Ghost Ads are they illegal?

Ghost Ads are not illegal. To some there is a question if they are ethical though. You've obviously touched a nerve of someone from the unethical camp.

Thank you for answering this for me! I didn't think that I was doing anything wrong because I was doing it just as we were taught. But at the same time we use bandit signs and they aren't legal everywhere so I thought I better check. I got the impression that it was an upset realtor. Time to go post a new ad!

Thanks again,
Bob

These ads are not illegal, might have gotten a buyer upset because you got his hopes up on a possible deal. You have to keep switching up your ads and make sure the property you list in a ghost ad is vacant, that's how I post my ghost ads. I learned from my experience about a year back I posted a ghost ad with a address in my city, I got the address from willow. Comes to find out that a buyer calls me and tells me that he knows this property and that its not for sale. So from now on I make sure my ghost ads are vacant properties, there for if a buyer ttys to get info on the property they would see its vacant and wouldn't know if your the owner or not.

I just started getting into this and that's a step I probably have been most uncomfortable with because it really does feel unethical but then again you gata do what you gata do

Ghost Ads are great and are completely legal
I suggest you when you put Ghost ads try not to put up pictures. The reason why I say so is because it will makes it so expensive.

Keywords to us as titles for ghost ads for cash buyers
Handy special
Must sell fast
fixer upper
lots of equity
needs repairs
Wholesale property
Wholesale real estate
 Discount real estate
 Discount property
 Cheap houses
 TLC needed
 Cash Buyer Needed
 Income Property
 Investment Property
 Investor Special
 Turn key Property
 Cash flowing Property

key words to use for ghost ad title for tenant buyers
low down payment
Easy qualifying
Why rent? while you can own your home
Bad credit or no credit ok
When the bank say no, I say Yes!

Instead of telling your buyers its not available, be like that deal was sold quickly. some buyers could ask you where was it located at or even ask you of the address? BE like I actually got lucky with that one but it was located at a random place between xx street and xxx ave, is that where you are investing? if the reply back to you with YES or NO, be like ok great.

Then be like We provide a service for a select group of cash buyer investors called “Properties to Order.” What I mean by that is, that if you will provide us with a list of what you are looking for, then we will go looking for ONLY properties that meet your specifications. We will pre-negotiate the deal, and put the property under contract according to your criteria, and that is what we will bring back to you. We will NOT waste your time or ours bringing you random properties that you will probably say No to. We will only bring you properties that match your needs and that you will want to say Yes to every single time. Would you be interested in this? (I learnt this from dwall who is one of Dean success coach)

Then get their criteria and go find what they are looking for.

goodluck in REI journey

I hope I was able to help

When I do this I don't include pics or an address. I simply describe the property and let them contact me through the CL email. I don't like to falsely advertise an actual property because that could possibly be seen as fraud. I think he was either a frustrated realtor or an investor that isn't having any luck with CL. I know there are hundreds of people doing this in the area because I know a lot of people went through the program in the past 6 months. I would bet he has been hit by a bunch of people with the same type of response. He has responded to a couple of my ads and this was the first time he actually contacted me back after I sent my response. I could understand if he would have given me his information before and I continuously did this to him but haven't had any contact until now.

Thanks for you input!
Bob

It seems strange at first but after you see how many people contact you and how fast they do, the unethical part seems to disappear! Best of luck!

Bob

Thanks for all of the info. My ghost ads are very generic. Usually simple like

Handyman Special!
3 bed, 2 bath, SFR great location. 1254 Sq ft. Must sell fast. CASH OFFERS ONLY!

The ad itself or finding things to say have never been a problem for me. I use a lot of things similar to what you stated above. I never include addresses or pics. Once they respond I use a variety of responses that either say the prop is already under contract but I have others that I am working on and ask for criteria. I started using the property is no longer available because I had an actual prop that I was advertising and had to back out of the contract and I kept getting responses and didn't feel comfortable saying it was under contract, so I said it's no longer available because it was no longer available through me.

I think I just caught this guy on a bad day. I feel sorry for him because he will never get any of my good deals now!

Thanks for all of the great info and best of luck on your REI journey as well!
Bob

It IS illegal to advertise a property that you do not own or have under contract. Don't use ANY addresses on ghost ads! If you use a picture of any kind, pull a pic of a house in another city.

Running a generic ghost ad is not illegal.

REMEMBER PEOPLE!!! You are NOT selling the property unless you are a licensed realtor! You are ultimately selling your position on the contract! That is why you can't put addresses for houses that you don't have under contract. You don't say that in the ad but keep this in mind in your wording, etc on your ads and be careful.

Karen

That is exactly what I was thinking and needed to hear. I never use addresses or pictures in mine. They are as generic as can be and they produce great results so there is no need to add questionable items!

Thanks for continuing to provide great info!

Bob

The person said they would talk to the Real Estate Commission. Great let them, that commission governs licensed realtors.
@Kareng
Excellent point! We never put up a property that we do not have a Legal right to advertise or offer.
Great Advice and examples, glad to know once again the DG community if helping each other out!

That was my first thought. I'm not a licensed realtor so they really can't do anything to me. It was just such a sudden thing it caught me off guard. He must have just been having a bad day. I just don't reply to him if he responds to ads anymore. Thanks for the info!

Bob