Finding Cash Buyers: 7 Tips for Beginner Wholesale Real Estate Investors
More important than finding properties to sell is finding cash buyers to purchase them. You don’t want to sit on an investment for longer than you need to, after all, wholesaling real estate is typically a contractually time sensitive gig.
By building a list of viable cash buyers, you are setting yourself up for quick profits. You’ll have to get creative when you’re starting as a beginner wholesale real estate investor. Below are 7 actional tips for building a cash buyers list to help get you started.
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Tax Assessor Websites
You can access ownership information through your local tax assessor website. Look for homes that are owned by an LLC or for owners with multiple properties in the area. These two criteria are telltale signs of real estate investors that are potential cash buyers.
Craigslist
Oftentimes sellers are also buyers. Many property listings on Craigslist are posted by real estate investors in your market. You should be able to retrieve their contact information and reach out to them. This strategy can also be used to find real estate agents that are marketing properties for investors.
Real Estate Auctions
Think of real estate auctions like networking events. Who goes to real estate auctions? Real estate investors who are interested in quickly purchasing a property with cash. The best part is that only one real estate investor can “win” the auction. This means the remaining outbid players still have the cash and the desire to purchase property. You can let them know who you are and what deals you have to offer.
Real Estate Investing Software
Staying up with the latest technology will provide you with an edge over the competition. Real estate investing software amplifies the effects of your hard work and should be the backbone of any serious modern real estate investors business. One of the leading real estate investing software solutions for wholesalers is FreedomSoft. FreedomSoft includes the following features:
- Cash buyer leads
- Motivated seller leads
- Website builder
- An email marketing system
- Property valuation software
- REI contract generator
- Social Media integration
- And much more!
Time is money. Automating repeatable tasks and streamlining your business will free up time for you to search for new properties and capture cash buyer leads.
Networking Events
Face-to-face networking is an excellent way to build rapport in an increasingly digital marketplace. Look up local real estate investing clubs and REIA meetings in your area, get your cards ready, and start networking. You can meet tons of real estate investors and people who are familiar with the market.
Public Records
Your local public record’s office has information on every sale in the area. Whether access is allowed to these records varies from county to county, so do a quick Google search of your local public records office to find out. You should look for properties that are recorded as having no mortgage lien. This typically indicates a cash buyer.
Personal Property Signs
In the age of social media, property signs (aka., bandit signs) may seem old school, but they can still be effective. While social media is great for reaching a large audience without the restraint of geography, property signs are targeted directly to your target audience, that is to say, locals looking to buy real estate in your area.
Start Building Your Cash Buyers List
Now you have 7 viable ways to start building your cash buyers list. You can act on many of these tips right away. Hop on Craigslist, check out your local tax assessor website, sign up for a networking event, or browse your county’s public records. You’re now a few steps closer to making your first sale.
Finding Cash Buyers FAQ’s
What does it mean to be a cash buyer?
“Cash buyer” is often used by estate agents as someone who purchases property without needing a mortgage. This can be advantageous for both sellers and buyers, as it eliminates some of the paperwork and time-consuming steps that make traditional sales more complex.
Real estate wholesalers usually have a list of reliable cash buyers they can rely on for speedy and efficient transactions. These individuals usually possess some form of expertise in buying and selling properties under specific conditions.
iBuyers are cash buyers with the purpose of rehabbing or flipping homes. These companies purchase distressed properties that need work and renovate them before offering them for sale.
Cash sales also involve no finance checks, which can save both the seller and buyer time. Furthermore, there’s less paperwork so it becomes simpler for the buyer to close on the property.
Cash sales can often be more cost-effective than traditional transactions, particularly if the home needs some renovations to be done.
Is it an Advantage to Be a Cash Buyer?
Being a real estate cash buyer eliminates the need to obtain a mortgage. This saves time and money in applying for loans, plus any interest payments on those loans.
By forgoing mortgage insurance, you could potentially save a considerable amount of money in the long run. Furthermore, dealing with lenders and real estate agents does not need to be an inconvenience anymore.
