How I Run a Lean, Profitable Wholesaling Business in 2025

[Cornelius Garland]

Wholesaling in 2025 looks very different than it did just a few years ago. Having been in this business since 2015, I’ve seen the industry evolve through multiple phases—from the direct mail era, to the rise of cold calling and texting, and now into the AI-driven, compliance-heavy environment we face today.

This post breaks down how my wholesaling operation is structured in 2025, what’s changed, and what systems I use to consistently close deals in today’s market.

A Brief History of My Wholesaling Journey (2015–2022)

• 2015–2018: Direct Mail Dominance: Back when I started wholesaling in 2015, the primary way to generate deals was through direct mail. SEO and PPC were options, but skip tracing in bulk didn’t yet exist. For years, I closed deals exclusively through mail—over 100 deals in one neighborhood (Union Heights in North Charleston). Eventually, low inventory and high direct mail costs pushed me to explore other strategies.

• 2019–2021: I Began Cold Calling & Virtually Wholesaling: When skip tracing became more affordable, I scaled into several virtual markets and leaned heavily on cold calling. This was also when large VA teams became the norm—at one point, I managed 50+ cold callers.

• 2022: Texting Boom and Bust: Text blasting became the next big channel until saturation, lawsuits, and regulation (A2P 10DLC compliance) took hold. By late-2022, mass texting lost much of its effectiveness, and I stopped texting at this time because the costs did not justify the marginal results.

What Wholesaling Looks Like in 2025

Marketing First: Texting at Scale

The core of my operation today is 10,000 outbound text messages daily, sent across five virtual markets that I rotate quarterly. For instance, this quarter, I am targeting Cleveland, Memphis, Columbus, Detroit, and Kansas City. These markets are strategically chosen based on:

• Median home prices between $250K–$350K
  (too low, and sellers don’t have enough equity; too high, and motivation is low).

• Midwest-focused markets, where prices are affordable and seller motivation is higher.

We don’t waste time chasing unqualified responses. About 90% of inbound texts are ignored; we only engage with sellers who explicitly show interest (e.g., “yes, I’d sell” or they provide a price point).

Team Structure: Lean and Effective

Instead of managing massive teams like in years past, I’ve consolidated operations into a small, specialized structure:

• 1 VA Lead Manager / Marketing Specialist

  • Sends all outbound texts (10K/day).

  • Qualifies inbound leads.

  • Acts as appointment setter assists with transactions coordination.

  • Maintains thousands of leads in CRM follow-up. Most are on long-term follow up through drip campaigns.

• 1 Acquisitions Manager (U.S.-based)

  • Handles motivated seller calls and negotiations.

  • Covers all five virtual markets.

  • Works directly with JV partners when needed.

• 1 Operations Manager

  • Oversees systems, troubleshooting, and process flow.

  • Coordinates with acquisitions manager and VA to ensure deals close smoothly.

• Strategic Realtor Partnerships

  • Realtors in each market handle MLS listings.

  • Dispositions simplified: instead of a full-time Dispo manager, we leverage agents + our contracts.

  • VA supports transactions by communicating with title companies, buyers, and sellers.

Volume & Results

With this streamlined model, my company consistently closes 5–7 deals per month across multiple markets. I could very-well close more deals, but I have a lifestyle business. This structure works for me because:

• We rely on automation + specialization instead of bloated teams. After learning a lot about myself over the last decade, I realize that I prefer working with exceptional talent and squeezing the most out of every team member. I'll pay one A-player $18 an hour instead of paying 3 marginal people $6 an hour.

• Realtors provide built-in Dispo leverage, removing the need to hire a sole dispo manager. We move over 80% of our deals on the MLS.

• The VA is trained to wear multiple hats (marketing, lead management, follow-up, Dispo, and transactions coordination). Because our systems are so dialed in and we've optimized them over 10 years, the VA is not overwhelmed. Additionally, we are texting as our primary deal source, so this reduces the need to have dozens of cold calling VAs on staff, which makes day-to-day management easier.

Why This Model Works in 2025

The biggest mistake many wholesalers make today is holding onto outdated models—bloated VA teams, reliance on cold calling that has a long conversion cycle, or chasing saturated markets. Much of the wholesaling advice here on BP is outdated and incorrect. The 2025 wholesaling landscape requires:

• Lean operations that reduce overhead.

• Compliance-friendly marketing (no cutting corners on texting regulations). You can text legally as long as your account is compliant.

• Strategic partnerships with local agents instead of building massive internal teams.

• Focused markets where median prices and seller motivation align.

The result: a business that’s both sustainable and scalable in the current environment.

Final Thoughts

Wholesaling is still alive and well in 2025—but only if you adapt. The “spray-and-pray” days of massive direct mail drops or unregulated texting blasts are over. Success today comes from precision, lean operations, and leveraging the right people and tools.

By consolidating my team, leaning on AI and compliance-friendly texting, and building strong realtor partnerships, I’ve been able to consistently close deals while keeping my operation nimble.

If you’re running your wholesaling business like it’s still 2019, it’s time to update your playbook.