Is it worth looking into wholesale or not, doing renovation to rent house out after

[Ryan Brooks]

Hello, I have experience doing a few whole house renovations for houses I lived in (some later turned into rentals) and one that I bought from a relative but now am looking to acquire another property in San Antonio to fix up. I am confident in my ability to walk the property and estimate repairs, the part I'm not certain of is finding the best deals, I have looked into buying from wholesalers a bit but the process is more confusing than working with a realtor to find deals on the MLS. I figure buying from a wholesaler is probably going to give me a better deal but I wasn't sure how much of a better deal. Would appreciate any insight on this, I see some houses on the MLS where it seems I could get them to likely go lower so not sure if focusing my efforts on this is more worthwhile or if I should look more into buying from a wholesaler given that I am only buying one house at this time.

thank you

[Bryce Langford]

Hey Ryan,

Whether wholesaling is worth it depends on your risk tolerance, network, and ability to move quickly.

Wholesalers can offer below-market deals, but they typically require fast closings (often cash or hard money) and can vary in transparency. Working with licensed real estate agents who also wholesale can provide an added layer of professionalism and accountability, as they must adhere to state regulations and ethical standards. The discount you get depends on the wholesaler's network—some deals are great, while others aren't much better than what you could negotiate on the MLS. Joining a few buyers' lists from reputable, licensed wholesalers can help you access quality deals.

If you're only looking for one property and not scaling quickly, focusing on MLS and off-market deals might be more straightforward. However, having wholesalers as an option can be beneficial if the right deal comes along.