How do you find cash buyers for your first wholesale deal?
Member since 2026 · 3 posts · 2 votes
I’m working on my first wholesale transaction in Baton Rouge and I’m trying to understand how experienced investors build relationships with reliable cash buyers. What methods have worked best for you? Do you rely on networking, local REI groups, direct outreach, or something else? I’d appreciate any advice on building a strong buyers list.
One thing that’s helped people build a stronger buyers list is focusing on quality over quantity. A list of 20 buyers who consistently close is far more valuable than 500 names that never respond.
I'd start by looking at who is actually buying in your target area. Search recent cash transactions, attend local REIA meetups, network in Facebook and BiggerPockets groups, and ask title companies or wholesalers (where appropriate) who the active investors are. When you connect with buyers, ask what they're looking for—price range, neighborhoods, property types, rehab budget, and how quickly they can close. That way, when you get a deal, you're sending it to people who are actually interested instead of blasting everyone.
Over time, keep notes on who closes, who retrades, and who responds quickly. Your buyers list becomes much more valuable when it’s based on actual performance rather than just contact information.
One thing that’s helped people build a stronger buyers list is focusing on quality over quantity. A list of 20 buyers who consistently close is far more valuable than 500 names that never respond.
I'd start by looking at who is actually buying in your target area. Search recent cash transactions, attend local REIA meetups, network in Facebook and BiggerPockets groups, and ask title companies or wholesalers (where appropriate) who the active investors are. When you connect with buyers, ask what they're looking for—price range, neighborhoods, property types, rehab budget, and how quickly they can close. That way, when you get a deal, you're sending it to people who are actually interested instead of blasting everyone.
Over time, keep notes on who closes, who retrades, and who responds quickly. Your buyers list becomes much more valuable when it’s based on actual performance rather than just contact information.
Hey Gabrielle,
Networking has always been the biggest one in my experience. Local REI meetups, investor Facebook groups, and landlord associations are great places to meet active buyers before you ever have a deal under contract.
I'd also recommend building relationships with investor-friendly agents. They often know who's actively buying because they're helping those clients close multiple deals a year. Even if they can't share client information directly, they may be able to connect you with investors looking for opportunities.
The biggest piece of advice I'd give is to build your buyers list before you need it. Have conversations, learn each buyer's criteria, preferred neighborhoods, price range, and exit strategy. That way, when you do have a deal, you're matching it to the right buyer instead of blasting it out to everyone.
Best of luck with your first wholesale deal! Feel free to connect with me - I am always looking for deals as well!
Don't overcomplicate your first deal. Before I ever had a big buyers list, I was reaching out to people who were already buying. Search Facebook investor groups, go to your local REIA meetings, call the "We Buy Houses" signs, look up recent cash sales, and introduce yourself to flippers and landlords. I also let local agents know I was finding off market deals because many of them already have investor clients.
One thing I'd add is that relationships matter more than having hundreds of names. I'd rather have 10 buyers who answer the phone and close than 500 people on an email list who never buy. Build those relationships before you have a deal, keep good notes, and stay in touch. When the right property comes along, you'll already know who to call.
We don't do it this anymore but:
- Go to propsteam, batchleads, dealmachine or whatever you go that you buy your leads from.
- download LLCs
- go by hand and look who has an physical commercial office
- find their website
- look back at your lead software to see their last purchase to make sure they are active.
- call or email with the phone/email on the site.
Upside:
- You know they aren't a wholesaler.
- You could use A.I to piece some of this together.
- You have their buy box
downside:
Takes time. Some investors don't have websites. The investor you really need for this niche property you have under contract probably isn't the correct buyer for that deal. so you might not get a huge spread from that. Some new construction developers wont do your deal you have because they only work with Wall Street. things like that. Another downside is that they can be professional and don't take deals from wholesalers. etc etc.
Congrats on your first deal — that's an exciting milestone. In my experience, the strongest buyers lists come from a mix of a few things working together rather than any single method:
Baton Rouge specifically — any local investor associations or meetups you've already found? Happy to think through it more if you share what you've tried so far.
Everyone here is giving you solid tactical advice — REIAs, Facebook groups, cash sale records. But I want to flip the question a little.
The real answer to "how do you find cash buyers?" is: have deals they can't find anywhere else.
I work in tax deed auctions in Florida. The county identifies tax delinquent properties, runs the legal process for 1-2 years, then auctions them. I pull the delinquent lists directly from the county tax collector, cross-reference with code enforcement violations and probate filings from the clerk of court, and when all three converge on the same property — that's a confirmed motivated seller before anyone else even knows the deal exists.
When you're bringing properties to buyers that aren't on PropStream, aren't on DealMachine, and aren't in any MLS — you don't need to chase buyers. They find you. Cash buyers who've been in the game for years are tired of competing on the same MLS and off-market deals everyone else is blasting. Give them something exclusive and they'll respond every time.
So my advice for your first deal: instead of spending all your time building a buyers list, spend that time finding a deal so good that buyers want to know who you are. Go to your county tax collector's office. Get the delinquent list. Cross-reference code enforcement. Find the properties nobody else is looking at. Then when you reach out to buyers, you're not asking them to look at your deal — you're offering them something they literally cannot get anywhere else.
That's how you build a buyers list that actually responds. Not by being the best networker — by being the person with the best deals.
For a first deal, build the buyers list backward from a specific property rather than collecting generic contacts. Local REI groups, investor-friendly title/closing professionals, hard-money lenders, and recent cash purchasers in the same area can be good starting points. Ask each buyer for a clear buy box, preferred neighborhoods, price range, rehab tolerance, proof of funds, and closing timeline. Keep that in a simple sheet and send only deals that match; verify the buyer before sharing seller information, and have a title/closing professional confirm the assignment and disclosure requirements for your state. A smaller, verified list that fits the deal is more useful than a large list that has never seen a property.