Thread by @_jake_i_am

1/ Want to use LinkedIn to get a lot more residential real estate deals?

Merrill @stillwell gave me permission to use his business as a use case so I'll share the play-by-play of how'd I leverage LinkedIn to buy more properties in Colorado ski towns for luxury redevelopment.

🧵

https://twitter.com/stillwell/status/1435623728767975432

2/ A bit about Merrill's business:

https://twitter.com/stillwell/status/1432690988380835849

The problem that needs solving, as with most investors, is how to buy more good properties at a good basis on good terms.

3/ Some background re this exercise:

Merrill's amazing. Lots of experience. He really knows what he's doing. He grew up in these mountains.
- I've been here 7 years. I know the area he invests in well enough, but ofc not as well as him.
- We'll use LinkedIn as the sole strategy.

4/ One more piece of context:

We're not focusing on buying distressed properties. While I'm sure Merrill's okay with buying from folks who need a quick/distressed sale, the goal of this workflow is to generate more acquisitions opportunities - distressed and retail.

5/ Alright, let's get started.

Set up a LI profile showcasing development experience and the fact that you're a Colorado local, skier, developer, etc.

Build a company page and connect that company page to your personal profile.

Don't connect with anyone yet.

6/ Put together a folder of every development deal you've done, press clipping, online mentions, interviews, recordings at conferences if any.

Now either on your own or with the help of an Upworker or PR intern or copywriter take all those materials & turn them into long pots.

7/ Depending on how much time/resources you can commit to this you can also do some short videos, build some infographics if you want to represent something, do long-form posts outlining what you've already built or how you're a real part of that community.

8/ The posts you'll make are intended to build credibility and to give context to what you're doing. They're not to elicit reactions/comments.

Of course people will comment, but that's not the primary goal of your posts. They're to build out your credibility & give background.

9/ This is quite a bit of work & while there are tools out there that help w/ this hiring out might be better? Whatever works.

I'd consider posting a longer piece once a week and a shorter comment/repost piece 1 a week. I'd get a month of content in before doing anything else.

10/ Once you're 8-10 pieces of content in now start connecting.

There are daily algo-triggering limits so go slow. Add 40 people a day, 10 every couple of hours. Don't click too fast.

Start with people you know, you've done business with/ built with up in the mountains.

11/ If you can spare the time (it's worth it), include a short note with the connection request. As brief and as personal as possible.

You're still just connecting to people you know.

12/ Now after a couple days of this stop and wait. Continue posting content. Let your friends and colleagues accept those requests.

As those requests are accepted, your visibility on LI will grow and now people will see you and start reaching out to connect.

13/ Now change your profile description to include "On the lookout to buy luxury development opportunities along I-70"

That's it. Nothing else.

14/ As far as interacting & accepting requests goes, my advice is run a tight ship. You want your profile, connections, posts & comments to be professional.

Don't connect w/people who aren't a match/fit. Those people will still be able to get in touch with you if they need to.

15/ NOW, finally, you've got the foundation & we can get to work.

Reach out (someone can operate this for you) to every broker in every town who could potentially bring you deals.

"I'm an active local developer; have done 35M of deals; see my profile for details; I'm buying."

16/ Next connect to anyone that is a local mover and shaker.

Larger land owners. Hotel/restaurant operators. Ski resort operators. Ranchers. Anyone local w/ strong roots.

"I'm an active local developer always looking for deals; see what I've built; nice to meet you."

No pitch.

17/ Again, do this in tranches, 30-40 a day for a week or two. Wait a bit. You're now a couple of weeks into connecting and 2 months into the whole process. You should have several hundred connections.

18/ Now you're at a cross roads and can go in 1 of 2 directions. Or both.

#1 - Continue putting out content on issues that are pertinent to your business: 1) luxury mountain development 2) workforce housing in the mountains 3) what you've built 4) issues you're encountering

19/ This will yield connections, reinforce your reputation and have people reach out who are sellers, investors or middlemen. While this method is relatively slow and organic, you're building a very strong, almost unshakable position.

20/ Method #2 is a bit more direct. Using either Sales Navigator or LI messages you can reach out to people who's names you've acquired from public records who own land in the specific areas you want to build in/redevelop.

Pull land records > skiptrace > connect > message.

21/ You're now building your network among folks who own land specifically where you want to buy. You can have someone do this & build thousands of connections.

Because in these towns people are 1-3 (max) times removed from each other, the network effects are very strong.

22/ Six months into this you'll have a LinkedIn presence reinforced by 50+ posts about developing & redeveloping property in the mountains with thousands of local connections comprising landowners, realtors, local VIPs and landowners.

23/ Every time you put a new project under contract or sell a property, your network will know about it (unless they opt out of seeing what you're up to).

And every couple of weeks you can say you're looking for another one to buy.

-end-

(lots more to this, but good start).