Connected Investors Deal Dog Web-Based Software Review

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Connected Investors Deal Dog Web-Based Software Review

Account Closed
Attorney · Richmond, VA · Member since 2015 · 17 posts · 33 votes

Hello - I wanted to share my experience with the Connected Investors Deal Dog software (web-based). This software claims to scour the internet finding deals for you, in a fraction of the time it would take for you to look for them yourself.

Now, I didn't expect this software to perform any magic, but I was curious if it would bring me a nice, neat compilation of off-market properties in the areas I am interested in. If it did, and saved me even a few hours of searching the web, I would say that it was worth the $97.00 a month. However, I do not find that to be the case. I also thought that maybe it would look through many sites that I had not heard of,  I could learn some new sites to search for properties- but that was not the case for me either.

First, regarding the sites that are searched: I have only had the software a few days, but the only sites that have shown up for me with a property in my area are: Craigslist, Hudhomestore.com, Hubzu.com, Auction.com, Forsalebyowner.com, and the site that sells the software. To me, all of these (maybe with the exception of the site that sells the software) are well-known places to look for a property. Therefore, the hope of learning about a new spot to search for off-market properties was a bust. This is not to mention that properties on HUDhomestore are on the market...

Second, and even more problematic, is that the software  seems to just pull anything and everything off of Craigslist for the named area - with no culling whatsoever. There are rentals, retail homes, and homes in areas outside of the searched area that are just posted on the searched area's Craigslist. Within the software there is no way (that I saw) to narrow results - meaning that you have to click each to see the result on a new tab in it's original posting location. This is extremely time-consuming - much moreso than just going to Craigslist and doing a search- where you can narrow results easily, and everything is within one tab. 

For those reasons, I am cancelling my subscription (there are no refunds, that is very clear in the terms) and eating the $97. I figured it was worth a shot if it could possibly save me any time - but it was a no-go for me.

Just wanted to share in case anyone else was thinking of trying it out. 

18Reply
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Most Popular Reply

Cody L.
Rental Property Investor · San Diego, CA · Member since 2013 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
9y
You won't find a "list" of off market properties, that's what makes them off market. Just keep that in mind.
10Reply
See this reply in the discussion

53 Replies

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  • Roger Nadeau
    Maricopa, AZ · Member since 2017 · 1 post · 3 votes
    8y

    I am new to real estate focusing on wholesaling.  My problem is what to do when i'm in front of a seller.   I understand what people are saying about where the software pulls the deals/listings from to me pulling up one page that links to all sites is a plus unless i'm missing something. So far from my experience on the video trainings CI provides is in line with what biggerpockets and other companies go over.

     My interest in this is the 5 week training and the different apps within dealdog such as contract genie(updated contracts for every state), value report, title wave, analyze & so on.  I'd like to know people's experiences are with the apps and really from only those who actually used them regularly.  

    3Reply
  • Ariel V Mangoba
    Wholesaler · Solano County, CA · Member since 2017 · 20 posts · 7 votes
    8y

    Thank you my fellow BP's and all for your valuable post, i almost got suck in to their sales pitch last night after watching their webinar. 

    0Reply
  • Joe Waldner
    Grand Rapids, MI · Member since 2017 · 1 post · 4 votes
    8y

    Hello everyone I'm a general contractor and fairly new to the real estate investing world. I setup an account here at BiggerPockets because like all of you here, I went searching for reviews once I watched the 90 minute or something video. It did sound very sales pitchy but I thought if only 10% of what he says is true it may be worth the 300 bucks. 

    I'm surprised that many of you that posted here didn't even give it a try. Along the way I've purchased and signed up for many different online products and websites searching for a good product and yes much of it was wasted. However I will say this program/software is well worth the purchase. I signed up yesterday and began using the deal dog software as well as connecting with other investors and the like in my area. Keep in mind I am new to this so experienced investors may find the information useless who knows. I found it very valuable. I was able to find at least 3 or 4 deals in my area that are potential fix and flip deals. I entered an auction with one of them on a website I've never heard of (sadly I was outbid past my max bid) but the point is it DID bring me new deals to look at that I hadn't been able to find before skimming through zillow, realtor.com, and craiglist. I would spend a fair amount of time bouncing back and forth between these sites but the deal dog app actually does all that for me so I just have to scroll through a 1 simple list. Yes there is some BS and mobile homes, expired listings, etc that you'll need to sift through, still not complaining...

