All Forum Posts by: Jeremy Beland

Sometimes, the best deals come from places you’d never expect. As wholesalers, we’re trained to look for distress—motivated sellers in tough situations, properties needing major repairs, or financial struggles forcing a quick sale. But that’s not always the case.

A while back, we came across a move-in ready condo in Atkinson, NH. No distress, no repairs needed—just a seller with a problem that couldn’t be solved through the traditional listing process. He was an older gentleman relocating for work, and his biggest concern wasn’t price—it was speed. He needed to close in three weeks and didn’t want to deal with showings, contingencies, or the back-and-forth of working with a realtor.

At first, we even suggested he list with an agent since he’d likely make more money. But he wasn’t interested. He wanted certainty and simplicity, and that’s where we came in. We negotiated a price that worked for both parties, closed within three weeks, and took the property down ourselves.

This deal was so clean, we didn’t even need to hire professional cleaners. All it took was removing a couch and a TV and giving the exterior a quick pressure wash. By Friday—just three days after closing—it was listed on the market with professional photos.

Over the weekend, offers started rolling in. By Sunday, we had an offer above asking price, and the deal closed about five weeks later (delayed slightly by the buyer’s timeline). When everything was said and done, we walked away with $50K in profit.

The Key Takeaway for Wholesalers

Most wholesalers would have completely ignored this deal because it wasn’t assignable at a high spread. Most flippers wouldn’t have looked twice because there was nothing to fix. But by thinking beyond the traditional wholesaler mindset and focusing on off-market acquisitions, this deal turned into an easy win.

Not all motivated sellers are dealing with distress. Sometimes, they just need speed and convenience. When you position yourself as the solution—not just someone looking for deep discounts—you’ll find opportunities others miss.

What’s the most surprising profit you’ve made on a move-in ready property others overlooked? 

Would love to hear your stories!

Hi @Bernice Dezelan,

I’m sorry to hear about your first deal falling through. Many of them will fall through. Happens to all of us.  How are you sourcing your leads? Let me know if I can be of any help as you start this journey. Always happy to help in any way I can. 

Social media makes it look easy.

• “Just get into real estate and start making six figures!”
• “Wholesaling is passive income!”
• “Close deals while sipping margaritas on the beach!”

REALITY CHECK: THIS BUSINESS IS HARD.
Wholesaling and buying houses off-market is a sales game—and sales is brutal. Some days you’re on top, locking up contracts left and right. Other days, sellers ghost you, deals fall apart, and you wonder if you’re even cut out for this.

BUT THE ONES WHO WIN IN THIS BUSINESS DON’T QUIT.
They adapt, improve, and keep pushing forward. 

Here’s why some people struggle and how to fix it:

1️⃣ YOU’RE SETTING UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

You’re not going to close every deal. Period.
If you think every seller is motivated, every number will work, and buyers will throw cash at you, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.

👉 Adjust your expectations—this business is about consistent effort, not overnight success.

2️⃣ INACTION IS COSTING YOU DEALS

Ever stare at a lead and overanalyze every detail?

• “What if the repairs are too much?”
• “What if I can’t find a buyer?”
• “What if the seller backs out?”

Guess what? Overthinking doesn’t make you money. Taking action does.

💡 The best wholesalers lock up deals and figure it out later. #LockItUp

3️⃣ YOU’RE NOT ACTUALLY RESPONDING—YOU’RE JUST REPLYING

Most salespeople throw out responses instead of truly understanding sellers. Stop following a script blindly.

Instead, LISTEN. DIG DEEPER. Sellers have emotions, fears, and motivations—figure out what they need and structure your offer accordingly.

4️⃣ YOU’RE FOCUSED ON THE WRONG THINGS

If you’re only thinking about your check, sellers will feel it—and they’ll shut down.

Instead of worrying about your assignment fee, focus on solving the seller’s problem.
✅ Are they facing foreclosure?
✅ Do they need a quick closing?
✅ Are they overwhelmed with repairs?

Solve their problem, and you’ll get paid.

5️⃣ YOUR APPROACH IS STALE

Are you just going through the motions?

Sellers can tell when you’re disengaged, robotic, or uninspired.

👉 Shake things up. Try a new approach. Inject energy into your calls and appointments.

6️⃣ YOU’RE AFRAID TO FAIL

The truth? You’re going to fail. A lot. Deals will fall apart. Sellers will reject you. Buyers will flake.

💡 The best in this business fail smarter. They learn, adjust, and keep moving.

SO, WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE QUITTING, ASK YOURSELF:

🔹 Are my expectations realistic?
🔹 Am I taking enough action?
🔹 Am I really listening to sellers?
🔹 Am I focused on solving problems or just making money?

The winners in this business don’t wait for perfect conditions—they create them.

@Lucy Ahl do one of you guys have a LLC that can close on the house with the funding? If yes, then the other partners can just do a JV agreement internally which you can record at closing that allows you to still "partner" up on it but allowing the lender to still be protected if anything goes wrong with the deal or people borrowing.

@Adriano Dias Ferreira it’s hard to know exactly what advice to give since I don’t know what you do and don’t know. How do you plan on getting the houses? How do you plan on funding them? How do you plan on doing the renovation work? Yourself or contracting out? Message me and we can chat! I’ll try to give as much helpful advice as possible. 

Let’s be real: Not every deal is going to close. 

Some will slip through your fingers, sellers will ghost you, and contracts will fall apart at the last minute. It sucks. But what separates the top investors and house buyers from those who quit?

They don’t dwell on one deal. They focus on the bigger picture.

Here’s what keeps successful house buyers winning (even when deals fall apart):

**They don’t get emotionally attached to a deal
- A lost deal is not a personal failure. Sellers back out, timelines change, and circumstances shift. It’s just part of the game

**They have multiple leads & opportunities in play
- If you’re banking on one contract to make or break your business, you’re already losing. Marketing = momentum. Keep filling your pipeline so you’re never desperate.

