Why Part of a Good Deal is Better Than 100% of No Deal

[Grant Shipman]

Why Part of a Good Deal is Better Than 100% of No Deal

Hey BiggerPockets Community,

As real estate investors, we all want the perfect deal—the one where we control everything, make the most money, and have the best terms. But how many great opportunities have we lost because we weren’t willing to take just a piece instead of the whole pie?

If you’ve ever walked away from a deal because you wanted 100% control, this post is for you. Here are 5 reasons why taking part of a good deal is ALWAYS better than 100% of no deal.

1. You Make More Than Zero Dollars

Simple math: 100% of no deal = $0.00 every time.

A good deal, even if you’re getting only a piece of the profit, still makes you money. If a project is profitable, wouldn’t you rather have some cash flow rather than none?

I’ve seen so many investors hesitate because they wanted the whole deal to themselves, only to end up with nothing because they didn’t compromise.

🚀 Lesson: A piece of the pie is still better than staring at an empty plate.

2. You Get Experience

Each deal isn’t just about making money—it’s about gaining experience. The more deals you’re part of, the more you learn about:
✅ Structuring deals
✅ Managing risk
✅ Negotiating with partners
✅ Handling financing

Taking part of a good deal helps you build real-world experience that will pay off big in the future when you do bigger and better deals.

3. You Get Team Experience

If you’re taking part in a deal, that means other people are, too—whether it’s partners, syndicators, or investors.

🏗️ Being part of a real estate team is one of the most valuable skills you can develop. You’ll learn how to:
✅ Work with different investors and operators
✅ Understand the dynamics of real estate partnerships
✅ Build relationships that lead to future deals

🚀 Lesson: Every good deal is a networking opportunity.

4. Experience Opens Up More Doors

Two key things happen when you take a piece of a good deal:

1️⃣ People trust experienced investors more than rookies. The more deals you have under your belt, the easier it is to raise capital, attract partners, and negotiate better terms.

2️⃣ Deals lead to more deals. Someone in your current deal may bring you into another project—or multiple projects.

🔑 More experience = More access to future opportunities.

If you sit on the sidelines waiting for the perfect deal where you control everything, you might be missing out on great future partnerships.

5. A Good Deal With a Bad Ingredient is a Bad Deal

Not all deals are good deals. A “good deal” isn’t just about the numbers—it’s about the structure, the people, and the risk.

⚠️ Beware of these red flags:
🚨 Bad partners who don’t communicate or operate ethically
🚨 Financial arrangements that don’t make sense
🚨 Risk levels that are too high for the return

If ANY of these ingredients are bad, walk away—even if the deal looks profitable on paper.

🚀 Lesson: Part of a good deal is better than 100% of no deal, but 0% of a bad deal is better than any piece of a bad deal.

Final Thoughts

Too many investors make the mistake of wanting 100% ownership and control—but they forget that it’s better to own part of a great deal than to own nothing at all.

🏡 Real estate is a team sport—and the investors who understand this scale faster, learn more, and build more wealth.

Discussion Questions for You:

1️⃣ Have you ever walked away from a deal because you wanted 100% ownership? What happened?
2️⃣ What’s the best team deal you’ve ever been a part of?
3️⃣ How do you evaluate whether a deal is worth taking a piece of instead of owning outright?

Let’s discuss below! 👇👇👇