Bird Dog Bounty – Attracting Great Real Estate Bird Dogs

If you meet a highly successful real estate investor who is wholesaling or rehabbing properties, and they seem to always have a number of profitable deals in the works, they’re not driving around and finding them on their own. It’s probable that they have created a pipeline of deals delivered to them by bird dogs.

The investor knows what they want and how to locate houses that meet their investing goals. They can sustain a pretty good business on a do-it-yourself basis, but reaching the next level requires that they clone themselves. With several of these clones out there consistently delivering profitable deals, our investor can concentrate on matching the buyers and taking the checks to the bank.

Building a pipeline of deals with bird dogs requires attracting many to filter for the very best. Marketing for bird dogs can be done in various ways and media, and which you choose may depend on whether you only deal locally, or if you expand outside your city or state.

What you say in ads and other marketing will depend on the level of involvement you want from your bird dogs and how you’re going to pay them. Some investors pay by the lead, others pay a flat amount for each deal delivered or closed, and some pay a percentage. It doesn’t matter, other than in some of your marketing text.

Classified Ads

Local bird dogs can be inexpensively attracted with newspaper classified ads. There are always people who need extra income and they’ll respond to advertising that offers flexible schedules, as they are already working at one or more jobs.

House-Finders Wanted

You set your hours and your income.

Must have transportation & digital camera.

{phone number or website}

Of course, the reference to transportation and a digital camera is optional. You may not be requiring bird dogs to photograph houses. Contact information will depend on whether you’re taking phone calls or directing the respondent to a website to fill out a form or send an email.

Real Estate Investment Clubs

A great many new real estate investors begin without cash. They are trying to connect with other investors for income opportunities that don’t require a cash investment. They buy books and go to seminars, and in all of them they are advised to join an investment club to meet other investors and look for bird dog opportunities. You’ll meet them at club meetings and they’ll be eager to work with you. A bonus is that they’ll already have some real estate investment education.

Online RE Investment Sites

If you’re expanding your area and investing out of your city or state, going online is a great way to locate bird dogs. Real estate investment websites frequently offer services & forums to match bird dogs to investors from other areas. The bird dogs are attracted to the sites for the same reasons they join real estate investment clubs.

Other Investors

Sometimes you’ll meet investors who use bird dogs, but their property objectives are different from yours. There could be a sharing of bird dogs, as they’re out there locating a great many properties, and some will meet your needs but not those of the other investor.

Phone Number or Website

When you’re running ads in newspaper and “penny-saver” publications, you can use a phone number or a website and email/form to gather information from first contact with the bird dog applicant. The phone number will require that you answer every call, and answer their questions, so be ready for the time involved.

Whether you have a website or not, you can use a form on the Internet to collect information from bird dog applicants. Using the free service at Google Docs, you can build a form to get the bird dog’s name, email address and other contact information. You can then contact them when it’s convenient for you. When you create the form, there will be a URL (web address) for it. You can then go to a site like TinyURL.com and have the long Google URL shortened to fit easily into the ad and be typed in by the bird dog applicant. Once they fill in the form and submit it, Google sends you the information in an email, and places it in a Google spreadsheet as well.

Bird dogs amplify your abilities. Advertise and interview, and you’ll end up with a few who will bring you deals and create profits for you.