Nate(WI) Finds Birddogs on Steroids (audio+video)
Question: Are you still looking for new ways to get more qualified real estate leads, without spending a ton of time or money to make it happen?
What if the words, “automated”, “systematized”, and “pretty darn easy” are tossed in? Well here’s something you might find provocative. An audio, a video and an honest review…
What Nate Stumbled Upon
A couple of weeks ago, Nate Andree — AKA Nate(WI) in the forum – brought something unusual to my attention — a project a couple of guys had been working on in Hawaii called “Teamwork Lead System“. After stumbling upon it on the web, he was intrigued and asked for any insight I may have to offer.
I didn’t actually have time to review it right away, but finally laid eyes on it a few days later. And I have to admit, after spending a few minutes investigating what they’re doing, I felt captivated.
Here’s a quick tear-sheet from their website…
Yeah, big promises.
I mean, 4 minutes? Frankly, I don’t think I can even make coffee that fast. But my interest is piqued…
Click play to hear an honest review.
Standard Podcast: Bird Dogs on Steroids
The story in a nutshell is that these guys are computer geeks turned real estate investors. And apparently once they got into this business, they quickly ran into what many of us honestly do — the all-too-common struggle of spending huge amounts of time and money hunting for leads/deals, with all-too-little to show for it on the other side.
So with computer-geekiness-in-hand, they set out to figure out how to leverage technology in devising a way to outsource and automate their lead generation.
The end result seems to be an innovative and elegant way to systematically recruit, train and effectively manage bird dogs to do your legwork for you (to bring you a steady stream of leads based on your own criteria) and to do so without taking any more of your personal time or energy than absolutely necessary.
It’s really pretty simple really, from an aeriel view
- Step 1: Choose where you want to do deals (your own market, or another)
- Step 2: Recruit and train a tidy army of bird dogs, hungry for collecting the finder’s fees you’ve promised them. (usually done through free classifieds, like Craig’s List)
- Step 3: Manage them well (this is the tricky part really)
Easier to Do Deals in Other Markets?
I’m also intrigued by the fact that they’ve apparently been able to leverage this to make it easy to instantly have your hand in any market across the country you want to be in.
Let’s face it, these guys are from Hawaii! Real estate is at such a premium and deals at such a rarity in the Islands, they almost had no choice but to begin doing deals outside their own market. So this thing was put together with this concept well in mind.
So basically you can pick your market, follow their lead for hiring your worker bees, and manage them systematically through the tools they’ve put together.
An Honest Review…
I’m intrigued enough that I wanted to do a candid review of Teamwork Lead System for our community. So Nate and I called them up directly for a quick, on-the-spot interview. Our conversation wasn’t rehearsed or pre-planned. Nate and I just asked as many questions as we could think of in a few minutes together to find out:
- how it works, who it’s right for, and who it’s NOT for,
- how the bird dog management works, (how to compensate, communicating, etc.)
- specific strengths and weaknesses, and what kind of success they’ve had PERSONALLY,
- why not just reverse engineer what they’re doing?
- and more…
If your interest is piqued also, here’s what I invite you to do…
Start by eavesdropping on our conversation. (You can listen on this page using the orange “play” button above or right-click and “save target as…” to download an MP3)
.- If you have any follow-up questions (that Nate and I didn’t ask) please share them in the blog comments below. We’ll schedule a quick follow-up chat with these guys to get them answered for you as well.
. - I suggest you also take a couple of moments to review the Teamwork Lead System description page (that’s where they reveal the specific Craig’s List ad they use to recruit bird dogs, along with some other keen insights IMHO.
. - Look over the quick video they put together, which walks through the insider of their management console. (NO OPT-IN REQUIRED)
So check it out, enjoy the interview and please share your follow-up questions in the blog comments below…
Trackback URL for this entry :
http://blog.flippinghomes.com/index.php/commentary/teamwork-lead-system-review/trackback/
November 27th, 2007 at 8:42 am
I signed up for this about a week ago. 2 days after I signed up and posted on craigslist, I had 5 birddogs signed up for the program. None have submitted a lead yet.
I think this is a very good system. For the cost, if one or two people submit leads that work out, it more than pays for itself.
I also believe, like many systems, you have to continually be training and motivating the people that sign up or many will loose interest quickly. What you are really looking for is the one or two people out of the flock that will run with the program.
Jim W
November 27th, 2007 at 9:33 am
I watched the video for the system and found it very interesting. I thought it was a really good idea, but right now I can’t afford to pay the $300 up fron and $50/month maintenance fees. I was able to duplicate the idea with my own website, even though I don’t have all the automation and backend system. Within a couple hours I was able to create a new page on my website for birg dogs to sign up for our Cash Incentive Program and also Submit Properties that have found. When I post ads on craigs list I direct people to this page on my website. Within the first week of posting ads on Craigs list I had about 25 people sign up for the program. I have had a couple people submit some properties for review, only 1 that seemed worth following up on. I can see how after posting ads for a few weeks you have have a huge network of bird dogs to manage, but I have a feeling that most of them won’t submit any properties or do anything more then submit thier information. I’m fine with the way I have things setup now. My website collects the information and emails it to me. Its a little bit more hands on, but It doesn’t cost me anymore per month or any up front fees. It’s a great concept though.
