Leaflet drops looking for sellers?

So, I have recently moved to a new part of the city, I like it and am thinking of buying around here.
I would like to get a property early, before estate agents and bidding wars. So, I'm thinking of a leaflet drop?
You know, drop into all letterboxes, tell them I'm interested in buying etc etc.
What do you think? Would you answer something like that if you were thinking of selling?

Samuel T. Cogley

If I was selling I'd want the maximum exposure and the highest possible price. I honestly thought that was normal, but there are some very odd people out there, who knows you might get someone who want to keep it a secret they're selling.

jimmycrackcorm

Waste of time. You might as well write on the leaflet, "don't bother looking for purchasers that will pay more, you'll take the price I'll make up".

Not only that, what are the chances that someone is thinking of selling just at the time you're buying?

antoinolachtnai

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

Waste of time. You might as well write on the leaflet, "don't bother looking for purchasers that will pay more, you'll take the price I'll make up".

This makes a bit of sense when the market is depressed and nothing is being put for sale. It doesn't do much good when there is strong demand and rising prices (like now).

But who knows, it might work. It really depends on the the area. There are no sure answers.

Rowley Birkin QC

Just don't put them in letter boxes that have "No Junk Mail" stickers. Sick of getting the bloody things in the door from estate agents.

Parchment

It cant hurt but i would assume most people will want to put in on the market.

Maybe call to local estate agents and tell them what area you are looking for and if they know of anything coming up.

com1

That is how my brother got his current house. He was renting in the area and wanted to buy so he leafleted the area which persuaded a couple of owners to put their houses on the market. He got one of them

bmwguy

com1 wrote: »

That is how my brother got his current house. He was renting in the area and wanted to buy so he leafleted the area which persuaded a couple of owners to put their houses on the market. He got one of them

Did they put them on the market or respond directly to him? That's 2 different things

OP wants,to buy without alerting the competition

bmwguy

bmwguy wrote: »

OP wants,to buy without alerting the competition

It's not even that, it cuts out the estate agent. When I was thinking of selling I would have responded to this, I knew what I would accept for the house.
I guess everyone thinks in a rising market though that they want the most they can.

listermint

bubblypop wrote: »

It's not even that, it cuts out the estate agent. When I was thinking of selling I would have responded to this, I knew what I would accept for the house.
I guess everyone thinks in a rising market though that they want the most they can.

His question was if that house his brother got was already on the market.


Tbh I don't think you have a hope in hell of getting anything from this approach for a multitude of reasons not withstanding people want the highest money they can get.

But by all means go for it and report back

If you're a cash buyer it may help, recently my bid was used to bump up a cash buyers bid then I was cast aside so it appears it helps if you're a cash buyer and can get things done quickly. Although I think in my case it was a dodgy EA.