    Another benefit I wanted to point out is that today I found a wholesale investor about an hour from my house and have initiated conversation with. He has a contract that he's trying to flip and it looks very attractive for me I may in fact make him an offer. 

    If you guys won't try something for $300 then maybe real estate investing isn't for you. Unless you know for a FACT that something is bogus or a rip off you should at least try it. Some people will no doubt find it useless. My experience in just 1 day has found it to be well worth it. You should try it for yourself, you may just miss out on a new connection or deal because you listened to the negativity of just 1 or 2 people.  

    4Reply
  • Chris Leight
    Davenport, IA · Member since 2017 · 1 post · 1 vote
    8y

    @Joe Waldner. Thanks for your well-reasoned, slow-to-outright-condemn opposition opinion. 

    I've been looking very seriously into buying the $297 + $37/mo program, which includes the Deal Dog app (I'm also considering the other suites and apps Connected Investors provides on its site). You seem to be far more fair-minded about both the program and the Deal Dog app than most of the people responding on this thread. Most of them made a hasty decision to reject the app, based merely on ONE negative review of it: that of the original poster. 

    "She said it didn't help her. So it can't possibly be any good. That's enough for me." This sentiment pretty much sums up the prevailing attitude. (It's a soft form of "confirmation bias:" They were already skeptical about the product--which is a good way to start--but then their suspicions were confirmed based on just that one opinion. It's a way to make quick decisions without the extra discomfort of the inevitable ambiguity that comes with in-depth research...Yes, I studied psychology as an undergrad.)

    I haven't quite made a decision one way or the other about the product yet, but I'm not knocking it until I have more information, certainly more than one person's opinion.

    To be fair, the original poster did not say that Deal Dog would not, under any circumstances, help anyone else. She just said it didn't help her. I'm mainly pointing, as you did Joe, to the decisions made by almost everyone else in response to her opinion.

    Thanks again for your input.

    Chris Leight

    1Reply
  • John S LewisPro Member
    Jackson, NJ · Member since 2017 · 167 posts · 48 votes
    8y

    @Account Closed  thanks for your post.   I'm so glad I read it.  It's also very interesting that those above that like the product are not BP pro memebers, and the have only a few postings themselves.  Must be some  lurkers trying to gin up  the name.  Not wasting my time and money.  Thanks again!

    2Reply
  • Sam Asante
    Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2016 · 15 posts · 3 votes
    8y

    Thanks for the heads up @Account Closed.  This thread was a great deal of help.  Luckily I did not use up much of my time with regards to the research before being informed by the BP community.

    0Reply
  • Lee Palacios
    Redond Beach, CA · Member since 2018 · 3 posts · 1 vote
    8y

    I came across Connected Investors (CI) and liked their social media based platform and they also help with funding, they're sort of a "one stop shop." They have some pretty good info., mostly about getting funded for real estate deals. I wasn't aware they had software called Deal Dog, until I saw this thread on BP. I wanted to find more info about this software and decided to research and share my opinions/findings about this company and their software.

    First let me say that I'm as frugal as they come and hate to spend a dime of my own money, that being said, I was immediately turned off when I saw a $97/mo. fee for using their service. I think that price is outrageous for info. that can be found for much cheaper, if not free! CI must get comments about steep monthly fees often, they have this sentence as part of their pitch "If all Deal Dog does is bring you one deal...it can pay for itself 1,000 times over" While I agree with that sentence, I also believe deals can be made without using their software or paying their monthly fee.

    CI states they have retained an A+ rating with BBB, this statement is true, however I read the complaints and all were about the company's "Really Flip" webinar and "Deal Dog" software. All the complaints were responded to in a timely manner and refunds were issued. The common complaint by customers was getting shadow listings from sites like "Craigslist" or "Auction.com" from CI'S "Deal Dog" software.

