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Wholesaling University · Lesson 15 of 19

Marketing Your Deal to Cash Buyers

You've got a house under contract. Now the clock is running. Here's how to package the deal honestly, get it to the right buyers fast and follow the rules while you do it.

Module 5: Contract to closeAbout 13 min readFree course
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By David Frizzell, The Wholesalers Toolbox
Marketing a wholesale deal to cash buyers: a printed deal sheet with house and room photos next to a laptop showing an email with a house photo
Quick answer

To market a wholesale deal, start the day you sign. Gather photos, your ARV and repair numbers, then build a short, honest deal sheet that says you're selling a contract. Call your best-fit buyers first, then email your list. Follow your state's marketing rules, run one or two showings, and lock in a buyer with proof of funds, a signed assignment and a deposit.

Lesson
15 of 19, module 5: Contract to close
Time
About 13 minutes to read
You'll need
Your signed contract, photos, your numbers and your buyers list
Next
Lesson 16: assignment vs. double closing
The short answer

What does marketing a wholesale deal mean?

In wholesaling, marketing your deal (often called dispositions or dispo) means finding the cash buyer who will take over your contract. You're not selling the house. You don't own it. You're selling your contract interest, the right to buy the house at the price you agreed with the seller.

That difference matters for two reasons. First, the law: several states regulate how you can advertise a contract, and you should never market it like a listing. Second, the clock: your contract has an inspection period and a closing date, and every day you spend getting organized is a day you don't have to find a buyer.

The good news is that a well-run dispo is simple. Good photos, honest numbers, the right buyers and quick follow-up. I'm a real estate investor, not an attorney or financial advisor, so treat the rules part as education, not legal advice.

Package

Photos, ARV, repairs and terms on one honest page.

Send

Your best-fit buyers first, then your list.

Show

One or two showing windows, with the seller's OK.

Lock in

Proof of funds, a signed assignment and a deposit.

One honest page

What to put on a wholesale deal sheet

A deal sheet (some people call it a flyer or a deal blast) is the one page your buyers use to decide if they want to see the house. Keep it short and honest. Buyers remember who sent them inflated numbers.

SectionWhat to include
HeadlineArea or neighborhood, beds, baths and square feet, and the words "assignment of contract"
PhotosFront, every room, the kitchen and baths, the roof and the systems labels, and every big problem
Price and termsYour asking price, the deposit you need, the closing date and the title company
ARV and compsYour ARV with 3 sold comps, so buyers can check your work
RepairsYour repair estimate and what it includes, labeled as your estimate
Rental numbersFor landlord buyers: likely rent, taxes and insurance
AccessShowing times and how to sign up
DisclosuresThat you hold an equitable interest in a contract, and anything your state requires

Keep the address private at first if your seller asks, and share it with buyers who reply. Never claim your repair number is a contractor's bid unless it is.

Step by step

How to market your deal to cash buyers, step by step

Step 1: Start the clock the day you sign

Write three dates on your calendar the day the contract is signed: when your inspection period ends, when the deal has to close, and when any seller cancel right ends. Those dates run your whole dispo.

Work backward from them. You want a buyer signed well before your inspection period ends, so you still have an honest way out if no one bites (Lesson 14 covers exits). On a typical contract, that means your deal should go out within a day or two of signing.

Checklist
  • Inspection period end date
  • Closing date
  • Any seller cancel right, and when it ends

Step 2: Gather your photos and numbers

You took most of what you need on the walk-through (Lesson 10). Pull together the photos, your ARV with 3 sold comps (Lesson 9) and your repair estimate (Lesson 11).

If the house could be a rental, add the likely rent, property taxes and a rough insurance number. Landlord buyers look at those first. Get rent from similar rentals nearby, not a guess.

Double-check everything. A wrong square footage or a missing bathroom costs you trust with buyers you'll want for the next ten deals.

Checklist
  • Photos sorted by room
  • ARV and 3 sold comps
  • Repair estimate
  • Rent, taxes and insurance for landlord buyers

Step 3: Build an honest deal sheet

Use the deal sheet table above. Put it on one page, or in one email, with a link to a shared folder of the full photo set and comps.

Price it so a buyer can see their profit. Your asking price is your contract price plus your assignment fee, and it has to work inside the buyer's numbers from Lesson 12. If it doesn't, no amount of marketing will sell it.

Include your equitable interest disclosure and anything else your state requires. It costs you nothing with serious buyers, and it's the law in several states.

