Do you hate calling on For Sale By Owners (FSBOs)? What if you had a unique and valuable service to offer them that's non-confrontational? Try this on your door to door or phone marketing to FSBOs:

"Hello, I'm a local home buyer marketing consultant and I see that you have your home for sale. I'm not trying to convince you to list with a Realtor, and I'd like to offer to create a virtual tour of your home at no charge to you. I'll even put the tour on the Internet for you to email to buyer prospects and to copy it to CDs to hand out at your next open house. Would this be OK with you?"

Now, most FSBOs won't turn down a free service, especially something as sizzling as a virtual tour! So, you photograph their property, create a VisualTour and email them the tour's link. Then drop off a few copies of the tour on CDs (or diskettes if you prefer). All with your contact information built right into the tour! You can even include the tour on your own website, perhaps in a section devoted to "special properties" or "not in the MLS." The buyers who see the tour will contact you and you'll have more ammunition to either negotiate a fee for at least the buyer transaction and you'll have a great introduction when the FSBO gives up and is ready to list their home with a Realtor. Who are they going to choose, the pesky agent who keeps calling or the nice, professional who created a virtual tour for them already?