Agent Investor Seeking Strategy to Connect w/ Other Agents for Investments

Cleveland, Ohio
Real Estate Agent
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Agent Investor Seeking Strategy to Connect w/ Other Agents for Investments

Nicholas MischPro Member
Investor · Broadview Hts, OH · Member since 2016 · 310 posts · 280 votes

I am curious as an Agent Investor (more investor than agent honestly) who really wants to connect with other agents to find distressed properties what the best way to connect and compensate for bringing me the deals. I know it will involve networking and I would think I would be at an advantage as a fellow agent. Any advice on if this is a good strategy as an agent to find good distressed properties.

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Derek Hollis
Real Estate Agent · Nashville, TN · Member since 2026 · 12 posts · 9 votes
6mo

Agent in Nashville, and I do this from both sides. I buy my own stuff and I work with investor clients who source deals through their agent networks.

The thing that actually generates repeat deal flow is closing when you say you'll close. I have two agents in my market who send me pocket listings before they hit the MLS because they know I have my financing squared away and I'm not going to renegotiate after inspection over a $500 issue. That relationship took a year of actually performing to build. No amount of networking events will replace that.

On compensation, a referral fee paid at closing through the brokerages is the cleanest structure. Most MLS systems handle co-op or referral splits without any issues. Just check your brokerage's ICA on how they handle referral income on your personal deals. Some shops take a cut and some don't. Worth knowing before your first check comes in.

One thing I'd add to what others have said. The agents who consistently see distressed inventory aren't always the highest volume agents in your MLS. Property managers who also hold a license, estate attorneys with agent connections, even the agents who handle a lot of REO listings in your county. That's where the real off-market pipeline lives, not at broker opens.

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  • Caleb Brown
    Real Estate Agent · Kansas City · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    7mo

    If you are going to use other agents then you'd just pay them a commission and not collect yours. Same as if you were an unlicensed agent. 

    1Reply
  • Nicholas MischPro Member
    OP
    Investor · Broadview Hts, OH · Member since 2016 · 310 posts · 280 votes
    7mo

    Thank you for the reply. I guess to clarify a little, I am looking to have the agent connect me with the seller who either does not want to list or the home is better sold off market and I would still pay the commission to the Agent. I am not really looking for listed deals as they generally do not have enough room for investment in the current environment. 

    0Reply
  • Michael K GallagherBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus OH · Member since 2018 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6mo

    @Nicholas Misch If you're licensed and the agent you are getting the deal from is licensed they you could just pay them a referal, or a flat "finders fee" paid as a commission on the close of the deal. if you are working a specific market, then it should be pretty straight forward to identify the agents doing the majority of the work just from MLS data, assuming you have mls access with your license.

    I'd also start going to broker opens or lender events in your area, that will be where the "traditional agents" are and who I assume is your target here.

    [email protected]614-362-2231
    2Reply
  • Jeff Roth
    Real Estate Consultant · Ann Arbor, MI · Member since 2022 · 477 posts · 266 votes
    6mo

    Hi Nick from Cleveland, Ohio-

    Great question! You asked about the best ways to find distressed properties to invest in.

    If you like bank owned properties, you can look for these properties listed and they are usually listed by the same agents so you can network with them.

    Additionally, you can contact local lenders and ask for the asset managers to see if they work with investors with distressed assets or you can find out which brokers they work with to list them.

    You can get on the pre-forclosure list or the legal notices and try to contact these homeowners directly before the sheriff's sale.

    There are lead lists that give you contact numbers scrubbed for the Do Not Call list and addresses of properties statistically headed for distress. With AI, look for this to get even more sophisticated.

    To Your Success!

    2Reply
  • Jimmy LieuBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2019 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    6mo
    Quote from @Nicholas Misch:

    I am curious as an Agent Investor (more investor than agent honestly) who really wants to connect with other agents to find distressed properties what the best way to connect and compensate for bringing me the deals. I know it will involve networking and I would think I would be at an advantage as a fellow agent. Any advice on if this is a good strategy as an agent to find good distressed properties.

