Wholesaling: The Beginning of My Real Estate Journey
How I Was Introduced to Real Estate (2015)
My entry into real estate began in 2015 while I was working at Red Lobster. A coworker I knew well had recently left the job, and he later returned to visit. When I asked how he had been, he shared that he had just celebrated his first real estate closing.
At that moment, what stood out to me was not just the success itself, but the fact that we had worked the same position, under the same conditions, and yet he had opened a door into something completely different. When I asked what he was doing, he explained wholesaling in straightforward terms:
finding a property, securing equitable interest through a contract, assigning that interest at a higher price, and earning the difference — all without needing personal funds to acquire the property.
Hearing that someone I personally knew had earned $17,000 on one deal, and had another of similar size on the way, created a clear vision for how real estate could change the trajectory of my life. It was real, relatable, and immediately achievable.
A Second Confirmation: The Barbershop Moment
A few weeks later, while at my father’s barbershop, another individual spoke about leaving his job to pursue entrepreneurship. He mentioned how a book, Rich Dad Poor Dad, initiated that shift for him. My father shared that I was interested in real estate, and the individual recommended that I read the book.
I purchased it that same day.
That book did not spark a new desire — it clarified a desire that was already present. It showed me a structured path toward the financial goals I had always envisioned and further validated that wholesaling was a legitimate starting point.
Taking Action: From Seminar to Seeking Guidance
The following month, I attended a free real estate seminar. The paid workshop they offered was priced at $12,000 — far beyond my budget — but the information reinforced that wholesaling was accessible with discipline and initiative.
After the seminar, I took the most practical step I could think of:
I called local real estate offices to ask whether wholesaling was something they engaged with.
One broker invited me to come in after the New Year.
I took off work, went to the meeting, and while walking through the office, I met someone who specialized in wholesaling. He was not licensed, he was not selling a program, and he had no expectation of receiving anything from me. That authenticity made me trust him. When I asked if he offered mentorship, he said yes and quoted a fee that was a fraction of the seminar price. I agreed.
The first thing he taught me was how to find properties — the most fundamental skill in the business.
Early Challenges and Early Discipline
My first months were filled with the common challenges every new wholesaler experiences:
leads not responding,
sellers disappearing mid-conversation,
buyers backing out,
and minimal support from family, who viewed the path negatively.
However, none of these challenges discouraged me.
My approach was simple: assess what went wrong, learn from it, and adjust immediately.
This mindset shaped what eventually became one of my core strengths:
Understanding that if a deal works, it works — and if it does not, you do not force it.
You evaluate, move on, and maintain consistency.
My First Deal
It took approximately three to four weeks to secure my first contract.
The property was an off-market single-family tear-down. The seller no longer viewed it as an asset — it had become a liability. I placed it under contract and began searching for a buyer. The buyer was found just three days before closing, a reminder that wholesaling rewards persistence and timing.
The assignment fee totaled $12,500.
That first closing confirmed what I already believed: wholesaling works when applied consistently, and it is a legitimate entry point into real estate investing.
How Wholesaling Prepared Me for the Next Level
As I continued to wholesale, I gained:
- confidence in evaluating properties,
- experience running comps and determining ARV,
- an understanding of investor criteria,
- relationships with contractors,
- and savings from completed deals.
Eventually, I recognized that I had the capability — and the capital — to participate in a larger portion of the value I was identifying. Wholesaling taught me how to source opportunities; naturally, this began transitioning me toward fix-and-flip and prehabbing, using the same process I had developed, just applied at a higher level.
Wholesaling became the foundation that allowed me to scale, not only as an investor but as someone with the ability to structure, evaluate, and execute real estate opportunities with confidence.
How Wholesaling Prepared Me for the Next Level
As I continued to wholesale, I gained:
- confidence in evaluating properties,
- experience running comps and determining ARV,
- an understanding of investor criteria,
- relationships with contractors,
- and savings from completed deals.
Eventually, I recognized that I had the capability — and the capital — to participate in a larger portion of the value I was identifying. Wholesaling taught me how to source opportunities; naturally, this began transitioning me toward fix-and-flip and prehabbing, using the same process I had developed, just applied at a higher level.
Wholesaling became the foundation that allowed me to scale, not only as an investor but as someone with the ability to structure, evaluate, and execute real estate opportunities with confidence.