This is my second attempt to get BBB accreditation. The first time I simply did not have the time or bandwidth to supply them with the ungodly amount of documentation and information. They never stopped emailing me to get me to finish so I decided I would make another attempt. They obviously do not understand I am NOT a real estate agent, Nor am I a wholesaler. I sent them everything they asked for and every time they ask for basically the same or slightly altered docs or info. It is so frustrating and Iâm not even sure I need it. I figured in todayâs market if I could add one more thing to establish trust for my sellers/buyers then it would help. Any thoughts on A.) Is it worth it? B.) Has anyone been rejected, and did they overcome and granted accreditation?
I donât know where you are at in your business, but if you are just starting out, donât bother. You will build more credibility through your website, testimonials, and communication than through not being BBB accredited. Deals get you credibility. You exponentially increase your knowledge and experience with every deal you do. You will have title companies that can vouch for you for prospects who are skeptical.
I am no expert, but in doing this for the past 9 months and being involved in multiple communities I have never heard anyone say they didnât get a deal or any customers bringing up the issue that they werenât BBB accredited. Focus your efforts on marketing and objection handling.
I agree with Joe. It is not worth it. Youâd be better off with references. people who have done business with you and were pleased. Get a few of those and put them on your website as proof statements. Look at all the âwe buy landâ sellers online. No one is using BBB anymore. they all have either letter references or a picture of the person and a quote. When you do a transaction, ask every person afterwards to write a letter of recommendation. Accumulate some of those and forget BBB
@JoeR and @DirtGuy are right. In my opinion, the BBB is a total scam and Iâve heard many others say the same.
Itâs unfortunate that that name still means anything in peopleâs minds, because when you understand how they operate, and their âpay to playâ system where anyone can buy a good reputation on their website (and as youâve come to see, they will harass you non-stop until you pay up), you pretty quickly realize their whole system is corrupt.
Will it hurt anything to have their accreditation? Probably not. It might mean something to some folks. But if you want a reputation build on something real, there are many other ways to get it without playing these games with the BBB.
@DirtGuy Jim made an excellent point that I forgot to mention about contacting every person you have done a deal with. I have been doing that to build my credibility. I offer a $25 Amazon gift card just for allowing me to get their feedback and even more money if they are willing to write a testimonial, photo testimonial, or video testimonial. The feedback you receive from people who actually took action is incredibly valuable because there are so few that do and knowing exactly what motivated them will help you create extremely effective marketing material moving forward. I do it on both the acquisition and disposition side. If I forgot to get the buyer info on the dispo side, I just skip trace them with DirectSkip.