TL;DR
- Your buyer list is your competitive moat — strong relationships = faster closes and better margins
- Not all buyers are equal — segment into A/B/C tiers based on close history and reliability
- Get specific criteria: "SFR under $200K" is useless; "3/2 SFR, 1970-1990, 85032/85033, ARV under $275K" is actionable
- The Reverse Buy Box: your buyers criteria should inform your acquisition targeting
- Quality over quantity — 20 reliable buyers beats 200 tire-kickers
Building Your Buyer List
Where to Find Cash Buyers
Public Records Research - Cash purchases recorded at county (no mortgage = cash buyer) - Look for repeat buyers (multiple purchases = active investor) - Target recent purchases (last 6-12 months = currently active)
Title Company Relationships - Title officers see every transaction - Ask for introductions to active buyers - Valuable source of buyer criteria data
REI Meetups and Networking - Local investor meetups - Real estate investment associations (REIAs) - Be the person with deals, not the person asking for deals
Other Wholesalers as Buyers - JV partnerships with wholesalers in adjacent markets - Co-wholesale arrangements (you find deal, they have buyer) - Builds relationship for future deal flow both directions
Buyer Website/Landing Page - Simple page: "We have off-market deals. Get on the list." - Capture: name, email, phone, buy criteria - Promotes during deal blasts and networking
Building vs Buying Buyer Lists
Building (recommended): - Your relationships, your criteria data - Direct communication channel - Takes 6-12 months to establish solid list
Buying/Renting: - Faster start - No relationship = commodity transactions - Often stale or oversaturated
Start building now. Every closed deal should add 1-2 qualified buyers to your list.
Buyer Qualification
Client Results
“I mapped my top 3 buyers criteria and realized they all wanted the same thing: 1970s-80s SFR in 3 specific zip codes. I narrowed my marketing to just those areas. Volume dropped 40%, but close rate tripled. Net: more deals, less spend.”
— Houston investor, 88 deals/year
Not All Buyers Are Equal
The 80/20 rule applies: 20% of your buyers will close 80% of your deals. Identify and prioritize them.
What to track: - Deals closed with you (most important) - Speed to close (days from acceptance to funding) - Reliability (do they perform or renegotiate?) - Communication responsiveness - Proof of funds verification
A/B/C Tier Segmentation
A-Buyers (first call): - Closed 3+ deals with you - Close within 14 days - No renegotiation history - Responsive within hours
B-Buyers (second tier): - Closed 1-2 deals OR highly qualified new buyer - Close within 21 days - Minor renegotiation acceptable - Responsive within 24 hours
C-Buyers (last resort): - Never closed with you - Unproven track record - May still be valuable for specific property types
Deal distribution by tier: 1. Private call/text to A-buyers first (24-48 hour head start) 2. If no taker, blast to B-buyers 3. If still no taker, full list blast including C-buyers
A-buyers get first look as reward for closing. This reinforces the behavior you want.
Understanding Buyer Criteria
Get Specific (Or It Is Useless)
Useless criteria: - "SFR in Phoenix" - "Anything under $300K" - "Good deals"
Actionable criteria: - Property type: 3/2+ SFR - Age: 1970-1995 (no older, no newer) - ARV range: $200K-$275K - Repair budget: Up to $40K - Zip codes: 85032, 85033, 85042 (ranked by preference) - Property condition: Livable (no foundation issues) - Exit strategy: Rental hold (not flip)
Questions to get real criteria: - "What was the last deal you closed? Walk me through the numbers." - "What deals have you passed on recently? Why?" - "If I brought you a deal tomorrow, what would make you say yes instantly?"
The Reverse Buy Box
Your buyers criteria should drive your acquisition targeting.
Traditional approach: Find deals, then find buyers Reverse Buy Box approach: Know exactly what top buyers want, source specifically for that
Implementation: 1. Document top 5 A-buyers exact criteria 2. Map overlap (what criteria do multiple A-buyers share?) 3. Configure acquisition targeting to prioritize overlap criteria 4. Marketing hits exactly what buyers will close
Disposition Workflow
Deal Blast Structure
Components: - Property address and photos - Purchase price and ARV estimate - Repair estimate (realistic, not optimistic) - Assignment fee (or "call for price") - Clear CTA with deadline
Timing: - A-buyers: Private notification 24-48 hours before blast - Full blast: Tuesday-Thursday (avoid Monday/Friday) - Follow-up: 24 hours after blast to non-responders
Response Management
Speed matters: First to respond should not mean first to get the deal. A-buyers get priority even if B-buyer responds first.
Track: - Who responded (even if did not buy) - Questions asked (reveals criteria gaps) - Reason for pass (improves future targeting)
Follow up on passes: "Thanks for looking. What would have made this a yes?" Gold for future sourcing.
Maintaining Relationships
Quality Over Quantity
Do not spam your list with garbage deals. Your A-buyers will unsubscribe mentally (or literally).
Rules: - Only blast deals that fit their stated criteria - If sending outside criteria, acknowledge it: "I know this is outside your usual, but..." - Fewer deals, better fit > more deals, poor fit
Feedback Loops
After every deal (closed or passed): - "Thanks for closing — anything I could do better?" - "Thanks for looking — what made you pass?"
This data improves: - Your deal evaluation (am I buying right?) - Your buyer criteria records (are they current?) - Your relationship (they feel heard)