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If you're a real estate investor who hasn’t closed your first deal yet, you're not alone. Breaking into the world of real estate can feel overwhelming, but there’s good news—success isn’t as complicated as it seems. Whether you're aiming to close a deal a month or eventually scale to a deal a week, it all starts with knowing how to find and connect with motivated seller leads.
Brent Daniels, Founder of Talk To People and a seasoned real estate wholesaler, shares his insights on how to get your first deal and scale from there. Let’s dive into his proven methods that can set you on the path to success.
Start with the Right Mindset: Be Kind, Confident, and Curious
The foundation of success in real estate, particularly in wholesaling, is having the right mindset. Brent emphasizes three key traits: be kind, confident, and curious. These traits not only help you connect with property owners but also enable you to handle rejection and setbacks without losing momentum. The ability to remain confident and curious when speaking with potential sellers is crucial because it helps you learn from each conversation and improve over time.
On the phone, embody these traits to build rapport, understand sellers’ needs, and convert leads into contracts. The combination of kindness, confidence, and curiosity will help you navigate the challenges and nuances of real estate wholesaling.
Getting Started: Find Your First Deal
For aspiring real estate investors, finding the first deal can feel daunting. Brent's advice? Start simple—drive around your local neighborhoods and look for distressed properties. These "ugly houses" are your ticket to finding motivated sellers who are likely to consider selling at a discount. Look for signs like overgrown yards, neglected maintenance, or boarded-up windows. Once you've spotted potential properties, write down the addresses.
If you have no budget for fancy apps or skip tracing services, don’t worry. You can find property owners' contact information through free tools like White Pages, TruePeopleSearch, or CyberBackgroundChecks. Armed with this information, it’s time to make the call. Introduce yourself, explain why you're reaching out, and simply ask if they’d consider an offer on their property. You’ll get one of six common responses: yes, no, maybe, how much will you offer, who are you, or how did you get my number? From there, the conversation begins.
The Importance of Conversations and Offers
The heart of real estate wholesaling is conversations and offers. Your primary focus should be talking to as many property owners as possible and making offers that align with both the seller’s needs and your investment goals. In each conversation, aim to gather four critical pieces of information, known as the “four pillars” of pre-qualifying a property:
- Condition of the property – What kind of repairs or updates does it need?
- Timeline – When are they looking to sell?
- Motivation – What problem are they facing that’s making them consider selling?
- Price – What’s the bottom line they’d accept for the property?
This information allows you to determine whether a property is a good deal and how to approach the seller with an offer. Importantly, remember that real estate is about solving problems. Sellers often face distressing situations like foreclosure, divorce, or overwhelming maintenance costs. Your job is to offer solutions, not just deals.
Overcoming Setbacks and Building Consistency
Brent’s personal story highlights that setbacks are inevitable in real estate, but they’re not the end of the road. He experienced significant financial challenges, from losing properties to battling a $700,000 judgment. Despite these punches to the face, Brent got back on his feet by door-knocking, cold-calling, and putting in the work. His success came from his refusal to quit.
For new investors, the first 90 days are often the toughest. You’ll likely face doubt, distractions, and disappointments—the “three D’s” that can derail your progress. The key is to stay consistent. Brent recommends dedicating sacred time each day to proactive outreach, whether that’s driving for dollars or making cold calls. Consistency builds momentum, and after those critical first 90 days, you’ll likely start closing deals and seeing the fruits of your labor.
Scaling Your Real Estate Business
Once you’ve closed your first deal, the next step is to scale your efforts. Brent advises continuing the same strategies that got you your first deal—driving for dollars, cold-calling, and door-knocking. However, as you build experience and revenue, you can start reinvesting some of your profits into marketing. This shift allows you to receive inbound leads, where motivated sellers are calling you instead of the other way around.
By building a pipeline of leads and learning how to manage deals more efficiently, you can grow from closing one deal a month to closing one deal a week. The more deals you close, the more you’ll understand how to structure offers, negotiate terms, and, most importantly, build trust with sellers. As Brent says, “Price, terms, and trust—these are the only three factors that matter in negotiation.”
Final Thoughts: The Power of Persistence
The real estate market is full of opportunities, especially when you're targeting motivated seller leads. With 6-10% of the market in distress at any given time, there are always deals to be found. But success comes from persistence, skill-building, and a willingness to put in the hard work.
Brent Daniels’ advice is simple but powerful: be kind, confident, and curious. Stay consistent in your outreach, focus on building relationships with sellers, and take the time to truly understand their needs. With these foundational strategies, you’ll not only close your first deal but also set yourself up for long-term success in real estate investing.
Build Your Real Estate Business
If you're ready to take the leap into real estate and secure your first deal, start today. Begin driving for dollars, connect with motivated seller leads, and stay committed to the process. The rewards are out there for those who are persistent, proactive, and willing to put in the work. Take the first step towards building your real estate business and creating a steady flow of motivated seller leads that will help you close deals consistently. Get in touch with us today for further discussion.