    I did some further investigation and found this in CI'S Terms of Use, Full Earning Disclosure section "We do not vouch for or verify any information posted by users and you proceed at your own risk. We are not responsible for User Content (as defined in Section 15) or for any losses you incur dealing with other users." This indicates the company's not properly vetting it's user's listings, therefore a high percentage of information could be false or dated.

    Another bit of info I found on CI'S website, part of their "Deal Dog" pitch, under FAQS is "What do I do after I find a deal? After you find a property use the Fast Formulas app to evaluate the property, the BPO app to get an exact valuation, then the Contract App to tie up the property. Once you have the property under contract use the Fast Funding app to buy the property or list it on Connected Investors and quick flip the property." 

    Sounds good, until I read this in CI'S Terms of Use, under the section labeled Use and Restrictions Related to the Services "You should not use the Services to execute any documents or instruments, or to make any offers or proposals that you intend to be legally binding. The functionality of the Services might not be technically adequate to support legally binding contracts." This suggests that CI'S providing it's users with docs. that could get them into legal trouble or may not be legally binding at all. My opinion is to have legal representation with you during closing, your attorney should provide any legal docs. needed.

    In CI'S Privacy Policy, under the Personal Information We Share section, it reads "Adroll. As you browse the Services, advertising cookies will be placed on your computer so that we can understand what you are interested in. Mailing Lists. We may sell the names and email addresses of our users to certain third parties, such as Crowdfunding portals, who provide products or services in which our users may be interested."

    All the info. is there for you, posted on CI'S website, it's up to you to DO YOUR DUE DILLIGENCE! Information is easy to come by with the world wide web, paying up front costs should raise a red flag. It all comes down to building relationships with people and using those you trust, instead of paying for a short cut to success.

    1Reply
  • Darlene Somerville
    Merrimack, NH · Member since 2014 · 1 post · 0 votes
    8y

    I was tempted to get the product, after reading these reviews, I will not,

    thanks!

    0Reply
  • Alicia Carter
    Member since 2018 · 1 post · 0 votes
    8y

    I watched a seminar over a week ago and they were asking $1497 or something like that. Now it’s $297 + $37. Which is what it should have been in the first place. I will wait for more proof. I believe in easing stress, but the old way still works. And I’m not ready for a National business. My standard local contract will still serve me.

    0Reply
  • Louis Dambach
    Petersburg, VA · Member since 2017 · 2 posts · 0 votes
    8y

    I am a disabled vet and want to buy the program but have to wait till next month to afford it from my disability check. Wish I could sign a contract with them to give 50% of my flip. Worse case they would make $2,500 on 5k flip. This would be a lot more than the 297. I sure would use the he'll out of the software. 

    Louis dambach

    0Reply
  • Tim Marais
    Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 18 posts · 1 vote
    8y

    @Account Closed Thanks for posting this information. It was very informative. 

    0Reply
  • Walter Green
    Member since 2018 · 1 post · 0 votes
    8y

    Thank you for that you just save me $97.00 and some time.

    0Reply
  • Joshua S.
    Rental Property Investor · Chesapeake, VA · Member since 2017 · 100 posts · 75 votes
    8y

    @Account Closed is a dummy account started by someone at Connected Investors. A year later and no profile pic and no other posts related to anything but Connected Investors. Just goes to show you how sketchy their company is. I created an account on their site and will be deleting it.

    1Reply
  • Zayd Dinaully
    Honolulu, HI · Member since 2018 · 2 posts · 1 vote
    8y

    This is why I love BP. Full of time and money saving information. Thanks for all the reviews and guidance. 

    0Reply
  • Sydni Chance
    Member since 2018 · 1 post · 0 votes
    7y

    Carly I concur with those who posted about considering CI I too was considering purchasing. As a result of seeing your post you save me money... thanks so much for your post :O)

    0Reply
  • Kevin Powell
    Member since 2018 · 1 post · 1 vote
    7y

    If they just marketed it as an agrigator of the other sites, I wouldn't have a problem.  Lets face it there are a bunch of sites out there and using all of them is kinda of annoying.  "The shadow properties" are where they get themselves into trouble.  Those are the properties that you have to do the hard work to find (mailers, bandit signs ect).  there is no list of them.  there are however a ton of individual wholesalers who have off market deals.  It would be super useful to have a website where wholesalers posted their off market deals.  that would be worth using.  Maybe I will build it ?!?

