I got a Solicitation Through the Mail

[LeonCLi]

So I recently received a mailed letter from a CG appraiser in the Great Los Angeles Area. I thought it was odd, since most appraisers I've dealt with have corresponded via email. The letter was soliciting me to potentially take on contract work, with a list of various property types ranging from condos to commercial properties and what fee I would bid for the fee on each type of assignment. There's a return envelope which I would have to mail back with my own postage. His license number checks out. He has as website that has the 1990s feel like it was done in HTML 1.0 with no CSS. Is this a common practice to reach out to fellow appraisers by mail? Wouldn't calling or emailing be easier and more straightforward? Is this the kind of solicitation the rest of you would consider following up on?

 

[CCAAMO]

Sent him an email and see if he responds

 

[jay trotta]

Over the years I have received various different, but similar offers; perhaps it's his way of communication and he may have a client base that he wants to share. If he sounds, old school as you put it, he/she may have used that as a paper trail all along. Establishing the solicitation.
I would have no problem writing them back and with a point for a meet & greet that could be confirmed by phone. You could then establish how you want to work out the Fee structure, payment options and any other items of interest.
Good Luck

 

[glenn walker]

You opened it up a read it-that's good marketing - Actually old school but how many spam E-mail solicitations do we receive everyday ? We hit delete and are done

 

[glenn walker]

My best letter story is in 1985 I owned a small commercial Real Estate Office, we also were site locators for local developers, this was Pre-E-Mail- My cousin was my little marketing manager and all he did 4-hours a day was send out hand written letters on our letterhead, to land owners. He even hand addresses the envelopes. These letters basically just said we have buyers looking for land like yours, and we included a plat map and profile.. Anyway he mails some out in 1990 which was a bad year for us. Shut the office down in 1995 but have the same business landline today. In year 2003 I get a call from an-old land owner and he says hey I got your guys letter asking if I wanted to sell my land and its signed by a Philip Bowers is he in. I said no but maybe I can help you. Mind you Philip had been gone for at least 5 years. I then asked him when he received that letter. The old guy says, I dont know its been a long time but I have the envelope, I said can you look at the post mark to see the date. The old guy says sure puts down the phone, picks up the phone and says it; dated , April-9-1988. I am wow thats 15 years ago. He responds with yes I saved it because I have been thinking about selling it but I just move slowly. Anyway I met with the old guy a week later listed his land for sale and we found a cash buyer about 3 months later.

 

[gregb]

This reminds me of the agent whose "farming" method was to call every single residential listing in the local phone book, asking two questions: "Want to sell, or want to buy?"

 

[Renee Healion]

In the time of emails, I have received letters with a similar message. Someone from CT wrote me using very good quality paper. It was not the right time for me but I credit someone for using good stock instead of Staples economy copy paper. I realize I sound like Patrick Bateman in American Psycho talking about business cards, but hey, I still remember it.

I think he was being formal. If you think about it, there is an implied time frame with different modes of messaging. Would someone use a text for a quicker response than an email, and an email for a quicker response than a letter? Maybe he was giving you time to consider.

 

[glenn walker]

In the time of emails, I have received letters with a similar message. Someone from CT wrote me using very good quality paper. It was not the right time for me but I credit someone for using good stock instead of Staples economy copy paper. I realize I sound like Patrick Bateman in American Psycho talking about business cards, but hey, I still remember it.

I think he was being formal. If you think about it, there is an implied time frame with different modes of messaging. Would someone use a text for a quicker response than an email, and an email for a quicker response than a letter? Maybe he was giving you time to consider.

Only someone of your intellect -could arrive at that conclusion !

 

[J Grant]

So I recently received a mailed letter from a CG appraiser in the Great Los Angeles Area. I thought it was odd, since most appraisers I've dealt with have corresponded via email. The letter was soliciting me to potentially take on contract work, with a list of various property types ranging from condos to commercial properties and what fee I would bid for the fee on each type of assignment. There's a return envelope which I would have to mail back with my own postage. His license number checks out. He has as website that has the 1990s feel like it was done in HTML 1.0 with no CSS. Is this a common practice to reach out to fellow appraisers by mail? Wouldn't calling or emailing be easier and more straightforward? Is this the kind of solicitation the rest of you would consider following up on?

Since many people delete or spam emails from not known I think this is a classy way to reach out to peers. Sounds like a long time established appraiser who has some overflow work.

 

[glenn walker]

Since many people delete or spam emails from not known I think this is a classy way to reach out to peers. Sounds like a long time established appraiser who has some overflow work.

I don't know now Renee has me scared I can see some old weird CG -Luring in young women or maybe even young men for that job interview .

My next Novel is going to be about a young beautiful successful, Beverly Hills Realtor who lures appraisers into her 20,000 square foot Mansion under the pretense of needing an-appraisal for estate purposes. She scans the States License Board-looking for the lowest numbers which are indicative of older white males who are often lonely, depressed-over weight and generally miserable to be around.

She sends the appraiser a letter on her letter head with her photo on it and requests a phone call to set an-appointment. She is very careful to not use E-mail or texts and does not leave messages on voice mails as to not create a paper trail. It's rumored that her X-Lover was a young CG who she had met at a Beverly Hills Mansion, and they hooked up. She found out he was two timing her with another Super Star Realtor down in Bel-Arie. That's when She decided to purchase her own Mansion and have a specially designed dungeon built so she could lure appraisers onto her property, and thats where they would be kept and finally be euthanized by her veterinarian.

The End: The Novelists book is so boring the author falls to sleep writing it's first chapter. When he awakens he is visibly shaken. The Yenta and Uncle Billy asks him if he is sick ? He says no I had a dream and I had been lured in by a Beverly Hills Realtor and She was holding me captive against my will. The New York City Yenta- looks at me and says your mother warned me that you were delusional, and that you lived in a fantasy world. And there is not any hot young Beverly Hills Realtor that would even look sideways at you much less try to hold you captive. So take out the trash - feed the dogs and cats and get up to the store.

Uncle Billy says to the Yenta his first chapter was kinda getting me excited, you remember my Second Trophy Wife, She was a Realtor I had met at an-inspection and She gave me three good years. The Yenta responds with you old fool She had an-IQ of 95 on a good day and took two of your houses and your Corvette.