The Shelf Life of Probate Filings

In the last post, we explained that even in densely populated areas, there is not a profusion of probate filings on a weekly basis. The only way to generate a meaningful amount of probate leads is to extract the most recent filings, and go back in time to find the probate filings that were entered within the past 30, 60, or 90+ days, whatever it takes to reach a predetermined level of probate leads. It begs the question, are these archived probate leads still receptive to your marketing? Do they become stale at some point? 

The reality is, each executor of an estate has a different time frame when selling the home makes sense. Sure, in some cases, the executor is ready to sell immediately and the deal nearly falls in your lap, as if the executor was waiting for your call. These type of deals will put easy cash in your pocket after your initial contact. But we know that it’s not so easy in most cases. If only it were!

Just because a property goes into probate doesn’t mean that the executor of the state wants to sell RIGHT NOW. Say, for example, a living spouse is in the home and has no intention to sell today. Contact that same person within 2, 3, 4, even 6 months or more, and maybe they are emotionally ready to move onto another house and get closer to the kids.

There are some “gurus” in the probate marketing space that advocate contacting the executor as soon as possible because the executor purportedly will want to sell the estate immediately. In reality, each case is different, and no one has a crystal ball. 

You should find our candor and realistic approach to be refreshing. The only thing we can say with certainty is that among the entire universe of probate leads,

  • Some probates will be sold immediately.
  • Sometimes, the estate will hold onto the property and sell it after some period of time.
  • Sometimes, the property will be left to the surviving spouse or other family member
  • Sometimes, the spouse or family member will want to sell the house after living in it for a short period of time.
  • Whatever the time frame, once the executor does in fact make an affirmative decision to sell the property, they will want to sell it as soon as possible.

Don’t get us wrong. We furnish the most recent, up-to-date list of probate filings. Our only caveat is that there won’t be a sizable amount on a daily/weekly basis, so to make it worthwhile for you, we will normally have to pull an “X Dated” list of probate filings to populate a meaningful amount of leads for you to work. These leads are still good, based on the reasons cited above.

While we are on this topic, we’d like to give you some food for thought if you are considering partner with another provider of probate leads.

There are some competitors that offer a subscription service whereby each week, you get a fresh, updated list of probate filings for the past week. You will pay a fixed fee for this service, normally hundreds of dollars for a 12-week or annual subscription, regardless of how many leads you get throughout this period. After you get a relatively small amount of leads, you do the math, and the cost per lead is astronomical – up to $50 per lead or more!

That’s it for now. To bounce some ideas around, give us a call at 800-307-9124. Till next time, A-B-C… Always Be Closing.

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Comments

  • I make it a habit to contact my probate leads for at least a year after filing. Sometimes it takes that long.

  • Very interest comments and reflexions.

    Thank you.

    Glengarry Glenross.

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