**They adjust on the fly & don’t rely on scripts
- Every seller’s situation is different. If you’re saying the exact same thing to every seller, you’re probably missing opportunities to connect and provide real value.

Instead of worrying about being the “expert” or flexing market knowledge, focus on truly understanding the seller’s situation. 

What do they need? 

What’s the best solution for them? 

The better your solution, the more likely you are to get the deal.

Biggest Lesson: Deals WILL fall apart. It’s inevitable. But the best house buyers don’t let it slow them down. 

They learn from every loss, improve their process, and move on to the next opportunity.

Wholesalers & House Buyers: If you’re struggling to connect with sellers, overcome objections, or close more deals—this simple negotiation hack from Never Split the Difference will change the game!

Sellers ghosting you?
Getting the “I need to think about it” response?
Conversations feel transactional instead of trust-building?

The Fix? LABELING.

Labeling is a powerful strategy that helps you acknowledge and verbalize the seller’s emotions, making them feel heard and understood. When done right, it:

• Builds instant rapport
• Reduces seller resistance
• Uncovers hidden motivations
• Puts you in control of the conversation

How to Use Labeling with Sellers

Instead of arguing, convincing, or pressuring, try using phrases that label the seller’s emotions:

• “It sounds like you’re feeling overwhelmed by this situation.”
• “It looks like selling this house is an emotional decision for you.”
• “It seems like you’re unsure about what the best next step is.”

Why this works:
✔️ People want to feel understood.
✔️ When you label their emotions, it reduces their resistance.
✔️ It makes them trust you more—because you “get” them.

Labeling in Action: Real-Life Seller Scenarios

Seller Hesitation on Price
Seller: “I was hoping to get a little more for my house.”
Wrong response: “Well, based on the market, this is the best offer you’ll get.”
Labeling response: “It seems like you’re concerned about leaving money on the table.”

Seller Seems Distrustful
Seller: “I just don’t know if this is the right decision.”
Wrong response: “I promise this is a great deal for you.”
Labeling response: “It sounds like you’re worried about making the wrong choice.”

Seller is Emotionally Attached to the House
Seller: “I’ve lived here for 30 years… this is hard for me.”
Wrong response: “I understand, but let’s focus on the numbers.”
Labeling response: “It sounds like this home holds a lot of memories for you.”

See the difference?
Labeling doesn’t try to convince—it acknowledges. And that builds trust and influence.

Real estate is one of the most powerful wealth-building vehicles—but only if you know how to play the game. 

Too many investors waste time chasing bad deals, overpaying, or relying on outdated strategies. 

The key? 

Mastering off-market acquisitions, sharpening your sales skills, and structuring deals for maximum profit. 

Here’s how:

Go Direct to Sellers – The best deals aren't on the MLS. Off-market deals give you control over pricing, terms, and creative financing options. Learn how to source motivated sellers and negotiate win-win deals.

Leverage the Right Relationships – Your network is your net worth. Build strong partnerships with agents, wholesalers, and investors who understand off-market deal flow and can bring you opportunities others never see.

Know Your Numbers – Real estate investing is a numbers game. Run the comps, calculate repair costs, and plan multiple exit strategies so you maximize every deal—whether that’s wholesaling, flipping, or holding for cash flow.

Don’t Just Buy—Negotiate – Winning in real estate isn’t just about finding deals, it’s about structuring them right. Develop your negotiation skills so you can secure better pricing, seller financing, or terms that increase your bottom line.

Stay Financially Smart – Investing doesn’t mean taking reckless risks. Have a plan for marketing, operating expenses, and scaling without overleveraging. A strong business foundation ensures long-term success.

The best investors create opportunities, not just chase them. 

Take action, but make sure it’s strategic, profitable, and repeatable.

Back in 2019, I locked up a deal that I thought was a guaranteed win. Instead, it turned into one of the most frustrating (and expensive) lessons of my real estate career.

After securing the contract, my buyer insisted that I "winterize" the property to prevent plumbing issues. That meant trudging through knee-deep snow in freezing temperatures, spending hours shutting off water lines and draining pipes—on a house I wasn’t even keeping.

To make matters worse, it was a four-hour round trip. And after all that effort? I walked away with a measly $4,000.

Then, just a few weeks later, the person I wholesaled it to relisted the property on the MLS—without touching a thing—and made $40,000.

Why? Because he had leverage.

He knew I was in a tough financial spot. He recognized I was working from a place of desperation. In that moment, I was the motivated seller—exactly the kind of person I had spent my career looking for. And he took full advantage of it.

It stung. Bad.

But that deal changed everything for me.

The Turning Point

Instead of dwelling on what I lost, I decided to focus on what I could fix.

✅ I built a real cash buyers list. No more scrambling to find a buyer at the last minute—I now have over 5,000 buyers ready to go.

✅ I invested in private lending knowledge. I never wanted to be in a position where I had to take a low offer just to close a deal.

✅ I developed multiple exit strategies. Whether it’s wholesaling, flipping, creative financing, or wholetailing, I make sure I always have options.

The Biggest Lesson

This experience forced me to shift my mindset.

I stopped operating from a place of scarcity and started thinking from a place of abundance.

Today, I consistently make $40K+ per deal, and every now and then, I hit a $90K+ home run. Not because I'm the smartest investor, but because I learned from my failures and adapted.

Mistakes will happen. Deals will go sideways. But the ones who succeed in this business are the ones who take those lessons and use them to level up.

Don’t let your losses define you—let them refine you.

@Taylor Dasch thanks for your feedback! I’m happy to hear the blog resonated with you.