Checklist
  • One page or one email, plus a shared photo folder
  • Price that leaves the buyer room
  • Equitable interest disclosure and state notices
Sample wholesale deal sheet: a main house photo, four photos of the kitchen, water heater, basement wall and roof, labeled spaces for asking price, ARV, repairs and closing date left blank, access notes and the equitable interest disclosure

Step 4: Send it to your best-fit buyers first

Before you blast your whole list, call or text the 3 to 5 buyers who've bought in that area recently and buy this kind of house. A personal call gets a faster answer, and those buyers like getting first look.

Then email your list, filtered to buyers who buy in that area and price range. Sending every deal to everyone teaches buyers to ignore you. Lesson 4 covers building and sorting your list.

Follow up. A buyer who opened the email but didn't reply might just need a call.

Checklist
  • Top 3 to 5 buyers called first
  • List filtered by area and price
  • Follow-up calls the next day

Step 5: Follow the marketing rules

Before anything goes out, go through the rules section above. Check your state's rules on marketing a contract, put in the disclosures, and make sure your email has your postal address and an opt-out.

If your state requires a license to market a contract, don't post the deal publicly. Talk to an attorney about your options, or think about getting licensed.

Checklist
  • Your state's marketing rule checked
  • Required disclosures included
  • Email has your address and an opt-out
  • Texts only to buyers who agreed to them

Step 6: Run your showings

Ask the seller for one or two showing windows, like an hour on a weekday evening and an hour on the weekend. Putting all your buyers in one window saves the seller's time and shows buyers there's interest.

Be there for every showing. Have buyers sign in with their name and phone number. Only use a lockbox if the seller agrees in writing, and never let anyone in without the seller's OK. If the house has tenants, the owner handles the notice.

Checklist
  • Showing windows agreed with the seller
  • You at every showing
  • Sign-in sheet

Step 7: Collect offers and lock in your buyer

When buyers want the deal, ask for proof of funds before you pick one. A bank statement or a lender letter is common. The highest offer isn't always the best one. A buyer who has closed with you before is often worth more than a few extra dollars.

Then sign the assignment of contract, collect a non-refundable deposit held by the title company, and send the signed assignment to your title company the same day. Lesson 16 and Lesson 17 take it from there.

Checklist
  • Proof of funds from your buyer
  • Assignment signed
  • Deposit held by the title company
  • Title company has the assignment

Step 8: If it isn't selling, find out why

If you've had no takers after a few days, ask buyers why. Usually it's the price, the repairs or the area. Their answers tell you whether to adjust your fee, partner with another wholesaler who has buyers in that area, or use an exit inside your inspection period.

Don't keep a seller's house tied up while you hope. Tell the seller what's happening, and make a decision before your inspection period ends.

Checklist
  • Buyer feedback collected
  • Fee, partner or exit decided before the deadline

Or get your license. If you'll market deals in a state where advertising a contract takes a license, like Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma or South Carolina, or where wholesaling counts as broker activity, like Pennsylvania, Illinois, Iowa or Virginia, a real estate license may be the cleanest path. Colibri Real Estate School ↗ has pre-licensing courses for each of them. Heads up: I earn a commission if you buy through my link. Costs you nothing extra, but it helps fund my Starbucks addiction. ☕

Before you send anything

The rules for marketing a wholesale deal

Marketing is where a lot of state wholesaling laws kick in. These are the rules I check before every deal goes out.

  • Market the contract, not the house. You hold an equitable interest, not the deed. Say so. Don't list the house on the MLS or advertise it as if you owned it or were the seller's agent.
  • State license rules on marketing. In Kentucky, advertising your contract interest for sale requires a license. Nebraska and Oklahoma require one to publicly market your contract, and South Carolina requires one to market a property before you own it. Pennsylvania treats wholesale deals on 1 to 4 unit homes as broker activity. Check Lesson 2 before you market in any state.
  • State disclosure rules for buyers. Texas and North Dakota require written disclosure of your equitable interest, and Maryland requires you to tell your assignee you hold only an equitable interest on owner-occupied homes. Alabama and Tennessee require written disclosures to your assignee.
  • Fair Housing. The federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3604(c)) makes it illegal to publish any ad for the sale of a dwelling that indicates a preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. Describe the house, not the people you want to buy it.
  • Email (CAN-SPAM). Commercial email to your buyers, including business-to-business email, must have accurate sender information and subject lines, say it's an ad, include your physical postal address and a working opt-out, and honor opt-outs within 10 business days. The FTC can seek a separate penalty for every email that breaks the rules.
  • Texts. FCC rules require consent before autodialed texts to a cell phone, and written consent for commercial texts. Get permission when buyers join your list, and honor every stop request.

These laws vary by state and change often. Not legal advice. Confirm with a licensed attorney in your state.

On paper

Pricing and timing a made-up deal

Simplified illustration with made-up prices and days, not typical results.

