How To Build Your Real Estate Bird Dog Business: 6 Steps to Success
75How To Build Your Real Estate Bird Dog Business: 6 Steps to Success
More and more these days, it seems people are looking for alternative ways to make money, prosper and how to build your real estate bird dog business. There’s just something about being your own boss and calling your time your own.
While a lot of people want to become real estate investors, they don’t necessarily know how to do it and don’t have the cash or credit to purchase properties. So, getting started as a real estate bird dog and learning how to build your real estate bird dog business,” gets their foot in the door and generates some cash flow. A real estate bird dog is someone who finds properties for real estate investors for a fee.
I have been a bird dog for properties for awhile now and I have found it really is the easiest and best way to get started in the real estate game. I find properties for investors and I get paid to do it and build my real estate bird dog business. I don’t use any money or my own credit; I just find the properties and turn them over to investors who want to rehab them or landlords who want to hold them.
Click Here to Download a Free Training Manual Which Shows You How to Become a Property Scout in the Next 30 Days
So, how do you build your real estate bird dog business?
There is a process and some basic steps that need to be followed, but it doesn’t take much time to get started. Once you start making some connections and building a network, it will start to snowball.
Following are some of the basic steps to building your real estate bird dog business:
1. Start by going to your local REIA (Real Estate Investors Association) meetings. Most metropolitan areas have a REIA. Just go to www.reiclub.com. You will find a list of clubs by state so you can locate the one nearest you. It’s important to meet real estate investors who are looking to buy properties and your local REIA meeting is where a lot of them hang out. You will want to introduce yourself to members of the group or even make an announcement at the meeting that you are a bird dog and are looking for investors to work with and wanting to build your real estate bird dog business.
2. Start making a “criteria” list of what the investors are looking for in a property. Some investors will want large apartment complexes, while some may be looking for single family houses. As a savvy real estate bird dog, this criteria list will help you look for properties that fit your investor’s needs and this in turn will help you build your property scout business.
3. There are many tools available to help you find the properties your investors would like to buy. The internet is full of sites that list your local properties. The newspaper is also a good resource, but a lot of real estate bird dogs are utilizing the internet. Just Google “real estate for sale” in your area and tons of sites will pop up.
4. Word of mouth is where some of the best deals actually come from. You will want to let people know what you are doing and what you are looking for.
5. Keep your eyes open! Deals are actually everywhere in every market. You are surrounded by real estate as you are driving to and from work, to the market, taking the kids to school or soccer practice. Say you have a rehab investor on your list that’s always looking for properties to fix up and hold or sell. You will want to start looking for board ups and long grass as you are driving, newspapers piled by the front door and deferred maintenance are other signs this may be a property for your rehab investor. These are just some simple tips to learn how to make money in real estate and how to build your real estate bird dog business.
6. Go to see properties and get to know some of your local realtors. They often have deals for investors that never actually get advertised. You will want to build a rapport with the realtors and keep in touch with them periodically to let them know what you are looking for. Let them know you are a real estate bird dog looking for deals for your investor list. Great deals happen this way!
Before long it will become second nature to you. You will start to see potential deals everywhere.
But, how do you make money?
Glad you asked! Once you find a deal, you will want to have an agreement (always wise to get it in writing!) with your investor so that you know you will get paid when they purchase the property. To really have a successful real estate bird dog business you will want quite a few investors on your “investor list”. That way you can have multiple deals going at a time.
How much money you make is actually up to you and the deal. Some deals have quite a bit of equity in them so you can negotiate a higher fee. But some deals don’t have much room in them for profit, but your investor might still want it. In the case of a lower equity deal, you will take a smaller fee. But some money is always better than no money so don’t get too greedy!!! It’s not unusual to get “finder’s fees” that are thousands of dollars. The bigger the property, the bigger the deal, and the bigger your fee will probably be.
It’s important to have a win/win situation all the way around the deal and then your investors will come back to you over and over again for repeat business and that is truly how you build a successful real estate bird dog business!
So, basically, you find investors and then find the properties that meet their needs – put the two together and you have a deal – one that will bring cash flow into your life without using your own money or credit. This is actually how most real estate investors get started!
Becoming a professional real estate bird dog is a great way to get started in the real estate business. Again, you don’t need any money or credit to do this, just a willingness to learn and apply what you learn and take action!
Click Here to Download a Free Training Manual Which Shows You How to Become a Property Scout in the Next 30 Days
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Comments
Donna,
Great steps. Easy to understand and follow if someone is truly interested in becoming a property scout, a.k.a. bird dog.
Keep up the good work.
Chas
Hi Dugal: The best information I have seen is through www.creapprentice.com and the organiztion www.nacreps.org. They have a free manual that teaches you everything you need to know in order to be a successful property scout. I have the manual and it is VERY thorough. Check it out and see if it's right for you. And remember, just like with anything else in life, you can get the information but it's up to you as to what you do with it. Perseverance is the key to success. Let me know how you make out. Good luck! Donna.
Hi Donna:
I am looking for information on becoming a bird dog. please help.
thanks
Dugal Watkins
dbwinvestment_properties@yahoo.com
Interesting article, I've been looking for something else to do to generate additional income in this economy and this looks like something of interest to me. It would be nice to start some type of my own business without having to have a lot of money to start. Also, it looks like the possible potential to earn some nice income with this in this real estate market makes it more inviting. Thanks for the tips.
Great Info! Lots of incredible content.I am a member of my local CAREI and will sound out some of my fellow members at the next meeting.
Very interesting article. This really gives me something to talk about with some of the folks at my local real estate group. My real estate mentor,Bob, has actually been encouraging me to try this.
Hi Donna: Thanks for the tips. I have been thinking about becoming a bird dog for awhile. I have taken your advice and looked up my local reia and will be joining this week. I'll let you know how it goes!
How To Build Your Real Estate Bird Dog Business--6 Steps to Success












Taryn Bannan says:
5 weeks ago
Donna,
I'm going to check out your suggestion of contacting NACREPS.org and order their Property Scouting system. Here's to becoming a successful property scout.
Thanks!
Taryn