Patrick
November 27th, 2007 at 10:21 am
Interesting Jim. I agree with you and its like most marketing. If you get one deal, just one deal then it pays for itself. But…..can you get that one deal
Please keep us posted on how it goes for you.
Nate
November 27th, 2007 at 10:22 am
I invested in this system a little over a month ago, put 2 ads on craigslist, and have 40 birddogs now. I have 10 that have submitted leads, and I am going over the leads now. I have a couple birddogs that I have let submit directly to me at my e-mail because of their own quirks, but they have good leads, so I don’t mind. I like the system, and like the support that the guys provide. I still do e-mail blasts to all the birddogs about once a week or more, with tips for finding motivated sellers and what types of leads will get first priority. I am saving tips that I come up with in my documents, and then sending them out every week. Managing the people still requires thought and organization, but this system helps a lot. Now, I need to get a deal through so the birddogs stay motivated (they will all know when someone gets paid!) and so I can keep paying 50.00/month for the system!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
The video link isn’t working.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
It’s back up. Thanks guys! This looks very cool.
November 27th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
If you are an agent/investor… how do you get around the fee violation with being an agent and giving someone who is not an agent a finder’s fee?
November 27th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
I think they have a good idea. The monthly subscription fee buys you access to their lead management system.
But, the signups are not bird dogs. You, the investor, have to train them and motivate them.
I got 20 in about a week, but only 3 have produced any leads that i’m evaluating.
You do need a little knowledge of html to modify the standard templates and to send formated emails.
It a good idea — will it pan out? I don’t know. But for the most part, I’ve gotten a few free leads that might turn into smoething.
Chris
www.sdppartners.com
November 27th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
Whoa…… This is all free, right??? I want it for Christmas !!! I need it!!! God, i have to have it!
November 27th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
would the market ever get saturated with investors uing this system??
November 28th, 2007 at 10:12 am
I was wondering the same thing regarding saturation. However I quickly reminded myself that this is a “what if” question and those almost always stop me from moving forward. Instead I replaced it with: “What if I am so successful with this that two bird dogs go to the same home”? This is a question I’d rather face because it means I’ve got lots of workers.
I wouldn’t worry about the saturation until you see it happening. Till then, enjoy the fruits of the labor. “Get thee behind me!”
November 28th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
This sounds great! I have been hearing a lot lately about possible legal issues with paying bird-dogs referral fees when deals close. Does this depend on which state you are in? What organization or website should I go to in order to check the legalities for Oregon and Washington? It is my understanding that there is no problem with paying for leads up front but that in some states it may be illegal to pay additional fees or bonuses when a deal closes. I am not a realtor. Where would I find this information in print or online from an official source? I want to see or hear the actual law on this for Oregon and Washington rather than just believing what some people say…especially since these types of things can be confusing. Any help or direction toward where I should look for the legal info would be appreciated. The system sounds promising. I have not signed up for the system but I have one bird dog who I pay per lead to bring me leads for vacant ugly houses. It’s going pretty well but if I can pay referrals when deals close rather than paying upfront I could have a lot more bird dogs looking and this system sounds like it could really help and pay off. Thanks, Keri
March 26th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Hey, will some of you folks that have signed up for this thing turn us onto your sign up site, so we can see this animal from a first person (i.e. a bird dog’s) point of view?
I would like to know just what my bird dogs will see from their point of view from people (that would be you guys) who I KNOW are in the business. Let’s face it, the inventors of this system could be just great system developers, who happen to have an interest (late night infomercial viewers) in real estate investment.
I would like to sign up as one of you guys bird dogs, and see your training materials come flying into my inbox for myself.
Anybody game? Hmm?
Legendary (yes, it’s really my name)
April 18th, 2008 at 10:49 am
I signed up for this site last night and was presented with the usualy, check here to accept the Terms of Use. Most people just check this off and move on. No smart folks.
Read the TOU and Privacy Policy. Everything thing you submit to the site, all communications in any form, email, fax, phone, etc. and all your personal information they now have “Exclusive Rights” to use in anyway they see fit. They have the right to sell, rent or give your personal info to third parties for solicitation purposes by any avenue available. If You’ve Personalized your pages on their site, they now have Exclusive Rights to your logo and branding graphics if you’v used them. The TOU and PP was not presented until after paying. I’m both shocked and angry! To email, call or visit their site, according to the TOU, Implies acceptance of their terms.??? I find this totally unacceptable and have emailed the person who sent me the link to their video to assist me to get written commitments from them that My work, logos, graphics, etc will remain exclusively Mine and my personal info will NOT be shared with 3rd parties to use for soliciting or anything else.
