How To: Get MLS Access Without Your License

Many new investors find it hard to believe that you can get MLS access without having your license.  You can search the forums at flippinghomes.com or reiclub.com for the way and inevitably you will come to the answer…“Just Ask”.

Of course it isn’t really that simple.  Yes you have to ask for it, but it’s how you ask that will determine you success or failure.  A friend of mine and fellow investor Kelly, from Kelly Flippin Cali recently wrote an article about how to best approach getting your MLS access…

I think first off, you have to have confidence, assertiveness and sincerity all at the same time because confidence and assertiveness without sincerity can sometimes look a lot like arrogance. Without the confidence you look wishy washy and needy. You have to know up front what you are offering the Agent in return for this precious MLS access. I like having my own unlimited access and paying for it, than using someone elses with limited access.  If you just get the agent’s username and password you’ll only be able to use the MLS when they are not on it.

It is so simple! I had 2 different approaches. It takes some work, but you can do it! If I can do it, you can do it!

The Craigslist ad was really Craig Fuhr’s idea that I gleaned off of the last call with JP from REItips. com. He was targeting Indiana fresh.

My first approach:

Criagslist ads, 2 of them , placed in Real Estate and Real Estate services

$1 RE Agent Wanted

California Cash investor working in ‘insert city here’ with single family homes seeks investor friendly agent to work with. Please call me now.

Call XXX XXX XXXX

My other approach:

First, you call realtors from Keller Williams (because they are the most investor friendly.) Explain your strategy and tell them you value their time and would like to do your own homework upfront which takes about 40 to 80 hours. (The majority of my responses were something like, “I don’t have a problem doing the homework and sending it to you.”) So then ask them for a list of all of the ‘solds’ in the last 60 days for the county, or the biggest area of the town or city of research. From there identify the hotbeds or areas of the most activity.

Meanwhile, on your own, without telling the Agent, contact the Association of Realtors or whoever controls the MLS. Ask to speak to the commercial department or the administrator for the MLS. Tell them that you have been working with ‘insert agent’s name here’ and you both talked about obtaining MLS access as an unlicensed assistant. Ask for…

• an email of the form for him to sign or if it is located online.
• about the log on requirements
• Is it just username and password or key fob that changes numbers every 60 seconds like California?
• what the fees are and how they are billed, ie, quarterly, yearly, through the broker or can they be made online through the mls website via your credit card.
• to email you the rules as well. If you have the keyfob, you need to go into the MLS office and show your id and they hand you and only you the keyfob.
• who to contact when returning the information, if it is email then ask them to include phone and fax.

…Now you have the MLS contact person information

After you do your homework using the list of solds, speak to the agent about your findings. (I have identified _____ zipcode as an area I would like to pursue, about what price are your clean REOs in that area?) Then state that there is another, at least 60 hours of similar research but you need to use the map function and other things that would just kill trees if they printed it out for you.  Tell them YOU would rather spend the time on the research and have them spend the time on submitting offers and listing your properties. Then explain that you have spoken to ‘insert MLS administrator here’ and you have the form for your own unlicensed assistant access and it would save you both so much time once you get that started. BE ASSERTIVE, don’t say, “if I had my own access” say, “once I get this access.” Tell them, “I need your signature and I am good to go. It can be revoked at any time, so if for any reason you are not comfortable with this in the future, you can cancel it.” There will be no charge to the Agent or Broker. The Broker might have to sign on the form also.

Once you have your access, go buy either a $20.00 Jamba Juice gift card or a Starbucks gift card and a Silver sharpie pen. Write on the gift card with the silver sharpie pen, Thanks SO much ‘agent’s name’ !! then your name, so the 3 or 4 times they use it, they see your name and smile. Go to their office and have receptionist place in their in box or mail it to the agent.

I think for me, before I had a solid strategy, it was very difficult to build rapport. Now after KISS Flipping and speaking with Bob Norton face to face, I totally know my strategies inside and out and have total confidence!! Without a doubt!! In the course are the steps to take to find private money AND instantly find buyers. I’m not an affiliate, I should be, but if you could swing it, you should, it’s the best money I have ever spent! GO GET ‘EM!!
Let me know how it turns out!

I’m on my way to get an alignment before my trip next week and to sling mud on 4 more old listings.

Chyzle! (translation= see ya)

by Kelly Miller

http://kellyflippincali.blogspot.com

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