how to manage and approach a wholesaler

[Jason A.]

Hi all –

I'd value feedback on managing and approaching a wholesaler (when looking for a flip or BRRR opportunity). I have perused these forums – including reading The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Real Estate Wholesaling by Brandon Turner, however, seems the info I’ve seen is framed towards wholesalers themselves – how to become one, be effective, why/ why not, pitfalls, etc. and not necessarily how an investor should think of / work with wholesalers.

These past several weeks I’ve been looking for a deal and have met with a few wholesalers. For those of you who have experience buying from wholesalers, I am curious to understand your strategy in negotiations and what level of transparency you expect (if any).

Do you expect your guy to disclose what his assignment / finder’s fee is? I appreciate the “as long as the math works, it shouldn’t matter to you” view, however, one guy I met with said from the start that he’s 100% transparent, while another guy said “it should not matter” what I paid / what I’m making. While this is correct in theory, as an investor who’s relentlessly looking for value, I can’t help myself – I really want to know!

In addition to any value that comes out of a more transparent relationship (at least value for me) – does anyone have specific strategies they’ve found successful when working / negotiating with a wholesaler?

Thanks.