How To Find Wholesale Real Estate Deals For FREE!

Here's exactly how to find wholesale real estate deals for free. And so that we're both on the same page, I'll break down the wholesaling process at a high level.

In this blog, you’ll learn:

• Overview of the Wholesaling Process
• Importance of Targeting MLS Properties
• Using Redfin to Find On-Market Leads
• What Makes a Property Distressed?
• How to Filter for Fixer-Uppers
• How To Evaluate Wholesale Leads
• Example of a Wholesale Real Estate Deal

Want to learn how to consistently wholesale, flip houses, and invest in rental properties? Watch our FREE training now at Real Estate Skills!

Ready to Take the Next Step in Real Estate Investing? Join our FREE live webinar and discover the proven strategies to build lasting wealth through real estate.

Whether you're just getting started or ready to scale, we'll show you how to take action today. Don't miss this opportunity to learn the insider tips and tools that have helped thousands of investors succeed! Seats are limited—Reserve Your Spot Now!

Overview of the Wholesaling Process

First, we want to find these distressed leads—we're going to find houses that are distressed.

Second, we get that house under contract below market value.

Third, we sell the rights of that contract to a cash buyer who will fix and flip the house.

Fourth, we close on the deal and get paid a wholesale fee for facilitating the transaction.

The best part? We’re doing all this with $0 in marketing costs.

I've been there—sending mailers, putting out bandit signs, paying for ads. But if you want to get deals for free, there’s nothing better than going directly to the agent.

There are off-market strategies where you talk directly to the homeowner (direct-to-seller), but with on-market properties, you talk directly to the agent who’s selling the home for the owner.

Why do I love this strategy? Because I don't have to spend anything on marketing. Here’s a key stat from the National Association of Realtors: 89% of home sellers work with a real estate agent. Only 7% sell FSBO, and less than 1% go with an iBuyer. So I focus on the 89%—that’s a huge ocean of opportunity working with real estate agents versus the tiny 11% going FSBO or iBuyer.

Importance of Targeting MLS Properties

“On-market” means the property is publicly listed by a real estate agent—it’s on the MLS.

The MLS stands for Multiple Listing Service.

It’s a database of all on-market properties, created and maintained by real estate professionals.

As a professional wholesaler and investor, I highly recommend getting MLS access.

But in today’s video, I’ll show you the next best thing: how to find on-market leads you can wholesale without spending a dime on marketing.

Read Also: How To Get MLS Access In 6 Ways (Even Without A License)

Using Redfin to Find On-Market Leads

We're going to use a free online website: Redfin.com.

Redfin is a smart real estate brokerage that created a website featuring a ton of on-market properties.

When agents list properties on the MLS, they can click a button to syndicate that listing to Redfin, Zillow, and other sites.

So Redfin is a great place to find the on-market leads we want—without paying for marketing.

Now keep in mind, not every property listed on the MLS shows up on Redfin, and sometimes the info isn’t perfect. But for our strategy, it works just fine.

In this first step, we’re finding properties in distressed condition and sellers in distressed situations.

What Makes a Property Distressed?

A distressed property is one that’s outdated or has deferred maintenance—think torn-up floors, overgrown landscaping, or needs a full remodel.

A seller in a distressed situation might be going through a divorce, recently laid off, behind on mortgage payments, or dealing with a death in the family.

We're not looking for every house on the market—especially not the pristine $5 million homes in the mountains.

Those sellers likely have no reason to sell at a discount, and chasing those leads is a waste of time. Trust me—I’ve tried.

How to Filter for Fixer-Uppers

Let me show you how to find distressed on-market leads with no marketing costs using Redfin.

First, go to Redfin.com and search by your county name—not just a single city—because investors buy properties across entire counties.

Once you’re in your county, adjust the filters.

Choose "house" as the home type. Make sure both "active" and "coming soon" are selected.

Then, scroll down in filters and check the box for "fixer-upper."

Redfin’s algorithm helps identify these types of properties through the description, keywords, and photos uploaded by the listing agent.

This gives us a curated list of potential distressed leads—exactly what we’re after.

How To Evaluate Wholesale Leads

Now that we have these leads pulled up, sort them by newest first. Speed is everything—you want to be among the first to contact the listing agents.

Click on a property, look at the photos, and check for signs of distress—old flooring, outdated kitchens, cracks, or anything in need of renovation.

Also read the agent’s description. If it says things like “needs TLC,” “diamond in the rough,” “handyman special,” or “perfect for fix and flip,” that’s exactly what we want.

If Redfin shows 94 fixer-uppers, call every one of them.

But prioritize the hottest ones—the most obviously distressed.

For example, I pulled up one property with no flooring, old cabinets, cracked tiles, and outdated bathrooms—classic signs of distress.

This is exactly the type of deal worth pursuing.

Read Also: Wholesale Leads: 12 Real Estate Wholesale Lead Generation Strategies

Example of a Wholesale Real Estate Deal

Let’s break down an example.

One listing described the home as "ready for a makeover." That’s a huge green light.

The agent even said it could offer a strong ROI with some TLC. That’s code for “this home needs work.”

This is exactly the kind of opportunity we look for—when the agent admits it’s a fixer-upper.

And remember, you can do all of this in under a minute once you get the hang of it.

This particular deal was only 4 days on the market, and there were 96 other similar fixer-uppers in the area.

Use the same steps I showed you to identify these deals.

Then the next step is to call the listing agents.

And here's a quick tip: once your filters are set (county, home type, fixer-upper), click "Save Search" in Redfin.

Redfin will then email you new properties that meet your criteria daily.

If you don’t already have a free Redfin account, go make one—it’s free.

Be on the lookout for the next video in this series.

And if you want to build a hyper-profitable wholesaling and flipping business, check out my full in-depth training at realestateskills.com/watch.

I’ll see you there—and happy wholesaling.

Ready to Take the Next Step in Real Estate Investing? Join our FREE live webinar and discover the proven strategies to build lasting wealth through real estate.

Whether you're just getting started or ready to scale, we'll show you how to take action today. Don't miss this opportunity to learn the insider tips and tools that have helped thousands of investors succeed! Seats are limited—Reserve Your Spot Now!

*Disclosure: Real Estate Skills is not a law firm, and the information contained here does not constitute legal advice. You should consult with an attorney before making any legal conclusions. The information presented here is educational in nature. All investments involve risks, and the past performance of an investment, industry, sector, and/or market does not guarantee future returns or results. Investors are responsible for any investment decision they make. Such decisions should be based on an evaluation of their financial situation, investment objectives, risk tolerance, and liquidity needs.