Training Programs & REI Trainers

The Secret to Success for Brand New Real Estate Investors

Most beginners are taught to focus on wholesaling. It’s simple in theory. It doesn’t require much (or any) start-up capital, requires little to no experience and has the potential to put large amounts of cash in your pocket quickly. In other words, it’s sexy.

But the glaring problem is that the competition is so fierce that the good deals are practically impossible to find. 

 Wholesaling for beginners sounds good in theory, but they quickly realize that they’re chasing deals that both experienced and other inexperienced investors are chasing. This results in a bidding war, which then results in either an experienced cash buyer getting the deal or an inexperienced cash-rich investor paying to much for the deal. Either scenario brings most wholesalers to a screeching halt…

So, what’s the solution?

There’s more than one solution, but the one that worked for my wife and I, when we first got started with our real estate investing business,  was coming up with better ways of finding motivated sellers that no one else knows about.  After all, if you can find enough motivated, desperate sellers who need your help, even the newest of new real estate investors can find a way to put a deal together and make some money. It’s sorta like fishing for big fish in a small pond, stocked with big, hungry fish (that no one else knows about.

Just drop the hook with bait on it and reel em’ in…

Finding motivated sellers that our competition doesn’t about has been the biggest factor to success in our real estate career, which now spans almost two decades. If there was one piece of advice that I could give to new, aspiring investors, it would be to find a way to reach motivated sellers before your competition even knows that they exist. And, if you can’t figure out how to do that, then find a way to stand out from your competition once you do contact the motivated seller. If you can reach them before your competition, you’re the only fisherman with a line in the water.  If you can’t find them before your competition, at least make sure your marketing message and offer stand out from the competition (in other words – don’t just mail a postcard that says “we buy houses” and expect the phone to ring).  This one tip alone will multiply your profits exponentially. 

But, How Do You Find Motivated Sellers Before Your Competitors?

We’ve tried it all and found a couple things that consistently work. One way is by advertising on TV, and while it’s cheaper than most people think, it’s still not for those of you who have little to no marketing money. The next best way that we’ve found is to contact homeowners who are about to walk away from their houses. We reach them just before they vacate, and we find out they’re about to vacate by using a series of pre-vacancy indicators. In close to twenty years of flipping houses, pre-vacant houses are far and away the most lucrative niche market that I’ve found. No one else knows about these houses, which makes us the only ones with a “line in the water”. 

Want more information on where and how to find Pre-Vacant Houses?

Watch this video now

About the Author Sean Flanagan

Sean Flanagan is a Christian family man, MMA Lover, Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai practitioner and self-confessed coffee addict. Lover of everything real estate related and a coach to successful students nationwide. He is the author of PRE-Wholesaling for Fast Cash, Founder of Lucky Buys Yucky Houses ®Motivated Seller Marketing Program , Creator of Pre-Vacant House Goldmine, and also of Abandoned House Secrets.

Sean Flanagan

Sean Flanagan is the CEO and founder of the Investor Lab, a real estate education and publishing company which has trained, coached and mentored thousands of aspiring real estate investors towards successful careers. Investor Lab, LLC was meticulously designed to serve as a comprehensive resource center catering to the distinct needs of real estate investors.

A sought after speaker, real estate coach and published author, he has appeared on major networks such as ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX.

Prior to launching the Investor Lab, Sean founded a now nationally recognized real estate brand which was a pioneer in the industry, introducing many investors to “outrageous marketing” combined with the power of broadcast TV commercials, radio ads and billboards used to saturate a real estate territory and quickly become the most recognized real estate investment company in the area. The brand is now licensed by real estate companies in over 150 markets across the country.

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