Tips on scaling flipping business.
17 Replies
Adam Craig
Investor from Cleveland, OH
posted over 1 year ago
In about 8 years I've gone from doing a house here and there to doing 11 houses in 2018. Some we flip some we rent.
I have assembled quite the crew in that time. Between the rental business in the flipping business I have anywhere from 4-8 guys working for me nearly full time on any given day.
On an average week I stop out of the properties in progess once or twice. I take pictures of everything I need to remember then I take that home and I assign the work to the appropriate guys for the following week and I repeat.
Right now I have a lot of projects coming up and I really want to continue to ramp things up but I'm at the point now where I would turn down a deal because I have too many coming up. What would the best way to scale a rehabbing business? Part time Project manager? no idea what the salary might be for someone like that but seems to be the next step
Bill Quigley
from Morton, IL
replied over 1 year ago
What about Wholesaling some of the deals?
Adam Craig
Investor from Cleveland, OH
replied over 1 year ago
Originally posted by @Bill Quigley :
What about Wholesaling some of the deals?
Ive been looking more into wholesaling.
The issue I see is more then half my properties come from auction sites which dont allow you to assign contracts. With limited knowledge on wholesaling..., Do people wholesale houses that they actually purchase rather than assign the contract? I always thought if you cannot assign the contract the profits would take a heavy hit in the closings costs associated with buyer and selling rather than assigning.
Thomas Lewandowski
Flipper/Rehabber from Fairport, NY
replied over 1 year ago
@Adam Craig Double closing allows wholesaler to own the house for a very brief amount of time before turning over to end buyer. A to B to C is a way some do a wholesale deal. Seller to wholesaler to buyer is A to B to C but must have buyer set first. If you actually buy the house yourself to wholesale then your financial numbers are private but if assigning then buyer and seller can see what you make on a deal. Assigning is the easy way and double closing can be tricky at times. GL
Elbert D.
Real Estate Entrepreneur / Investor from Chicago, IL
replied over 1 year ago
Well in my opinion, there are a ton of variables to think about. If your trying to scale your flipping business I would stick strictly to flipping. Wholesaling is a nice tool in the toolbox to have but without any serious buyers your going be sitting on a lot of properties. Unless your buying them yourself. In wholesaling if you dont have any buyers....As in actual other landlords and flippers then its pointless.
Moving forward, If you plan to scale flipping you need to be on a very strict deadline with all of the properties you close on. Moving quickly and having atleast 2-3 going at one time. One way is to have a partner and go back and forth closing on deals together to create a volume result. Or you could aim for the higher end homes and flip those the same way. The issue is how the current market is all over America its going be tough to come out with a nice ROI with those homes. Also although deals can still be found, they are becoming harder and harder to obtain. Thats not to mention you will be sharing the profits as you scale up. The next is having a great relationship with your lender, doesnt matter if its a HML or PML. Yeah I know everyone says "We can close in 7-14 days" (LOL surrrre) but having one that doesnt have hidden fees and fees that fall out of the sky is very important too. The most important IMO is hooking up with a knowledgeable wholesaler who knows what they are doing and how to run ROI. They should know a good deal that could be a great opportunity for a flip. If you can manage to find one or a couple keep in contact with them and whatever their fee is just pay it. Many people flip out when they see what a wholesaler profit is in closing docs. Your getting the better end of the deal since your the buyer and they are the middleman. Lastly, is finding a competent realtor who knows what a good opportunity is for flips as well. Rather they are off market(usually those are the best) or a listing that hasnt come on the MLS. A working relationship with them is also important. Real Estate as a business is all about having people you trust assist you. Teams are very very important to be successful in this industry. Essentially having 3-4 people that could do the same thing means better efficiency for your flipping business.
Greg Dickerson
Developer from Charlottesville, VA
replied over 1 year ago
@Adam Craig scaling your flipping business is all about systems and building the right team. You have to become a leader, delegator, motivator and put the right people In the right role then coach them to success. It’s all about clear expectations, measurement of performance and accountability. I coach some of the top flippers in the business doing 200 - 300 deals a year and it all boils down to those 3 things. Systems, the Team and Leadership
Greg Dickerson
Developer from Charlottesville, VA
replied over 1 year ago
Originally posted by @Elbert D. :
Well in my opinion, there are a ton of variables to think about. If your trying to scale your flipping business I would stick strictly to flipping. Wholesaling is a nice tool in the toolbox to have but without any serious buyers your going be sitting on a lot of properties. Unless your buying them yourself. In wholesaling if you dont have any buyers....As in actual other landlords and flippers then its pointless.