    Hey Nicholas, yeah this can be a good strategy, especially since you already have the agent side advantage, but the key is doing it the right way. Most deals between agents and investors are handled through normal commission structures or broker-to-broker referrals, so trying to “pay directly for deals” usually isn’t how it’s set up. The real win is building relationships with agents who consistently see distressed inventory like expired listings, tired landlords, or pre-foreclosures, and making yourself the go-to buyer who’s easy to work with—clear criteria, fast decisions, and closing when you say you will. Once agents trust you’ll actually perform, they’ll naturally bring you more off-market or overlooked deals. Also don’t sleep on property managers, contractors, and wholesalers since they often see distress even earlier than agents.
    [email protected]614-300-7535
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  • Remington LymanBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2017 · 6k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    6mo
    Quote from @Nicholas Misch:

    I am curious as an Agent Investor (more investor than agent honestly) who really wants to connect with other agents to find distressed properties what the best way to connect and compensate for bringing me the deals. I know it will involve networking and I would think I would be at an advantage as a fellow agent. Any advice on if this is a good strategy as an agent to find good distressed properties.


     You should cold call

    [email protected]614-541-8475Podcast Guest on Show My Job Laid Me Off, So I Replaced My Salary with Rentals
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  • Don KonipolBusiness Member
    Investor · The Woodlands TX / Avon, CT · Member since 2009 · 6k+ posts · 10k+ votes
    6mo
    Quote from @Nicholas Misch:

    I am curious as an Agent Investor (more investor than agent honestly) who really wants to connect with other agents to find distressed properties what the best way to connect and compensate for bringing me the deals. I know it will involve networking and I would think I would be at an advantage as a fellow agent. Any advice on if this is a good strategy as an agent to find good distressed properties.

    Are you looking for investment type properties where you would be the buyers representative; the sellers representative, or a “facilitator”? 
    Private Mortgage Financing Partners, LLC
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    2Reply
    • Nicholas MischPro Member
      OP
      Investor · Broadview Hts, OH · Member since 2016 · 310 posts · 280 votes
      6mo
      Quote from @Don Konipol:
      Quote from @Nicholas Misch:

      I am curious as an Agent Investor (more investor than agent honestly) who really wants to connect with other agents to find distressed properties what the best way to connect and compensate for bringing me the deals. I know it will involve networking and I would think I would be at an advantage as a fellow agent. Any advice on if this is a good strategy as an agent to find good distressed properties.

      Are you looking for investment type properties where you would be the buyers representative; the sellers representative, or a “facilitator”? 

       Hey Don,

      I am looking to buy for myself to both flip and hold as rentals. 

      0Reply
  • Samuel DioufBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus & Cleveland, OH · Member since 2023 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6mo

    If you're not looking to pay another agent for their services. you should use your time as an agent to connect with motivated off-market sellers.

    [email protected]614-662-1652
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    1Reply
  • Derek Hollis
    Real Estate Agent · Nashville, TN · Member since 2026 · 12 posts · 9 votes
    6mo

    Agent in Nashville, and I do this from both sides. I buy my own stuff and I work with investor clients who source deals through their agent networks.

    The thing that actually generates repeat deal flow is closing when you say you'll close. I have two agents in my market who send me pocket listings before they hit the MLS because they know I have my financing squared away and I'm not going to renegotiate after inspection over a $500 issue. That relationship took a year of actually performing to build. No amount of networking events will replace that.

    On compensation, a referral fee paid at closing through the brokerages is the cleanest structure. Most MLS systems handle co-op or referral splits without any issues. Just check your brokerage's ICA on how they handle referral income on your personal deals. Some shops take a cut and some don't. Worth knowing before your first check comes in.

    One thing I'd add to what others have said. The agents who consistently see distressed inventory aren't always the highest volume agents in your MLS. Property managers who also hold a license, estate attorneys with agent connections, even the agents who handle a lot of REO listings in your county. That's where the real off-market pipeline lives, not at broker opens.

    3Reply
  • Alioune Camara
    Realtor · OH · Member since 2026 · 122 posts · 77 votes
    6mo
    Quote from @Nicholas Misch:

    I am curious as an Agent Investor (more investor than agent honestly) who really wants to connect with other agents to find distressed properties what the best way to connect and compensate for bringing me the deals. I know it will involve networking and I would think I would be at an advantage as a fellow agent. Any advice on if this is a good strategy as an agent to find good distressed properties.


    Leveraging your status as a licensed agent is a high-level strategy because you can compensate partners through agent-to-agent referral fees, which are legally cleaner and often more attractive to fellow professionals than standard wholesale fees. To source distressed properties, position yourself as the "easy button" for retail agents who stumble upon "messy" listings that won't pass FHA inspections; offer to let them represent you as the buyer’s agent so they collect a full commission, or execute a formal referral agreement through your brokerage to boost their production volume. In the 2026 Ohio market, ensure you provide clear written disclosure of your licensed status in every contract, and consider "rebating" your commission back into the deal to lower your purchase price and make your cash offers more competitive to sellers. I hope that helps.
    2Reply
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