Selling to a cash buyer can be an efficient way for you to obtain the funds that you require quickly. Cash sales tend to be completed within weeks, which is especially advantageous for people who need to sell their homes due to urgent work deadlines or personal reasons that necessitate speedy completion.
Cash purchases of homes can be advantageous for sellers with limited time to sell their property and buyers seeking an expeditious sale. However, the main disadvantage to this method is that sellers typically receive less for their property than if they were selling through traditional real estate channels.
Cash buyers have the advantage of being more adaptable and open to negotiation since there’s no risk of your financing falling through unexpectedly, like with mortgages. This gives them a competitive edge when bargaining with other sellers in your area.
How Fast Can Cash Buyers Close on a Property?
In most cases, they are able to close much faster than traditional buyers. This can be especially advantageous for homeowners facing foreclosure, job relocation or financial hardship.
A cash purchase also doesn’t require the mortgage funding process to be completed. This can mean that the closing process can be faster than a mortgage buyer, who has to get their loan approved by a lender before they can move forward with a sale.
Once the offer is accepted and the deposit is made, it’s time to start moving the home toward a close. Cash buyers are typically required to work with an escrow agent and title company that can help expedite the closing process.
Next, the escrow agent will make sure that all conditions of the deal have been met, such as earnest money and bank statements. The escrow officer will also do a title search to ensure that no claims or judgments exist on the property.
The final step is the close of escrow, where the buyer will sign all the paperwork and take ownership of the property. The closing will usually happen on the same day that you signed your purchase agreement, but the date and time may vary depending on how quickly the escrow agent is able to complete all the necessary steps.
Do I Need a Cash Buyers List to Wholesale Real Estate?
As a wholesaler or investor, building a cash buyers list is one of the most essential tasks you can do. A strong list gives you access to an expansive network of investors who can close deals quickly and earn substantial profits. Without it, you’ll constantly have to search for buyers when signing contracts.
To start, create a list of potential cash buyers. After that, contact them and start building relationships.
Thankfully, there are numerous methods for rapidly and effortlessly building or expanding your cash buyers list. Here are some of the most popular techniques:
Networking
Many cash buyers enlist the services of property contractors to rehab and renovate properties. Networking with these professionals is a highly efficient way to expand your buyer list. Property contractors typically have strong connections in the community, and you can draw upon their contacts to expand your own network.
Bandit Signs
Those corrugated plastic signs you see nailed to phone poles around town saying “We Buy Houses” can be an excellent place to begin marketing your business to investors looking for cash deals. While these ads may make the phone ring with interested parties, you need to separate genuine investors from those looking to sell their home and collaborate with someone else.
Real Estate Investors Clubs/Associations
Investing in real estate is a big commitment, so if you’re not sure where to begin, networking events or clubs designed specifically for investors are great places to start. Many of these events charge a nominal fee to join and provide access to local investors willing to purchase your wholesale deals.
Cash Buyer Websites
Having a website for your real estate business is an essential part of building a list of wholesale buyers. SEO-optimized real estate investor websites are a great way to make your company stand out online and get more exposure to potential cash buyers. A good website will have an opt-in form, a credibility bar, and a blog section.
These are all the features Carrot offers to help you build a website that generates leads passively. You can also choose from several different styles of your homepage opt-in form and change the look and feel to match your brand.
Once you have a cash buyers list, it’s important to develop relationships with them so that you can sell your deals and earn a good profit in the process.
Where Are the Most Cash Buyers?
As interest rates rise and home prices continue to decline, more buyers are opting to pay cash for their homes. Redfin’s recent report indicates that this share of cash buyers has reached its highest level since 2014, showing where there’s been an influx in this segment of the market.
Cash buyers commonly include owner-occupants; wealthy foreigners; people who have equity from a prior home sale or closing; and real estate investors. These groups may purchase homes to resell them quickly for profit or add them to their rental portfolios.
