How to Get Foreclosure Cleanup
Business from Your Competition
In the foreclosure cleanup industry, your competition can be your next client. Always reach out to your competition for their overflow. It doesn't have to be just the larger contractors to which you reach out. Call the smaller companies just like yours. Tell them you are starting a "like" business and want to see
how you all can help each other.
Unofficial Partner
If you are starting your foreclosure cleanup business part-time while you work a full-time job, you will need an unofficial partner in your competition. For example, if you can't give an estimate because
you have to be at your job, tell the caller you cannot accommodate the estimate, but you have another local company you can send out to them. Ask the potential client if they mind if the other company contacts them directly.
Independently Owned and Operated
Always make it clear the other company is independently owned and operated, but that you are glad to provide the referral. You will have solved a problem for the potential client. Remember, they will
have called you because they need help. If you can't help them by going out to give the estimate, be poised to help them with
information. Invaluable! Be the foreclosure cleanup resource they call again and again -- and they will call you again.
Formal Referral
It may seem like you're giving away business, but in the beginning you may not be able to handle it all. Besides, if the other company gets the job, you can earn a referral fee. Have a referral form
ready to fax or email over with the potential client's contact information when you call the smaller, competing company
(realtors do this in real estate all the time).
Spell Out Your Terms
Your referral form doesn't have to be anything special, simply list your terms (i.e., 15% of the gross earned
on the job, payable to your company upon completion, in exchange for the client referral by your company).
Remember, referring is not a one-way street. Tell the smaller company that you can be there for them if they can't handle an estimate or a specific service.
Circle of Alliances
There's enough business out there for everyone. So, start out forming a circle of contacts, alliances, not just in your
workers and your clients, but in your smaller competing companies as well.
Good luck with your foreclosure cleanup business!
Excerpt from How to Start a Foreclosure Cleanup Business eBook
NOTE: Throughout the web and in real estate industry literature/publications, you may see the terms mortgage field services, property preservation business, foreclosure cleanup, foreclosure cleaning, foreclosure clean-outs, foreclosure clean, clean foreclosures, cleaning foreclosures, REO trashout, REO trashouts, field asset services, property field services, field service, and field services used interchangeable. The main thing to remember is foreclosure cleaning and foreclosure cleanup generally refer to smaller entities; while property preservation generally refers to larger companies.
