Mastering Initial Contact in Real Estate

When reaching out to a property owner, setting the right tone and approach is essential for reducing resistance and quickly building rapport. The first five seconds of any conversation are critical, as they establish the foundation for the next 30 seconds, during which you can ask the key question: “Would you consider an offer on your property?”

Breaking Through Initial Resistance

Today’s property owners are overwhelmed by a flood of calls, many of which aren’t related to real estate. This has created a natural resistance, where the owner often regrets answering the phone almost immediately. To overcome this, your approach must be both authentic and unique.

Key Steps to Lower Resistance:

• Use Their First Name: Start by addressing the property owner by their first name in a warm, friendly tone. For instance, "Matt? Lori?" This simple tactic can spark curiosity and distinguish you from the usual cold calls.

• Avoid Formal Titles: Skip titles like "Mr." or "Ms." These can make people defensive and may lead them to end the conversation early.

Example Approach:

• Matt?
• Yeah, who’s this?
• Matt, this is Brent. I’m a local home buyer. Before you hang up, I wanted to ask a quick question about your property at 1212 Banana Street. After that, you can decide if we should keep talking. Does that sound fair?

Gaining Permission to Proceed

Securing permission from the property owner is key to a more open, receptive conversation. The example above not only reduces initial resistance but also piques curiosity. By presenting yourself as a local home buyer and asking for permission to discuss their property, you avoid sounding pushy or overly sales-focused, creating a more comfortable dynamic.

The Six Possible Responses

Once you’ve successfully initiated contact, the property owner will typically respond in one of six ways:

1. Yes
2. No
3. Maybe
4. How much will you offer?
5. Who are you?
6. How did you get my number?

Knowing how to handle these responses allows you to guide the conversation effectively, increasing your chances of a productive discussion.

By mastering this initial contact strategy, you lay the groundwork for smoother, more engaging interactions, making it more likely for property owners to consider your offer.

Turning Conversations Into Real Estate Opportunities

Navigating real estate conversations with confidence can significantly impact your success. According to the U.S. Census, around six to ten percent of the real estate market consists of distressed properties. In a city like Phoenix, Arizona, with approximately two million properties, this equates to 120,000 to 200,000 distressed opportunities each year.

Even engaging with just 50 distressed property owners willing to consider a deal could transform your financial situation. The key is focusing on consistent action rather than being fixated on immediate outcomes. By consistently pulling property lists from tools like DealMachine and making those critical phone calls, success is inevitable. Statistically, one out of ten property owners will be open to considering an offer.

For instance, if you connect with 200 people, you could generate 20 leads and potentially close one deal. These distressed property owners typically fall into one of three categories: property distress (condition issues), financial distress, or emotional distress. By filtering through these leads, you can identify those most likely to sell at a discount, helping you achieve that six to ten percent target.

DealMachine was designed to streamline this filtering process. By having targeted conversations consistently, success becomes a matter of time, with one out of every ten interactions likely resulting in a deal.

A Quick Recap of the Process:

1. Identify distressed properties: Follow the six to ten percent rule.
2. Focus on consistent action: Use tools like DealMachine to pull lists and make calls daily.
3. Target your audience: Engage with owners in distress.
4. Stay persistent: Regular conversations lead to successful deals.

By adhering to these steps, real estate professionals can consistently tap into new opportunities within their market, driving both business growth and personal financial success.

Building Quality Conversations in Real Estate

With a consistent process, out of 200 prospects, at least one deal should close, and with an average deal size of $15,000, the opportunity is clear. Repeating this process over time can lead to financial independence, allowing you to focus on your business full-time.

Imagine working as a full-time real estate entrepreneur, engaging with distressed property owners daily, and having meaningful, quality conversations. Every discussion you have should revolve around four essential factors:

1. Property Condition
2. Timeline to Sell
3. Motivation to Sell
4. Price

These factors form the foundation of every conversation, enabling you to guide discussions towards a successful outcome.

From Debt to Multi-Millionaire: A Real Estate Success Story

This process is proven. Brent Daniels started in a challenging financial situation, facing a million dollars in judgments from a failed business. Filing for bankruptcy wasn’t an option because Brent hadn’t filed his taxes, and his credit score had plummeted to 400. He was driving a 2002 Lexus ES 300—a car with a broken window, which was essentially a Camry.

Despite these obstacles, Brent would drive around, find distressed properties, write down their details, and call the owners. This was before tools like DealMachine existed. Through consistent conversations, he managed to settle his debts, improve his credit score, and ultimately achieve a net worth of about $8 million.

This isn’t a boast—it’s a testament to the power of action. If you have the name, address, and phone number of a distressed property, closing deals becomes inevitable. The key is to take consistent action every day. Not every call will result in success, but over time, you will see the results.

As your business grows, you’ll eventually start generating inbound leads through strategies like direct mail campaigns, pay-per-lead, or pay-per-click marketing. Tools like DealMachine can help streamline these efforts, but it all begins with taking those first daily steps.

Conclusion

Mastering the art of initial contact with property owners is essential for success in wholesale real estate. By reducing resistance, building rapport, and having meaningful conversations based on property condition, timeline, motivation, and price, you open the door to incredible opportunities. Consistent action is the foundation of success in this industry. With time and effort, persistence and targeted conversations will lead to financial rewards and business growth.

Whether you’re just starting or scaling your business, remember that one quality conversation can change everything. Keep engaging with distressed property owners, and soon, you’ll have a system that generates leads, allowing you to focus on growing your business full-time. The path may be challenging, but with dedication and the right strategies, the rewards are limitless.