Real estate markets that experience a large amount of all-cash sales are Miami, Tampa, Fort Myers and Sarasota in Florida. In those markets, more than 55 percent of real estate transactions are cash.
Facebook Groups and Networking Events
Another strategy for finding cash buyers is joining local Facebook groups that cater specifically to real estate. Posting in these groups will alert everyone in the area that you are searching for immediate cash buyers who can purchase your properties quickly.
Public Records
Searching public records for properties sold without a mortgage lien can be an excellent source of leads. Depending on the county, you can access details about each real estate sale, including its deed and any recorded mortgages.
Real estate investors benefit from having access to cash buyers who can help them close deals faster. Not only does this simplify the closing process, but they typically require a shorter appraisal period as well. This results in faster flips and greater profits for investors.
Public Auctions
Home auctions can be an excellent place to meet cash buyers. In fact, they’re one of the best places to find real estate deals because you can get properties below market value at a fraction of their original value.
A number of investors buy homes for cash to flip them and resell them at a higher price later on. These investors are also known as fix-and-flippers because they renovate a property before selling it.
How Do I Find Local Cash Buyers?
Right now, demand for cash homebuyers is high due to record low inventory levels. These buyers are an invaluable resource for house flippers and investors who need quick sales of their properties without going through the lengthy process of traditional sales.
Here are some strategies you can use to locate and connect with local buyers:
Search Craigslist for real estate cash buyer ads
Craigslist is an ideal starting point when looking for local cash buyers since it’s an age-old platform designed with both motivated sellers and potential purchasers in mind. You can filter results based on type of buyer you need as well as by geographic location.
Join a local REIA or networking group
If you’re just starting out in real estate investing, one of the best ways to expand your network is by joining an area real estate investor group. These meet once or twice per month and provide excellent opportunities to network with other local investors.
Utilize public records to uncover cash sales in your market
Most municipalities maintain real estate transaction records which list the names of all cash homebuyers who sold a property and when it was done. These files can provide wholesalers with invaluable insight into recent cash deals.
How to Generate Real Estate Cash Buyer Leads Online?
In today’s real estate market, you need to be able to generate cash buyer leads online. To do this, build a network of contacts, craft content that helps potential clients understand your services and ensure your website is optimized to send people where they need to go.
The initial step in building your brand is to promote yourself online, on social media platforms and in other marketing efforts. Furthermore, include testimonials from previous clients to demonstrate your expertise and credibility.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an essential aspect of generating real estate leads, as it guarantees your website appears at the top of Google searches when people are searching for services like yours. Furthermore, SEO helps you build a strong reputation in your area so that when prospective buyers and sellers search for services, they know to contact you first.
A great way to begin is by optimizing all pages on your website for SEO optimization, so they appear in Google searches. Doing this makes it simpler for potential buyers to locate and fill out a lead generation form on your site.
Blogging remains one of the most effective methods for driving website traffic and generating real estate buyer leads. But in order for it to work effectively, you need to produce high-quality blog content and optimize your page so that it appears on page one of Google search results.
A real estate investor website is the ideal way to cultivate a significant cash buyers list. These SEO-optimized sites are designed with one goal in mind – spreading awareness about your deals and local real estate investing opportunities. With these websites, adding inventory and associated property data takes only minutes – so why wait? Get started now!
Investor Carrot provides cash buyer websites with lead generation services to help real estate professionals and agencies reach potential buyers across multiple channels. These include a comprehensive SEO strategy, email and social media outreach, lead tracking, and CRM integration.
When it comes to generating cash buyer leads, the most important thing is being available and responsive to your prospects. Make sure you provide your contact information on every page of your website and are always able to answer questions that prospective clients may have.
My name is Andrew and I began having an interest in wholesaling. I had a couple of questions about it so I can get a better understanding of the process and what’s the most effective way.
You can check out this article to help you better understand real estate wholesaling: Wholesaling Houses Step by Step Guide for Beginners.