HouseValues Success Story - Mar. 21, 2008

RE: HouseValues.com
Joanne Dodge
Monday, March 17th, 2008, 12:23 PM PST
  Click here to view the editor's note

My experience is apparently different from the majority.  I signed up for a minimal subscription with them, for buyer leads.  In 2 years I spent approximately $6000 on subscription fees and had 5 closed transactions for a a total of about $20,000 in commissions.  This is clearly not the way to instant riches, and yes, it IS WORK to respond to all the lame leads.  However, my calculator informs me that I did indeed come out ahead on this deal.  This was business that would have gone to someone else.  I think the idea is to keep it in perspective, respond to the leads diligently, but then drop the ones that don't want an agent and forget about it.  1 sale for every 25 leads or so, so you give the good ones a chance to surface, take those, and move on.  So, after 2 years, I decided that it was proven I would make money, and proven that I would not lose my investment, so I recently increased my subscription.

Editor's Note: Got to http://HouseValues.RealTown.com for more information.

RE: HouseValues Success Story - Mar. 21, 2008

RE: HouseValues Success Story - Apr. 28, 2008

First, I must say that you can't put stock into what everybody has to say.  I know...I know...Where there is smoke there is fire, but sometime you have to take a chance.

A couple years back, my husband and I signed up for HV for the $325/month plan for buyers.  We were promised a certain number of leads per month, but got way over that due to not many agents in my area using the system.  I don't know what the percentages were, but I would say the majority were bad leads.  FYI  - I do know how they get them.

To make a long story short...I didn't do the calls...I did the drip campaigns and sent my own personal emails with listings directly from me.  After a couple months, I closed around 6 deals all in a row, paying nearly 4 times the yearly fee.  I then got pregnant and couldn't commit to working as much, so I cancelled my service.  3 years later (2007) a past client, received from HV, called me up out of the blue and wanted to purchase a $1.4 million dollar home.  They came into town, made a few concessions and closed in 60 days or less. 

As you can see I had a positive experience.  Again, I didn't do what they said...(Constant Calling/Emailing/Postcards)..Just steady contact.  I don't care about a 6 figure income, I just want to come and go as I wish and work as hard as I want to work.  We are considering doing it again, as our ROI is currently through the roof with this system.  I agree, there are some negatives, many which have been mentioned on this site (particularly the bad leads)...But sometimes you have to make a decision on your own and reap the rewards.

Good Luck