A friend of mine who lives in one of Seattle’s more popular neighborhoods (e.g. Ballard / Phinney Ridge / Green Lake / Ravenna) sent me this “cold call” letter that he received in the mail recently (I’ve removed personally identifying information):
To Whom It May Concern:
For Sale Sign?I am writing to inquire simply about your home. My wife and children and I have been scouring area since last summer and trying to buy a home in the neighborhood to no avail. I’m at the point of trying to go direct now to homeowners and thought this less intrusive than literally knocking on your door, so I hope this isn’t too forward.
We recently lost an offer on a home nearby but aren’t deterred, just trying this approach directly now. We have cash to buy, I’m familiar with real estate transactions (I am in a related industry), and we can pay market value – we just want the chance to deal prior to agents getting involved with the hassles and costs associated with them and marketing etc. This saves everyone money and we aren’t worried about ones that are in need of repairs (in fact prefer those) so we can customize a bit to our family’s needs. We look at anything!
If you or anyone you know may be considering selling for whatever reasons please pass my name along or save this for if/when you are considering as we are patient. I’d love a chance to discuss options so please call me.
Thanks so much for your time and consideration and feel free to call or email me anytime!
Presumably every homeowner in his neighborhood received the same cold call letter in the mail.
With inventory at an all-time low and the number of new listings still down from a year ago, it’s not surprising to see buyers getting creative like this.
Has anyone here had experience with a “cold call” letter like this, on either the buying or selling side? Do they ever work? I’d love to hear your stories.