Simplified illustration

Does your price leave the buyer room?

You have a house under contract and want to know if your asking price works for a buyer who uses 70% of ARV.

ItemAmount
ARV from 3 sold comps$200,000
Buyer's 70% of ARV$140,000
Repair estimate$35,000
Most the buyer will pay$105,000
Your contract price$95,000
Room for your fee$10,000

Asking $105,000 puts you right at the buyer's limit. Asking more means the deal probably won't sell.

Simplified illustration

A made-up dispo week

Your contract has a 10-day inspection period.

DayWhat you do
Day 1Contract signed. Dates on the calendar.
Day 2Deal sheet built. Top 5 buyers called.
Day 3Email to filtered list. Follow-up calls.
Day 5Showing window, 6 buyers sign in
Day 6Two offers with proof of funds
Day 7Assignment signed, deposit to title

Buyer locked in with 3 days left on the inspection period.

Avoid these

Mistakes to avoid when marketing a deal

Marketing the house instead of the contract

Say you hold an equitable interest, and check your state's marketing rules.

Inflating the ARV or lowballing repairs

Buyers check. Bad numbers cost you the deal and the buyer.

Waiting to start

Your inspection period is short. Send the deal within a day or two.

Blasting every buyer with every deal

Filter by area and price, and call your best-fit buyers first.

No proof of funds or deposit

Get both before you sign the assignment.

Skipping the email and text rules

Include your address and an opt-out, and text only buyers who agreed.

Recap

Lesson recap

  • You're marketing your contract interest, not the house.
  • Start the day you sign, and work back from your inspection period.
  • Build an honest one-page deal sheet with photos, ARV, repairs and terms.
  • Call your best-fit buyers first, then email a filtered list.
  • Follow the state, Fair Housing, email and text rules, and lock in your buyer with proof of funds and a deposit.

Before you market. Wholesaling, licensing and advertising rules vary by state and change often. Read Lesson 2 for your state, and have a local real estate attorney review your marketing and disclosures.

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Tools

Tools for marketing your deal

I use InvestorBase to find buyers near a deal. InvestorLift is a marketplace I've reviewed but haven't sold deals through.

Review

InvestorBase

Shows the flippers and landlords who bought near a house you have under contract.

Read my review
Review

InvestorLift

A buyers marketplace and dispo software for wholesalers with steady deal flow.

Read my review
Lesson 4

Building your cash buyers list

Pull real cash buyers from public records and qualify every one.

Read lesson 4
FAQ

Marketing your deal FAQ

How do I market a wholesale deal to cash buyers?

Build an honest one-page deal sheet with photos, your ARV and comps, your repair estimate, the price, the terms and your equitable interest disclosure. Call your best-fit buyers first, then email a list filtered by area and price. Run one or two showings and follow up quickly.

What should a wholesale deal sheet include?

A headline with the area, beds, baths and square feet, a full set of photos, your asking price and terms, your ARV with 3 sold comps, your repair estimate, rental numbers for landlord buyers, showing times, and a disclosure that you hold an equitable interest in a contract.

Can I advertise a house I have under contract?

You can market your contract interest, but some states limit how. Kentucky, Nebraska and Oklahoma require a license to publicly market a contract, and South Carolina requires one to market a property before you own it. Never advertise it as if you owned it. Check your state first.

Do email rules apply to my buyers list?

Yes. CAN-SPAM covers commercial email, including business-to-business email. Use accurate sender and subject lines, say it's an ad, include your postal address and an opt-out, and honor opt-outs within 10 business days.

How long do I have to find a buyer?

As long as your contract allows, but aim to have a buyer signed before your inspection period ends, so you still have an honest way out. That usually means sending the deal within a day or two of signing.

Should I take the highest offer?

Not always. Ask every buyer for proof of funds, and weigh how reliable they are. A buyer who has closed with you before is often worth more than a slightly higher offer from someone you don't know. Lock in your pick with a signed assignment and a deposit.

Can I put a wholesale deal on the MLS?

Not as an unlicensed wholesaler. The MLS is for real estate brokers listing properties for their clients, and you hold a contract, not a listing. Market your contract to your buyers list instead, and follow your state's marketing rules.

Next: lesson 16, Assignment vs. double closing

When to assign, when to double close, and what each costs.

Go to lesson 16Full course

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Not legal advice. Confirm with a licensed attorney in your state.

Not financial or legal advice. Wholesaling University is for education. David Frizzell is a real estate investor, not an attorney or financial advisor. Wholesaling laws vary by state, so check the rules in your state before you market a property or make offers, and talk to a local real estate attorney if you're not sure.

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