Getting Deals From Bird Dogs

birddog Have you heard of property scouts? What about the term bird dog?

Well, they are one in the same, actually, and there are two different types of bird dogs out there in the real estate investment world.

There are bird dogs who just want to make extra cash, and then there are professional bird dogs, the ones who find houses for a living and have their own personal bird dog team of key players who aggressively and actively find properties for investors.

These, my friends, are the BIG dogs, the Pit Bulls of the bird dog world.

What Bird Dogs Can Do for You

Jamel Gibbs with you, and I’m here today to tell you that there are lots of benefits to working with bird dogs. So, allow me to demonstrate how these guys can help you by asking you a few simple questions.

Would you like to make thousands of dollars and then pay for the lead once you get paid?
Would you like to maneuver through your deals with no upfront capital involved on your part?
Would you like an army of professionals to be your eyes and ears on the streets?
Would you then like that army to send you quality leads from your target markets?

All this, and more, is what bird dogs can do for you...

Sniffing Out the Dogs

Now that you understand what bird dogs can do for you and your business, let’s talk about some key factors involved in making money with them.

First, you need to know where to find bird dogs, and my strategy to finding these guys is the AFR Strategy (advertise, farm, referrals). It all starts with advertising. From bandit signs and print ads to social media postings and online marketing, there are lots of options to help entice bird dogs, both part-time scouts and professional pit bulls in full-throttle attack mode.

Once the phone starts ringing (and it will ring if you’ve created impactful and powerful marketing messages and ads), you can automate your incoming calls to a 24-hour answering service. Here are a few sites that can help with the automation process:

Be prepared for the phone to ring off the hook (this is a good problem, people), and be prepared to clearly explain your expectations and how your relationship will be mutually beneficial.

Training Your Bird Dogs

Now that you’ve got some bird dogs in your house, you need to start training them. And training bird dogs doesn’t require heavy lifting at all.

It’s all about keeping them informed, showing them examples, setting expectations and providing them with as much information as possible so that they can do their jobs efficiently… for you.

Train them to:

Take quality photos of properties (and neighborhoods) and upload them to a specific location
Fill out property sheets for any new properties that they come across
Identify and record property concerns and take photos of problem areas

Getting Your Bird Dogs Paid

angry So what about paying your bird dogs? You can pay per lead, per address or even per deal. You make that call.

I like to pay per deal, so I don’t have to invest money for the lead until the closing. Just let your scouts know that you’re willing to pay for leads, and offer them $500 once closing is complete. This will help motivate them and get them hungry for new leads.

If you prefer to pay per lead, I recommend paying $5 - $10 per lead. Again, the more information you get from the bird dog, the more money you will pay for the lead.

Finally, if you plan to pay per address, keep it simple. Offer $1 - $5 per address.

There You Have It

That’s all it takes to establish successful, lucrative relationships with bird dogs. Be sure to check out my next lesson where we’ll cover how you can be a bird dog and make big bucks finding properties at home and on the road for investors.