Moving forward, If you plan to scale flipping you need to be on a very strict deadline with all of the properties you close on. Moving quickly and having atleast 2-3 going at one time. One way is to have a partner and go back and forth closing on deals together to create a volume result. Or you could aim for the higher end homes and flip those the same way. The issue is how the current market is all over America its going be tough to come out with a nice ROI with those homes. Also although deals can still be found, they are becoming harder and harder to obtain. Thats not to mention you will be sharing the profits as you scale up. The next is having a great relationship with your lender, doesnt matter if its a HML or PML. Yeah I know everyone says "We can close in 7-14 days" (LOL surrrre) but having one that doesnt have hidden fees and fees that fall out of the sky is very important too. The most important IMO is hooking up with a knowledgeable wholesaler who knows what they are doing and how to run ROI. They should know a good deal that could be a great opportunity for a flip. If you can manage to find one or a couple keep in contact with them and whatever their fee is just pay it. Many people flip out when they see what a wholesaler profit is in closing docs. Your getting the better end of the deal since your the buyer and they are the middleman. Lastly, is finding a competent realtor who knows what a good opportunity is for flips as well. Rather they are off market(usually those are the best) or a listing that hasnt come on the MLS. A working relationship with them is also important. Real Estate as a business is all about having people you trust assist you. Teams are very very important to be successful in this industry. Essentially having 3-4 people that could do the same thing means better efficiency for your flipping business.
I agree other the partner. You don’t have to bring on a partner to scale and I would not advise doing this: all you need to do is build a team either in house or using independent contractors. It’s all about systems and people.
Andrew Cornstubble
Rental Property Investor from Sedan, KS
replied over 1 year ago
@Greg Dickerson I've always wondered if a base pay plus commissions would make a big difference. I find that people tend to work harder and care more when they know they have something on the line to gain. Or possibly as a way to weed out the unmotivated people.
Greg Dickerson
Developer from Charlottesville, VA
replied over 1 year ago
Originally posted by @Andrew Cornstubble :
@Greg Dickerson I've always wondered if a base pay plus commissions would make a big difference. I find that people tend to work harder and care more when they know they have something on the line to gain. Or possibly as a way to weed out the unmotivated people.
Yes it provides a sense of ownership for them. Works well in a lot of industries. It’s the Outback Steakhouse, ChicFila model among others
Vincent Chen
Real Estate Investor from Miami, FL
replied about 1 year ago
@Greg Dickerson When is good time for flipping to scale and what kind of team is best suit for lead generation and finance?
Greg Dickerson
Developer from Charlottesville, VA
replied about 1 year ago
Originally posted by @Vincent Chen :@Greg Dickerson When is good time for flipping to scale and what kind of team is best suit for lead generation and finance?
You can scale anytime your ready. No best or worst time as long as the market is active and you have good deal flow.
Vincent Chen
Real Estate Investor from Miami, FL
replied about 1 year ago
@Greg Dickerson Good point, Sir. Right now I am still new to the game, and what is your suggestion for good deal flow system or marketing system to get stable deal flow?
Greg Dickerson
Developer from Charlottesville, VA
replied about 1 year ago
Originally posted by @Vincent Chen :@Greg Dickerson Good point, Sir. Right now I am still new to the game, and what is your suggestion for good deal flow system or marketing system to get stable deal flow?
You need to find motivated sellers ether through paid market or free resources. You can purchase lists with different motivations like absentee owners, 60-90-120 days late on mortgage, pre-foreclosure, delinquent taxes, water cutoff, code violation, evictions, probate, divorce, etc. and mail or cold call.
Other methods are driving for dollars, door knocking, wholesalers, craigslist, Realtors, FSBO sites, expired listings, put out bandit signs, billboards, newspapers, other offline publications.
You can use pay per click/adwords, motivated seller website with SEO, facebook, Linkedin, Youtube, and other forms of online and social media marketing.
If you have a big budget you can do radio, TV and billboards. Lots of bigger outfits do well with these mediums.
Phillip Rogers
Flipper/Rehabber from Marietta, GA
replied about 1 year ago
@Greg Dickerson - I’m new to the game also. Where would you recommend purchasing the lists you mentioned above? I’m finding out quickly that lead generation is the key! I also work full time and have a full time family...driving for dollars happens when we are out running errands, taking trips, etc. but I don’t think I get enough volume to get a solid traction.
Will Barnard
(Moderator) -
Developer from Santa Clarita, CA
replied about 1 year ago
Originally posted by @Greg Dickerson :@Adam Craig scaling your flipping business is all about systems and building the right team. You have to become a leader, delegator, motivator and put the right people In the right role then coach them to success. It’s all about clear expectations, measurement of performance and accountability. It all boils down to those 3 things. Systems, the Team and Leadership
This is great advice for scaling your flip business (or any business for that matter. Systems are vital and a good team is vital. Part of the process of scaling is identifying what your time is worth, what you do in a day, week, or month that earns you the most money, and do that, delegate others for all the other tasks below your pay grade!
Greg Dickerson
Developer from Charlottesville, VA
replied about 1 year ago
Originally posted by @Phillip Rogers :@Greg Dickerson - I’m new to the game also. Where would you recommend purchasing the lists you mentioned above? I’m finding out quickly that lead generation is the key! I also work full time and have a full time family...driving for dollars happens when we are out running errands, taking trips, etc. but I don’t think I get enough volume to get a solid traction.
Most people use list source
Dave Charron
Lender from Syracuse, NY
replied about 1 year ago
I say you need the project manager and pay him a base plus commission to keep his goals aligned with yours.
Will Barnard
(Moderator) -
Developer from Santa Clarita, CA
replied about 1 year ago
Originally posted by @Dave Charron :I say you need the project manager and pay him a base plus commission to keep his goals aligned with yours.
I concur, great advice.