Cold Calling for Warm Land Leads with Joe Roberts

Kendall LeJeune
Jan 26
5 min read

Updated: Aug 1

OnlyLandFans Podcast Ep. 99

In the fast-evolving world of land investing, getting leads isn’t the problem—it’s getting quality leads.

With competition in direct mail heating up and response rates shrinking, land investors are looking for faster, more effective ways to generate motivated sellers.

Enter Joe Roberts, former Marine Corps attack helicopter pilot, land investor, and founder of LandCaller—a cold-calling service built specifically for land investors.

Joe didn’t just stumble upon cold calling—he discovered it while flipping land on deployment and quickly realized it was one of the best ways to find and close deals. But when he went looking for a cold-calling service tailored to land, there wasn’t one.

🔥 So, he built it himself.

Now, Joe runs a seven-figure land flipping business while helping investors all over the country land high-quality, off-market deals through cold calling.

If you’re tired of waiting for mailers to hit and want to speed up your deal flow, this one’s for you.

📞 Why Cold Calling Is a Game Changer for Land Investors

Traditional land investing relies heavily on direct mail.

And while mail still works, it’s gotten more expensive, slower, and more competitive over time.

Joe knew this firsthand—he was sending 12,000 to 15,000 letters a month but saw response rates dropping.

💡 That’s when he decided to start cold calling.

And guess what?

✅ He started closing deals faster

✅ He connected with more motivated sellers

✅ He realized mail wasn’t the only way to generate leads

"Cold calling is like skipping to the front of the line," Joe says.

Think about it: Instead of waiting weeks for sellers to open, read, and respond to a letter (if they even do), you’re talking to them in real time and building rapport instantly.

But here’s the kicker—most land investors aren’t using it.

Which means you can reach sellers your competitors aren’t even talking to.

🎯 Why Cold Calling Works Better for Certain Land Deals

Cold calling isn’t just for every type of land deal—it’s best suited for higher-value, more sophisticated sellers.

Joe found that sellers of higher-priced properties ($50K-$100K+) were:

✅ Less likely to respond to direct mail

✅ Less likely to engage with text messages

✅ More willing to negotiate live on the phone

📌 Translation? If you’re targeting larger properties, subdivides, or higher-value land, cold calling puts you in front of sellers who aren’t responding to traditional marketing.

💰 Case Study: From Deployment to Land Deals with Cold Calling

Joe’s first-ever land deal was a 13-acre property in North Carolina.

📍 Seller thought it was 7 acres

📍 Joe discovered it was actually 13 acres

📍 Bought for $32,000, sold for $70,000 on seller financing

But here’s what made it possible:

Cold calling got him in front of the seller before anyone else.

If he had waited on a direct mail response, someone else could have snagged the deal first.

And that was the moment Joe realized cold calling was a land investor’s secret weapon.

🚀 What Makes a Cold Call Campaign Successful?

If you’re thinking, "Okay, I’ll just hire some VAs and start cold calling!" — pump the brakes.

Cold calling is NOT the same as direct mail, and there are key factors that make or break a campaign.

Joe broke it down into three critical elements:

1️⃣ Data Quality: Your Skip Tracing Matters

📌 Problem: Most investors buy cheap skip-traced lists that are outdated and inaccurate.

📌 Solution: Use credit bureau-level skip tracing to get the best phone numbers.

💡 Joe recommends Easy Button Skip Tracing or Versium for high-quality data.

👉 Pro Tip: Cheap data means you’re calling the wrong people—which wastes time and money.

2️⃣ DNC & TCPA Compliance: Don't Get Sued

🔥 Biggest cold calling misconception: “I can’t call Do Not Call (DNC) numbers.”

💡 Reality? The DNC list doesn’t apply if you’re calling to make an offer to purchase.

🔹 If you’re selling something = Telemarketing (DNC applies, lawsuits happen).

🔹 If you’re buying something = Not telemarketing (you're in the clear).

🚨 But you still have to follow compliance rules.

✅ Maintain an internal DNC list (if someone asks you not to call, you stop).

✅ Use registered, cleaned phone numbers so you don’t show up as “Spam Likely.”

✅ Avoid ringless voicemails (RVMs)—they’re basically illegal now.

📌 Takeaway: If you do cold calling wrong, you WILL get sued.

Do it right—and it’s an untapped gold mine.

3️⃣ Follow-Up: The Fortune Is in the Follow-Up

🔹 Cold calling gives you an instant connection—but deals rarely close on the first call.

🔥 Most successful investors follow up 3-5 times before getting a contract.

Joe’s follow-up strategy:

✅ Assign a “lead score” to every seller based on their interest and motivation.

✅ Call back every 3-5 weeks (especially for high-value properties).

✅ Prioritize “warm” leads—people who negotiated on the first call but weren’t ready to commit.

📌 Cold calling isn’t just about the first call—it’s about getting sellers to the finish line.

🔥 The Cost of Cold Calling (And Why It’s Cheaper Than Mail)

Most investors assume cold calling is expensive, but here’s the reality:

🔹 Cold calling cost per deal: $400-$1,500

🔹 Direct mail cost per deal: $3,000-$5,000

💡 Cold calling is 3-5X cheaper than mail—AND you get leads faster.

📌 Average results:

📍 10,000 records cold-called = ~70 leads per month

📍 Closing 5-10% of leads = 2-7 deals per month

📍 Cost per deal? $400-$1,500.

👉 Cold calling isn’t just effective—it’s one of the cheapest ways to get land deals.

📢 Want to Try Cold Calling? Here’s How to Start

If you’re a land investor looking to test cold calling, don’t start from scratch.

Joe built LandCaller specifically for land investors, and his team has helped investors close 50+ deals a year—without managing their own call center.

✅ What LandCaller Does for You:

✔️ High-quality skip tracing (credit bureau data)

✔️ DNC & TCPA compliance (so you don’t get sued)

✔️ Trained, U.S.-based cold callers

✔️ Lead tracking & follow-up tools

🚀 Want to see if cold calling is a good fit?

📞 Learn more at LandCaller.com

🔥 If you’re tired of waiting on mailers and want consistent, high-quality leads, cold calling might be the edge you’ve been looking for.

💬 What’s your experience with cold calling? Have you tried it for land? Drop a comment below! 👇

Enjoy the show!

Joe Roberts is a USMC combat veteran and former attack helicopter pilot. He began flipping land while deployed on active duty and his success allowed him to exit the Marine Corps and focus on land full-time. In that process, he discovered that cold calling was an excellent way to get land leads. However, there were no cold-calling companies designed for land investors, so he built one himself and Land Caller was born. He lives in NC with his wife and 6 kids on a farm where he still runs a 7-figure land flipping company and is the CEO of Land Caller.

For more information on Joe, you can connect with him through:

Website: www.landcaller.com

Check out Chris Johnsen’s episode here:

Chris Johnsen on 100+ Flips and Subdivides!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chris-johnsen-on-100-flips-and-subdivides/id1672834467?i=1000676788984