Why 99% of My Real Estate Deals in the Last Ten Years Have Come From Referrals, And How That Happened

Your team is your success. They must trust you and you trust them.

99% of my deals in the last ten years have come from referrals.

Not from marketing. Not from a list. Not from a big net cast wide across the internet. From people who know me, trust me, and tell someone else about me when the right situation comes up. Other investors. People I have bought and sold property from. The lady who used to cut my hair. Friends who know what I do. Local Facebook groups where someone tags me because they know I will give a straight answer.

That did not happen by accident. It happened because of one decision I made a long time ago and have never walked back from.

I tell people the truth about their property. All of it. What it could be worth. What it would cost to get there. What that means in terms of what I can pay for it today and still make a profit. I tell them exactly how I calculate my offer. I tell them there are investors who will pay more than I will because they do not know what they are doing or do not plan on doing things right. Then I let them make their own decision.

Here is what that actually looks like in a real conversation.

I pay 65% of ARV minus repairs. That does not mean I make 35%. My realtor gets 7% because she misses her kids' Saturday soccer games to sell my properties and I pay her well for it. Holding costs and closing costs run about 10%. That puts me at roughly 18% profit if everything goes perfectly. I can loan money to one of those investors paying too much and make 16 to 18% on a hard money loan with none of the work. So if you want to make that 18% yourself and handle everything that comes with it you absolutely should. That is your choice and I mean it.

Most people still sell to me. Not because I pressured them but because they appreciated being treated like an adult who can handle the truth.

It feels good to be honest. To give someone all the information and let them decide. And practically speaking I do not have to watch my back at the grocery store. I only do deals within ten miles of my house. Reputation in a small radius is everything.

You can cast a big net and pull in a lot of fish. But if you do not have a crew to help sort them you will have a lot of keepers dying on the deck while you wrestle with a squid.

Focus on being genuinely useful to people. Help them honestly. Do not do things for the money when you can do them for people instead. It pays well. Better than the alternative and with a lot less stress.

If you want to sell a property or know someone who does reach out.

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