    1Reply
  • Tenga S.
    Contractor · Atlanta · Member since 2018 · 17 posts · 7 votes
    7y

    Thank you for this post and biggerpockets! Glad I read this before falling for the cool aid. Lol

    0Reply
  • Judith Knapp
    Inverness FL · Member since 2018 · 10 posts · 2 votes
    7y

    I do appreciate the information posted on this thread. I did note during the webinar for Deal Dog and Ready Flip that he had marked in North Carolina areas, but all of the tags on the map for "deals found" Were in South Florida, which was odd to me. I have been looking for reviews, but have only found Connected Investors reviews aside from two threads on Bigger Pockets. I would truly love to hear from a BP member who has bought and used any of the CI apps for more than a couple of weeks, to know if they have found it helpful through repeated use. Perhaps it was just me, but they did cover their bases in the webinar by indicating you will likely need to still speak with an attorney, and advising against just using "sample contracts". It is always up to us to do our due diligence. They also indicated they shadow stock and secret auctions don't come up too regularly... I would just love to hear if/how this has worked for someone who has worked the system.

    Thank you

    0Reply
  • Paul Merriwether
    Investor · Oakland, CA · Member since 2015 · 135 posts · 82 votes
    7y

    Interesting comments. I'm currently reviewing their PinPointProfits program. Cost during webinar

    is $1497 ... then $97/mth after 6 months. Before doing anything I always check with ALEXA (dot) com 

    to see the amount of traffic the site is receiving. As of today it's rated at approx 65,000 from the top 

    with Google being #1. resimpli was one of the comments above that was negative on Connected. 

    I check Alexa for his traffic ... that site is 5 million from the top!!! My point ... negative comments can cost

    you SERIOUS MONEY by being afraid to take a chance!!! The first thing to do is ALWAYS check online traffic

    on Alexa. Then see if they offer a refund offer. If they have a refund offer you only need to abide by the offer

    as part of your due diligence in purchasing or after purchase. Also screen shot the refund offer & save. Use

    a CREDIT CARD not a debt card!!! Your credit card will help should you not get the refund, show your screen shot. 

    Read ALL THE TERMS & CONDITIONS!!! In the current offer ... yes I'm skeptical ... yet the offer says 3 days to cancel!!

    Oh, I found this post from their terms & conditions about Deal Dog, then I googled and found this post. 

    1Reply
  • Roxand Granderson
    Member since 2019 · 1 post · 0 votes
    7y

    Wow!! Has Anybody made any money? Hello? I'm shocked....  

    0Reply
  • Sue Beth Jolly
    Abilene, TX · Member since 2013 · 1 post · 0 votes
    7y

    thank you, I wish there was something that really did work

    0Reply
  • Karina Hichez
    Member since 2018 · 17 posts · 2 votes
    7y

    I purchased connected investor because Sean Terry told me it is a good program to have in my business after I watched the webinar. It is the worst of 1497 dollars that I have spent. Stay away.  Wow what a waste!!!

    1Reply
  • Pamela J Baergen
    Flipper · San Pedro, CA · Member since 2017 · 5 posts · 1 vote
    7y

    Thanks for this review. I noticed that it didn't allow for narrowing of searches which is a total deal-killer for me! Still looking for a software that has a large web search range and is flexible/user friendly.  And, of course, that costs less than the down payment on a house!!

    0Reply
  • Tichawona Hudson
    Member since 2018 · 1 post · 1 vote
    7y

    I was prepared to spend thousands with them today, wow! Before I came here though, I thought to check their BBB profile and there it was...a slew of complaints and they all were essentially saying the same thing: the software products don't deliver on their promises and they aren't willing to refund your money and have even been documented as lying to customers in their attempts to keep their money.

    1Reply
  • Timothy Todd Marks
    Member since 2019 · 1 post · 0 votes
    7y

    Thanks for the info, very helpful

    0Reply
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