One of the easiest methods is simply taking out a classified ad. Many will say that this is the oldest trick in the book or that it doesn’t work. The truth is that it does work. If you know that you’re going to be buying properties for the long term, just get a classified ad and leave it. You don’t ever need to stop running it if you’re going to be a consistent real estate investor. If you don’t get a swarm of calls right of the bat, do not be discouraged. There is no way to tell when someone will see the paper. It is purely a numbers game. The more people that eventually see your ad, the more calls you will get. People who want to unload their house in some way will eventually read the paper. This is why it is important to leave your ad in the newspaper every week. Over time it can produce a phenomenal number of quality leads.

Once you place an ad in the paper, the key to success is actually answering your phone. Many people who place classified ads make a huge mistake by not answering their phone. It is common sense really. If you’re paying the newspaper to produce calls, you should at least answer the calls that they deliver. Many people simply talk themselves into thinking that they are too busy to talk to people. They think that any pertinent information can be left on a voicemail. The only problem with this line of thinking is that people don’t like voicemail as a whole. Some people are comfortable leaving a voicemail, but the majority won’t. They may have just decided to call on a whim. They may not really be sure if they want to sell their property or not. If they don’t talk to a live person when they call, they’ll probably talk themselves out of selling in the first place. This is why human contact is so important. Once they realize that there is a real person on the other end of the phone, they start to relate with you. This whole business can be boiled down to relationships. If you can make them feel comfortable with the process, they are much more likely to sell. In summary…answer the phone when it rings.

Another method of producing credible leads is through the use of “bandit signs”. These are signs that you will have made and strategically place throughout the city. These are usually 18” x 24” signs that you can place at intersections. Another great place to put these signs is in the yard of a property that you’ve purchased. As soon as you buy a property, be sure to put up a sign. One of the neighbors may be looking for a quick way out of their house. A simple sign could turn out to be a gold mine. The important thing to remember with signs is consistency. You should try to create your own brand by using the same wording in all of your marketing. Put your business name on the sign and make the design consistent on all of them. This helps to create trust with the consumer. Once they see your signs a few times, they grow to trust it.

Flyers are another extremely cheap method to produce real estate leads. Basically all you have to do is make a flyer that says what you want and how you can be contacted. Put on the flyer that you are looking to buy real estate. If you want fixer-uppers, then say so. Put the flyer in a plastic protective covering to keep it from getting wet. You can then put these flyers on every bulletin board in town. There will never be a shortage of places to put the flyers. Keep a stack of them in your car and put one up wherever you go. Think about the wealth of flyers that you see on the bulletin board at Wal-Mart alone. Restaurants and businesses throughout the city will have a similar setup. Laundromats, pay phones, grocery stores, and even the courthouse usually all have places that you can post them. The more creative you are the better.

You should also consider having some promotional items made. These are usually inexpensive but they can produce a professional image in the mind of the consumer. They can separate you from the competition. Pens, key chains, mouse pads, and post-it notes are all examples of promotional items that you can give away. You can leave them all over town like you did with the flyers. These can produce many leads over time.

The last way to produce leads is through the use of business cards. Order these things by the thousands and pass them out. Give one to everyone you know. Leave stacks of them in strategic places. Give them to your kids to pass out if you have to. The important thing is to not let them sit in stacks in your office. Get them out to the public.

All of the methods mentioned above are ways that can put you in the elite class of real estate investors. They are all designed to produce leads for you. Remember that leads are the lifeblood of your business. Without them, your business will surely die.

Tony Seruga, Yolanda Seruga and Yolanda Bishop of http://www.maverickrei.com specialize in commercial and investment real estate. As of May, 2006, they and their partners are managing over $600 million dollars worth of new projects.

Tony Seruga, Yolanda Seruga and Yolanda Bishop of Maverick Real Estate Investments, Inc. work with builders, developers and other players in the commercial real estate industry to acquire and develop properties. They use progressive investment strategies.