I’m waiting to hear back.
I feel duped.
Most sincerely
Melangelan
April 18th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Hi, this is Andy, co-founder of Teamwork Lead System. Melangelan, I really appreciate you sharing your concerns, and I’d like to personally respond to them.
First of all, I commend you for actually reading our privacy policy & terms. You’re right, it’s not something most of us take the time to do, but we all should be more like you in this way.
Re: our terms & privacy policy specifically, please realize that these documents were drafted by our attorney for us some 8 months ago. My understanding is that they are the very ones used by a number of other companies with internet solutions similar to ours. They are of a standard “internet law compliance” variety, designed to protect us from nearly any scenario that could arise.
Admittedly I only skimmed them once after they were drafted, and trusted that both our interests and those of our members were aptly protected. So without concern, we put them online. Frankly you are the first person to have raised a concern about them, prompting me to review them more closely. I’ll definitely take another look at this point to see what language we can modify to avoid alarming anyone else in the future.
Having said that, Melangelan, I’d like to offer you my personal assurance that you have absolutely no reason to worry. We have NEVER sold, rented, or given anyone’s info to any third parties for solicitation & we will never, ever do so. And I cannot think of a single reason why we’d ever want to use your company logo or graphics for anything. Moreover in the past 6 months, we’ve grown to nearly 300 members in the U.S. and Canada, and if you ask any of them they would assure you that they’ve never been solicited by a third-party or had their information shared in any way.
Also, I’d like to address your concern about not seeing the terms/privacy policy displayed before your order. Actually we have links to both documents on every single page of our website before you purchase. So you did have access to them before registering. I’m sorry they were missed though, and regret that you felt in any way “duped”. It was not our intent. I take customer relationship and trust very seriously, and would never ever want to do something in a way that seemed anything less than ethical and above board. Since you know JP and Steve, just understand that I have very similar values when it comes to character & integrity.
If you like, pease feel free to contact me via email at info@teamworkleadsystem.com if you’d like any further assurance that you have nothing to worry about. Or we could even discuss this further over the phone if you like - just let me know.
Thanks & I pray the very best for everyone connected with this great community.
April 18th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
I’ll do another call with JP next week to talk about the legal issues and some other FAQs.
Aloha,
Andy
April 29th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Andy, great system, can’t wait to get started.
May 1st, 2008 at 3:38 pm
I think it is pretty pricey for a simple website that collects info.
I think spending my time going through leads from people who have no vested interest in my time, my business or the houses they bring me would result in a LOT of wasted time on bad leads.That being the case I think I would spend more time qualifying the leads then actually getting the deals.
I think it would be more beneficial and efficient simply spending that money targeting motivated sellers who want to and are ready to sell their house rather then having ppl with no interest in my business, time or property giving me info about houses they may or may not know anything about and have no interest in selling personally. Or spend the $400.00 and 2 or 3 months of the fees on SEO. We did and we are at the top of google for our local area, and for our software products.
We get a TON of free leads from just doing that. Half our leads come fomr the Internet and they are motivated sellers not people who have no vested interest in the property.
How about a free trial period? Or a reduced price trial period? It is pretty hard to plunk down that kind of money on a video, a bunch of pictures of oversized checks, and promises. If it is such a great product, why don’t you let us demo it?
You could do a 1 month trial for $50.00. I mean this kind of thing is commonplace for products these days, especially digital media. So why is it that in the REI bsiness for some reason you never get to see or use the product first? Instead you have to spend hundreds or thousands so you are alrweady into at and do your best to make it work.
We got real tired of that real fast.
Unless you have hours to go through leads that this army of people bring you that may or may not be any good, I don’t see how this is really that efficient and would lead to more deals. I would think it would just lead to more leads, and of the lowest quality. I think it would lead to more time qualifying leads, and you could get more deals done by targetting motivated sellers, not bird dogs.
Anyway, being from an IT background myself, I will find out. We started creating our own products because we got sick of paying for stuff and finding out it was more usefull as a marketing gimmick then actually usefull in the business. Or if it was usefull, it is so expesnive you can’t afford it unless your already an investor doing great deals. It is ridiculous what some of this stuff costs for what it does, and what it is. $1000’s on a freaking website. I mean really….pleeeeezzzzz.
I think it might be a good idea, but without a system of further screening like our back office does, I think it would probably waste a lot of time, and then of course at $400.00 and $100 a month, the money too.
Maybe combining it with something like a backoffice would result in something usable that doesn’t require a lot of time. I don’t know really. But we are going to try it with our own bird dog software and find out.
If it works well for us we will market it. If it doesn’t work, you will know because we won’t release it.
If you have a decent product, let us test it. Provide a downlodable 30 day demo. Provide an online trial period, provide something other then pictures, promises, pictures of oversized checks.
My .02 cents.