Investors: Stop Asking Every REALTOR® in the Market to “Send You Deals”

Sometimes it's from an experienced investor.

Sometimes it's someone preparing to purchase their first investment property.

And sometimes, after asking a few questions, I discover the person isn't actually looking to purchase the property at all—they're wholesaling.

But there's another pattern I see frequently:

The same investor is contacting agent after agent, asking everyone to “send me your deals.”

If that's your current strategy for finding investment property, I want to offer you a different approach.

Instead of collecting REALTORS®, consider building a relationship with one who actually understands real estate investing.

 

More Agents Doesn't Necessarily Mean More Opportunities

 

I understand the logic.

If five agents are good, 25 agents must be better, right?

More people looking should mean more deals.

Except that's not necessarily how it works.

When you send a generic buy box to every agent in the market, you may get plenty of properties sent to you—but volume isn't the same as opportunity.

You may end up reviewing the same properties repeatedly, receiving listings that don't fit your actual strategy, and spending your own time filtering through information that could have been screened much more effectively.

There is also a difference between an agent who occasionally sends an investor a property and a REALTOR® who regularly works with investors and understands how investors evaluate opportunities.

I've worked with real estate investors since the beginning of my real estate career—nearly eight years ago.

Investor real estate isn't a new niche I've added to my business.

It's been part of my work from day one.

 

I Don't Want to Know That You're Looking for “Deals”

I want to know your buy box.

“Send me a good deal” doesn't tell me enough.

What are you actually buying?

Buy-and-hold?

BRRRR?

Fix-and-flip?

Multifamily?

Value-add?

Commercial?

What market?

What's your acquisition range?

Cash or financing?

If you're financing, what type?

What's your rehab tolerance?

What's your minimum return?

What rents do you need?

What's your target ARV?

What's your exit strategy?

Those answers allow me to create a targeted property search and evaluate opportunities based on your investment strategy, rather than forwarding every distressed-looking property that hits the MLS.

That's a much more productive relationship.

And Yes—The MLS Has Investment Opportunities

Some investors assume the MLS is only where properties go after all the “real deals” have disappeared.

I disagree.

Are there opportunities outside the MLS? Absolutely.

But experienced investors also know that the source of a property doesn't determine whether it's a good investment.

The numbers do.

A property isn't a deal simply because it's off-market.

A wholesale property isn't automatically a deal.

A foreclosure isn't automatically a deal.

A fixer isn't automatically a deal.

And an MLS-listed property isn't automatically a bad deal.

Price, condition, market value, rents, renovation costs, financing, holding costs, potential ARV, demand, competition and exit strategy all matter.

Sometimes the opportunity isn't obvious from the list price either.

That's where market knowledge, analysis and strategy become valuable.

Are You Investing—or Wholesaling?

This is an important distinction.

If you contact me and say:

“I'm an investor looking for my next project,”

I'm going to assume you're looking for a property that you intend to acquire as an investment.

If your actual business model is finding properties to put under contract with the intention of wholesaling the opportunity rather than ultimately purchasing and operating or improving the property yourself, tell me that.

That's a different conversation.

There's no reason to disguise the strategy.

And yes, some people both invest and wholesale.

That's fine too.

I simply need to know which hat you're wearing for the opportunity we're discussing.

Transparency makes for better business relationships.

Why Would an Investor Work Exclusively With One REALTOR®?

This is where some investors push back.

“Why would I limit myself to one agent?”

Because the right relationship shouldn't limit you.

It should make you more efficient.

When I understand your investment strategy, financing, risk tolerance, preferred markets and buy box, I become much better at recognizing something that may fit before you ever ask me about it.

Instead of introducing yourself every time:

“Here's what I buy…”

I already know.

Instead of explaining your financing every time:

I already know.

Instead of receiving 15 properties that don't fit:

We can focus on the two that might.

And when something interesting appears, we're not starting the relationship from zero.

That's the difference between having someone's phone number and having an investor-focused REALTOR® working on your behalf.

Exclusive Representation Is More Than a Property Search

If all you want is someone to email MLS listings, technology can accomplish that very easily.

That's not where my greatest value is.

When I'm representing an investor, I'm looking at the property in the context of the investment.

Depending on the strategy and property, that can mean examining:

• Comparable sales
• Current market value
• Potential ARV
• Rental market information
• Property condition
• Marketability after renovation
• Neighborhood trends
• Days on market
• Potential resale competition
• Financing considerations
• Offer strategy
• Negotiation opportunities
• Due diligence
• Potential exit strategies

I want to know what the numbers are telling us.

Because my job isn't to convince you that I've found you a deal.

My job is to help you evaluate whether we've actually found one.

I Take ARV Seriously

This deserves its own conversation because projected after-repair values get thrown around far too casually.

Someone saying:

“ARV is $350K.”

doesn't make the ARV $350,000.

Show me the comps.

What sold?

How recently?

How close is it?

How similar is the square footage, property type, condition and location?

What renovations did those properties have?

What features are driving their values?

What does the market actually support?

I regularly perform comparative market analysis, and when I'm evaluating a potential investment, I don't want the numbers to work because we need them to work.

I want the available market evidence to support them.

That's especially important for fix-and-flip and BRRRR investors whose entire strategy may depend heavily on the property's value after renovation.

Financing Is Part of the Strategy

I've worked with investors using different financing structures, including cash, conventional investment financing and DSCR loans, as well as investors pursuing residential, multifamily and commercial opportunities.

Financing isn't something we should figure out after finding the property.

It helps determine what we should be looking for in the first place.

Your cost of capital affects your numbers.

Your financing affects your offer.

Your financing can affect which properties qualify.

And your financing can affect whether something that looks like a deal actually is one.

Why Work With Me?

I'm Jessica J. Baldovinos, REALTOR® with Real Broker, LLC, and I've worked with investors since the beginning of my real estate career—nearly eight years.

I'm also a Certified Mentor and hold certifications in commercial and luxury real estate.

That combination matters because investment real estate doesn't always stay neatly inside one category.

An investor buying single-family rentals today may pursue multifamily tomorrow.

A residential investor may move into commercial real estate.

A flip may enter a higher price point where the expectations of the eventual buyer change substantially.

My role isn't simply to unlock the property.

It's to understand what you're trying to accomplish with it.

If You're a Serious Buyer, Let's Stop Starting Over With Every Property

You don't need another REALTOR® randomly forwarding you houses.

And I don't want to be agent number 37 in your phone waiting for you to text:

“Got any deals?”

I'd rather know your business.

Tell me what you buy.

Tell me where you buy.

Tell me your numbers.

Tell me how you finance.

Tell me what you'll renovate—and what you won't touch.

Tell me your required return.

Tell me your exit strategy.

Then let's create your buy box, build a targeted property search, analyze opportunities as they arise and develop an actual working relationship.

If you're an investor looking to acquire property in North Carolina—particularly throughout the Triad and surrounding markets—I'm happy to have that conversation.

And if you're a wholesaler?

You can call me too.

Just tell me you're a wholesaler. 😉

Jessica J. Baldovinos, REALTOR®
Certified Mentor | Certified in Commercial & Luxury Real Estate
Brokered by Real Broker, LLC
NCREL #312309
📲 (336) 567-5843
🌐 JessicaJBRealtor.net
@JessicaJBRealtor