Their is a reason the IRS classifies flippetrs as dealers.

IRS classifies real estate dealerships in a different way.

Advertising, auctions, Bandit Signs, Classified Ads, Direct Mails, Family Members referrals can be added to your list of finding leads.

Giving a PROMISE of money down the road for a bunch of FREE stuff today to a broker/agent is a very quick way for a broker/agent to go out of business.This is the same as a seller saying cut me a deal (commission) on selling my house and we will buy through you and then they use another buyers agent on their purchase.If you want to be a success in real estate as a broker/agent you have to value your time or you will go out of business.It seems if that MLS assistant status is allowed in your state then that might be the solution.Then you can spend your time running all kinds of comps you want at YOUR TIME and EXPENSE.As I have said on other posts before.If it is your own cash and you have a recent bank statement then you are a cash purchaser.If you are using private money,hard money,or transactional funding then your money is tied into certain CONDITIONS to be met to get that money to close the deal.Anytime there is someone else's money involved that the purchasers there is many more things that can derail a deal and it never closes.Some deals do close but statistically the odds are not in the broker/agents favor.Making money as a broker/agent and smart investment decisions with your time just like an investor does with doing deals is what makes a broker/agent last and become very profitable long term.Wholesalers to me I don't classify as purchasers or investors.Many times they are trying to use OPM to collect a fee as a middleman.Nothing wrong with that except when they try to act like a regular purchaser.That's where the rub comes in for many in the industry.Just be real in what you want to do and if the seller doesn't want to do that do not try to manipulate them stating you are something you are not to try and lock up a deal and collect a fee.

I also have about $25k of suspended losses from future years.I have been classified as a real estate professional, including 2021, but will no longer qualify for that classification moving forward for the foreseeable future.

Also just google free internet real estate classifieds and you will find a slew of them.Best Wishes

Obviously wouldn't work for high volume flippers, but if you are a low volume investor who does both flips and buy and hold wouldn't it benefit you to classify everything at buy and hold?

There's nothing wrong with using traditional offline marketing as well (i.e. ads, classifieds, etc.)

I just heard to look up classifieds in newspapers and call the ads that have apartments for rent to see if the owners would like to buy more properties or sell them.

I know I sell Yellow Letter Mail letters however there was a time in my life when I cold called active for rents from the classified section of hte newspaper...