see a house that looks like it needs fixing, the owners might want to sell it. They might not have enough money to fix it, so they decide to sell it instead. If you talk to them, they might agree to sell it to you.
7. Wholesalers:
Wholesalers are people who find houses to sell and then find someone else to buy them. They put a special agreement (contract) on the house, saying they will buy it, but then they find someone else who wants to buy it for a higher price. Rogelio Robles states that if you know a wholesaler, they might let you buy a house before anyone else knows about it. But sometimes, wholesalers don’t tell you everything about the house, so you need to be careful.
8. Real Estate Auctions:
Real estate auctions are like big sales where people buy houses for less money than usual. Sometimes, houses are sold at auctions because the owners didn’t pay their taxes. At auctions, you can buy a house for just the taxes owed on it. This means you might get a house for a very cheap price. But usually, houses sold at auctions need a lot of fixing.
9. County/Public Records:
County records are papers that show who owns a house. You can look at these papers to find out who owns the house you want to buy. Once you know who owns the house, you can try to talk to them about selling it. But sometimes, even if you find the owner, they might not want to sell the house.
In Closing
In wrapping up, remember that using different methods to find off-market properties can boost your chances of finding great investment opportunities. Whether you’re working with agents, checking out websites like Roofstock, or sending letters to homeowners, each approach adds to your chances. Off-market investing lets you snag properties before everyone else knows about them, giving you a better shot at scoring good deals with less competition. So, don’t hesitate to mix it up and explore various avenues to uncover those hidden gems in real estate.
