The stories I hear of people investing with no money down are usually people who have tons of knowledge and skill in REI and that's why people will fund their deals without them having skin in the deal.I've made several post in the past (Link 1 Link 2) about asking for a mentor if you want to check them out.

Talk with the seller and see if he is open to seller finance at 25%.Find a lending institution that will underwrite the deal at 75%Your problem is going to be that you have no skin in the game.  

They will need it subordinated, of course, and they usually want you to have some skin in the game.

The seller could theoretically lower the purchase price and commission to reflect you "not using an agent" and cover closing costs, but that would be quite the hard sell.From an ex-agent with currently no skin currently in the broker side, buyers who put in offers like this are often seen by listing agents as being way more work than they're worth.

The pathway you are considering is one way to skin the proverbial cat, but it is by no means a necessary course of action to be a successful real estate investor. 

Taking stock of my current situation, I don't have a ton of capital, just enough to put skin in the game, so I'll have to find other ways to contribute. 

Lenders want the buyer to have skin in the game to secure their position.

Note that I do not put a lot of time into due diligence until the "contract to hold" meeting, when they put some skin in the game.At the "contract to hold" meeting, I collect an amount equal to one month's rent.

Most private lenders, in addition to all traditional lenders, will require you to have skin in the game. 

They have more skin in the game then you do.Make sure you get clear title.