Don’t - I quit doing them last year and never skipped a beat.
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It’s weird. If a house is listed for sale OR a rental property owned by an individual I’m 80% certain I’m not gonna get paid. it only took 3 times for me slamming my fingers in that door to realize half upfront will turn a lot of those folks away. Especially when the rate unexpectedly doubled. 
The others magically pay full price and never even get a second invoice.
They pay just like everyone else. They know you can file a mechanics lien.
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I have just a couple of high end realtors who tell their clients what to do. They have me go by home and tell them what needs to be done. Since I use to be in custom home building business, they know I know what to look for. So I tell them and they tell their clients to call and hire me. Usually good for one really nice home per month.
The mindset is different here in MO. If it’s a rental they’re in no rush to sell and fall of the face of the earth. Home’s listed. Been stiffed twice and everyone tried to pass the buck. “I thought the realtor was handling that.” “No, that’s the homeowner’s responsibility.” “I’ll call the realtor” House is sold by that point and I’m not going to put a mechanics lien on a new homeowner.
3 different goose eggs.
I like the way you think. On the other hand, does that get you in front of the realtors for their Wednesday meetings? THAT would be my first request, and I would offer any realtor 50% OFF EVERY REALTOR’S FIRST JOB, and the offer that if the realtor agrees that your work is worth full price that you will enjoy a continued relationship.
The most important element of working on homes for sale is the adding of value. I WILL add at least $10,000 to the value of a home for sale. PERIOD! Convince the realtor that the slightly tarnished to heavily tarnished home will sell for more money more quickly, and they will sell your service to the sellers with great frequency.
Let me add that I clean windows, and will be cleaning windows at realtor’s offices in exchange for that $400 that you will spend in January and February of next year. Clean Windows can have a MAJOR impact on the salability of a home from the inside, but a PWer is often necessary to get the buyer inside. BOTH services are important to the seller of homes. HAPPY HUNTING!
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In an ideal world,it might work this way…reality, not so much.
Realtors generally will not sell a lot of pressure washing as it is the home owner that decides whether or not to spend the money…locally, that has proven to be a “no go”.
Hmm, I’ll be able to report more in March, but one place I’m getting a lot of traction right now is from HOAs who require their homeowners to clean their siding and roofs. THAT’D be my first recommendation. I’m doing very nicely with those folks, indeed!
Wish I had such a place here…small area around here has nothing like this.
You may be right, but you might be surprised. Find large neighborhoods, ask about HOAs. The homeowners will be happy to tell you how invasive they are. THOSE are the folks you want to contact with your insurance documentation and references.
So the representative was supposed to call me this afternoon at 3pm for a follow up. Got no such call. I may just be stubborn, but on principal alone I will not be the one to reach out when you are supposed to contact me. That’s not good business and unprofessional.
Oh well. Just in case anyone here doesn’t know what good looks like, great customer service is keeping your commitments! Ill let you guys know what happens.
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Problem is…no large neighborhoods within 40mii radius of me.
I live in a town of 12,000 and it is the largest town in that 40mi radius.
Hey, Eminem, YOU"RE a vendor, not a customer. Never forget who needs who more. Until you are perceived as a generator of funds (more than $400), you’ll remain a vendor who is asked to pay for the priviledge to market and service.
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I have never had a realty company ask me to pay a fee before… I have no problem paying out a finders fee to a person, but I would not pay a realtor up front.
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I’m with Steve on this. I have never not regretted touching a storm window., and I won’t do it again at any price. When I get a lead that has storm windows, I decline with great courtesy and haste.
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HOAs… man… I’d pay an HOA board $1000 for them to promote me on their Facebook page over paying a realtor $400. HOA’s are a goldmine. A little culty, but goldmines.
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Well that is a little different. Realtors make suggestions to their clients -lots of them… Hoas on the other hand like to be all powerful and push the rules. Big difference in suggesting a service and being told you have to do something…
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You guys know I’m new and recently freed from the feds. It’s been an uphill battle getting into business, and despite the great advice from you all, I’ve encountered problem after problem. So have the rest of you, and I know I’m not unique in that respect. My biggest win excepting the great intelligence I’ve gleaned from here and WCR has been HomeAdvisor. Thanks @squidskc Rowdie for pushing me in that direction. The point I’m making is I did several HA jobs in a neighborhood, Asked about why these folks were cleaning homes that hadn’t been cleaned in several years. They told me the HOA had threatened them. I made a bee-line to the office as soon as I had 30 minutes free (HA keeps me hopping) to give them a copy of my insurance and license. That was two weeks ago. I’ve already gotten almost $2k out of that visit, and the mgr emailed me yesterday to bring more cards to the office. Guess where I was at 9 this am? BINGO!
Dudes, I LOVE this SH%T!
Hence the great migration to the cities. While my cost of living is more, I’ll bet anybody a steak dinner in Atlanta at the Huge Convention in August that I will bust $100K in the ■■■ by then, (my first year in business August 1, 2018)
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That is great…glad you have found your niche.
I like this business, too…but all I want is around 10hrs a week…not looking for full time work. I just finished my one job for this week…I goofed a little on the quote…but it turned out alright…paid me $832.50 after I gave the customer the discount that she had earned. Took me 6.5hrs…$128 per hour so, I worked a little cheaper than I like to…but not a bad day, at all.
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Man if you can get by on a day or two a week bid as high as you can. My problem is I try to bid as high as possible but bottom line is I have to keep work flowing and making payroll sometimes and just take the loss. Winter is prime example. 6 weeks of gutters that pay as much as 2 weeks of washing but it keeps things afloat in the winter.
