What is bird dogging?

Question

I just learned about bird dogging.

How does a person get involved with that?and how does a person get paid?

Much appreciation in advance for your advice!

Divin Kanyama · Answer

@Elizabeth Nenque Noonan Bird dogging is one of the simplest ways to enter real estate investing: find qualified off-market opportunities and bring them to active buyers. Start by building relationships with local flippers, wholesalers, and landlords, then learn their exact buy box—location, price, condition, and required margin. Get the referral or marketing fee and payment trigger in writing before submitting leads; payment is typically made when the investor closes. Stay focused on accurate, well-researched deals, and check your state’s licensing rules before negotiating or accepting transaction-based compensation.

Igor Ganapolsky · Answer

Elizabeth, I'm actually doing this right now in Broward County Florida so I can give you the real version not the guru version.

Bird dogging is basically finding distressed properties or motivated sellers and passing that info to an investor who can actually do the deal. You're the scout. The investor pays you a finder's fee when they close, usually somewhere between 500 and 5000 bucks depending on the deal size.

How I got started: I picked one county (Broward County FL) and learned where the public records are. Tax deed auctions, code enforcement cases, pre-foreclosure filings — all public record. I pull lists, research the properties, figure out roughly what they're worth, and then package that into a one-pager for cash buyers I've connected with.

To get involved in your area, I'd start with three things. First, go to your county tax collector's website and look at tax deed auctions or tax lien lists. Second, check the code enforcement page for properties with open violations that have been sitting for months. Third, find 2 or 3 local cash buyers (you can find them on BP, at REIA meetings, or through local Facebook groups) and ask them what kind of deals they want to see.

One important thing — bird dogging is just passing along information. The moment you start negotiating contracts or representing someone in a transaction, different rules kick in depending on your state. In Florida there are specific compliance issues around compensation tied to closing. So stay on the "I found this info and wanted to share it" side of the line until you understand your state's rules.

Happy to answer more specific questions if you want to dig in.

Richard F. · Answer

Actual "Bird Dogs", also know as "Pointers", such as Spaniels, German Shorthair Pointers, Setters, Retrievers, and others, search for birds in the underbrush when hunting game. When they find one, they point directly at it with their entire body for their Hunter, who then readies to shoot once he has the dog "flush" the bird into flight.

RE Bird Doggers simply point known or potential Buyers to "Great Deals" they come across in their searching. They negotiate a fee for providing the tip, usually only if a deal is completed, but sometimes just "per lead".

Samuel Diouf · Answer

Cold calling home owners.

What is bird dogging?

What is bird dogging?

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