No Housing Shortage: Let’s Get Creative!

We’ve been hearing a lot about a housing shortage lately, but let’s take a closer look. It turns out the problem might not be what it seems. Instead of wringing our hands about a lack of homes, maybe it’s time to get a bit more inventive.

Foreclosure notices are popping up more often, sending alarm bells ringing. But guess what? Many of these homes up for grabs actually have plenty of equity and time left to sell before the actual foreclosure. That’s a golden opportunity for buyers and sellers alike. Buyers can snag a deal, and sellers can avoid foreclosure by potentially selling for a sweet price. It’s a win-win waiting to happen.

And about that supposed shortage? We’ve got a whopping 16 million vacant homes just sitting around in the U.S. Yet, somehow, we’re still talking about a shortage of 3.2 million homes. Something doesn’t add up, does it? It’s not that we’re short on houses; it’s that a lot of them need a bit of TLC. Think of all those fixer-uppers just waiting for someone to come along and spruce them up.

Enter the investors. These folks have all the tools and tricks up their sleeves to tackle this challenge. Whether it’s flipping houses or giving old properties a new lease on life, investors are the unsung heroes of the real estate world. And with technology on their side, they can spot a diamond in the rough from miles away.

So, instead of fretting about a shortage, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work. By thinking outside the box and putting our creativity to the test, we can turn this supposed crisis into an opportunity. It’s time to reimagine the housing market and make it work for everyone involved.

In the end, it’s not about scarcity—it’s about seizing the abundance of possibilities right in front of us. So let’s get out there, get creative, and make some magic happen in the world of real estate.

“But Hey, I’m just a real estate agent, not an investor?”—Now is the best time to become a hybrid agent, either by developing a skillset as an investor too, or by finding investor clients you can represent. Prophawk.Com is the latest toolset to help agents reach the vacant older homes or those homes scheduled for foreclosure. By quickly communicating with these homeowners, a hybrid agent can offer them two options. A good agent doesn’t care which option they choose, as long as they choose one. We are finding that a strategy of making an offer at a discount, while also being willing and able to help the owner sell for top dollar on MLS, turns nearly every lead into a cash-generating transaction.

When communicating with sellers, you don’t need to point out that they are distressed. It goes a lot like this:

Agent: “Hi, Is this John? Do you still own the house on Main Street?”

Owner: “Yes, Who’s this?”

Agent: “Hi there, sorry to bother you, my name is Jill. I have a client hoping to buy a home in your neighborhood for around $250K, do you know anyone thinking of selling?

Owner: “Well, I would consider selling, but my home is worth $300K.”

Agent: “OK, I bet you could sell for that on MLS, have you considered hiring an agent?”

Owner: “What is MLS?”

Believe it or not, we see these conversations every day. A seller has equity, needs to sell fast, but doesn’t know the first thing they need to do is hire an agent. And our hybrid agent steps in and saves the day.

While the number of transactions in every market has decreased significantly, now is the ideal time to sharpen your tools and step into these new unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

Aaron AmuchasteguiAaron Amuchastegui is a real estate entrepreneur, investor, host of the Real Estate Rockstars Podcast, and author of Bidding to Buy and co-author of The Five Hour School Week.

Explore his work through Real Estate Rockstars, PropHawk, Roddy’s Foreclosure Listing Service, and Home Rock.

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