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16 low-cost ways to find home watch clients

Home watch clients rarely search for you. They ask someone they already trust, usually a few weeks before they leave. Most of these ideas are about being the name that person gives.

People who already get asked "who checks on the house?"

  1. Insurance agents Free

    Many homeowners policies have conditions for a home left empty for long stretches, so agents get asked who can check on it. Drop in with cards and a sample visit report, and ask to be the name they give.

  2. HOA and condo managers Free

    Community and building managers hear from seasonal owners every spring. Ask to be on their list of vendors, and offer a short piece for their newsletter on closing up a unit.

  3. Estate and elder-law attorneys Free

    Homes sit empty during probate, or after an owner moves to assisted living, and someone has to answer for them. Few home watch operators think to ask. A one-page letter and a call is enough.

  4. Realtors who sell second homes Low cost

    Offer agents a closing gift for buyers who won't live there year-round: the first month of visits, or a free walk-through. The agent looks thoughtful and you meet the owner on day one.

  5. Pool, lawn, pest and AC companies Free

    They're at empty houses every week and see what goes wrong. Swap referrals: you send them work from your clients' to-do lists, they hand out your card.

  6. Alarm companies and locksmiths Free

    Owners call them about a house that will be empty, and they can't go round in person. You can, and you're a natural person to list as a key holder.

Where seasonal owners already gather

  1. Snowbird clubs and clubhouse newsletters Low cost

    Many seasonal communities have clubs by home state, plus a clubhouse newsletter or bulletin board. A small ad or sponsorship there reaches exactly the right people, and costs a fraction of a mailer.

  2. A free talk before people leave Free

    Offer a 30-minute talk at a clubhouse, library or church: "Closing up your home for the season." Hand out the before-you-leave checklist with your name and number on it. Teach, don't sell.

  3. A column in the local paper Free

    Community papers and magazines often need local writers. A short seasonal piece, on hurricane prep for empty homes or what to switch off before going north, makes you the local expert in print.

  4. Marinas and yacht clubs Free

    Boat owners leave too, and a boat left at a private dock needs checking as much as the house does. A flyer on the marina board, and boat checks as an add-on, open a market most operators miss.

Pick your moment

  1. The weeks before departure season Low cost

    A door hanger or postcard reads as junk in winter and as a solution three weeks before people leave. Put your whole year's marketing budget into that window.

  2. Before storm or freeze season Free

    Email everyone who has ever asked about your service a short checklist for closing up their home, like our before-you-leave checklist with its storm plan, and a line on how you can help. It's useful even to people who don't hire you, and they remember who sent it.

Free online

  1. A Google Business Profile with reviews Free

    When someone hears your name, they look you up. Set up the profile, add a few photos, and ask each client for a review the first time they reply to a report with a thank-you. That's when they're happiest to write one.

  2. Answer, don't advertise, in neighborhood groups Free

    Nextdoor and local Facebook groups get "anyone know someone who checks on houses?" posts. Turn on alerts for those words and answer helpfully. Neighbors' recommendations count for more than your own posts.

Things you already have

  1. Your car Low cost

    You park in the same gated communities every week, where neighbors can't otherwise find you. Magnetic door signs with your business name and number come off when you're off the clock.

  2. Your clients' thanks Low cost

    Your best leads are your clients' neighbors and friends. Thank every referral that signs with a handwritten card and a small gift, or a month free, and tell new clients you do this.

Got a lead? Here's an email to reply with.

The report is the ad

Clients forward a good visit report to their family and their neighbors. Roundwright emails one after every visit, with arrival and departure photos, under your business name, from your iPhone or iPad.

Coming soon to the App Store. To try it early, email support@roundwright.com. More about Roundwright.