Wholesaling With Real Estate Agents: Listing Agent Scripts (2026)

Written by

Alex Martinez, Founder & CEO, Real Estate Skills. Has wholesaled and flipped houses for over 14 years, been part of 1,000+ real estate transactions, and personally acquired 55+ residential investment properties. Has trained 6,000+ investors nationwide.

RZ

Reviewed by

Ryan Zomorodi, Co-Founder & COO, Real Estate Skills. Reviewed and verified the scripts, disclosure guidance and agent compensation points in this guide before publication.

✓ Updated September 2026 ✓ Fact-Checked 📄 Free Discovery Call Script Inside Watch on YouTube

Publication history: Originally published May 28, 2025. Refreshed October 2025. Updated September 2026 with a full rewrite for investors without a real estate license, adding word-for-word scripts for the first call and the offer call, answers to common listing-agent pushback, and corrected guidance on buyer agreements, dual agency and how agents get paid. Scripts, disclosure guidance and agent compensation points verified by Ryan Zomorodi, Co-Founder & COO of Real Estate Skills.

You've found the listing. It needs a new roof, the photos are dark, and it's been sitting for two months. You have the agent's number. And you've been staring at your phone for twenty minutes, because you already know the questions coming: Are you an agent? Who's your buyer? What are you offering?

Here's what most beginners don't realize: this isn't a cold call. The listing agent put that house on the market because they want it sold, and they only get paid if it closes. A serious buyer calling about it is the call they're hoping for. The only question is whether you sound like one.

This guide is for investors making that call without a real estate license. It gives you every line, in order: how to open, what to ask, what to say when the agent pushes back, how to present your offer on the second call, and how to follow up so one conversation turns into a steady source of deals. If you're a licensed agent, read this instead. Your conversation with a listing agent works differently, and so do the rules. If you want the full step-by-step process, from building a buyers list to closing, see our guide to running the deal with the agent. This page is about the conversation, and you can download the free Discovery Call Script to keep next to you on your calls.

What Is Wholesaling With Real Estate Agents?

A few terms first, because everything else on this page builds on them.

A listing agent is the licensed agent a seller hired to sell their house. Their listing goes on the multiple listing service (MLS), the database agents use to share properties for sale, and from there onto Zillow, Redfin and similar sites. The listing agent works for the seller, not for you. Keep that in mind on every call.

When you wholesale, you're the principal, meaning the actual buyer named on the contract, not anyone's agent. Once the seller signs, you use an assignment of contract to hand your place as buyer to a cash investor, who then closes with the seller. You never own the house. You get paid the difference.

So can you wholesale a house that's already listed with an agent? Yes. You talk to the listing agent instead of the owner, you negotiate the price and terms through them, and you make sure your contract allows you to assign it. Whether a listed property can be wholesaled at all is covered in detail in can you wholesale MLS properties? The rest of this page covers the part that decides whether you get the deal: what you say to the agent.

Calling homeowners directly is a different conversation. For that, see our scripts for calling homeowners.

Will Real Estate Agents Work With Wholesalers?

Start with why some agents are wary, because it's fair. Plenty of them have dealt with a wholesaler who tied up a listing, went quiet, then backed out a week later and left the seller starting over. When you call, that's the person they're bracing for. Your job in the first few minutes is to show you're not them.

What an agent actually wants is certainty. A cash buyer who closes on time is worth a lot to them, often more than a slightly higher offer from a financed buyer who still has to sell their own home or get a loan approved. If you sound like someone who closes, you're already competitive.

The other thing that decides deals is whether the agent likes working with you. I like to put it like this: picture two buyers offering the same price on the same terms. One is an acquisitions rep from a big company who talks business for two minutes and hangs up. The other asks how the agent's day is going, listens, and treats them like a colleague. When everything else is equal, the agent goes with the buyer they trust, and the buyer who makes their job easier. Some of Alex's best agent relationships started with calls that were more personal conversation than real estate. Watch me explain this part.

There's also a practical reason the call matters. I compare it to poker. If you only look at the listing, it's like playing without seeing your opponent's cards. The photos are a quick flash of them. A good call with the agent turns the cards face up: why the seller is moving, what's actually wrong with the house, how many offers are in, and roughly where the price needs to be. Our co-founder Ryan Zomorodi has a line for this: the deals are in the data.

So how do you know whether a particular agent and listing are worth your time? I use two tests after every first call:

1. Is there real distress? Either the property needs serious work, or the seller needs to sell quickly, or both. If a normal buyer could get a mortgage on it, you're competing with the whole market.
2. Was it a good call? Was the agent open and willing to talk? Were they open to representing you, or to referring you to someone who could? Are you one of the first buyers to call? Do you have a realistic chance of getting it under contract?

If both answers are yes, that listing goes to the top of your list. If either is no, move on to the next call.

This approach isn't for everyone yet. If you don't have a single cash buyer lined up, build that first (start with our guide to building a cash buyers list), because an agent can tell within minutes whether you can close. If every distressed listing in your market draws a pile of offers in its first weekend, you'll make a lot of calls for very little. And if you're not willing to be upfront that you may assign your contract, don't make these calls at all. That's the line that gets wholesalers into trouble, both with agents and with the law.

What To Say To A Listing Agent In The First 90 Seconds

Treat the call like what it is, a conversation between two people who both want the house sold. Most first calls take 5–10 minutes. Some run 20 or more. The length doesn't matter much. Whether you actually connect does.

Most of the time they'll say yes, because it's their listing and they want it sold. Watch me walk through this opening. If they're busy, don't just hang up and hope. Book a time:

The Part That Matters Most

That's a lot for one breath, so here's what each piece does. "I'm a buyer, not an agent" answers the question they were about to ask. It tells them you're not competing for their commission and you're not asking them to do anything outside their license. Saying you may close with a partner or assign your contract is the honest disclosure. You don't need the word "wholesaler" (plenty of agents misread it), but you do need to say what you might do. A listing agent works for their seller and may have to share that with them, and a growing number of states now have disclosure rules for wholesalers. Check yours in our state-by-state wholesaling legality guide.

Asking about representation right away is deliberate. I used to save it for the end of the call, until agents started asking me why I hadn't said so at the start, because they'd have told him more. When an agent may earn on your side of the deal too, they have a reason to help your offer succeed.

Two things to know if they say yes:

• Not every state allows it: Some states don't let a single agent represent both sides, and use other arrangements instead. Where it is allowed, both parties have to agree to it in writing. The agent will know what their state uses. See how dual agency and double commission work for the details.
• There'll be paperwork before a showing: Since August 17, 2024, an MLS participant working with a buyer must have a signed written buyer agreement with that buyer before touring a home, and it has to state what the agent will be paid. Some states add their own rules on top. You can usually keep that agreement limited to one property. How to handle it is covered in the process guide linked at the top of this page.

This is educational, not legal advice. Disclosure rules and agency arrangements vary by state and change over time, so confirm yours with a licensed real estate attorney before you make offers.

If the agent can't or won't represent you, ask for the next best thing:

A referral keeps the listing agent involved in your deal and gets you an agent who already knows the property.

Match The Person On The Other End

Some agents want to chat about their weekend before they talk about the house. Others, often in faster markets, want the address, the numbers and nothing else. A beginner can hear that bluntness as rudeness. It usually isn't. If they want small talk, have it. If they only want numbers, give them numbers, at their pace.

And make it a phone call. Most investors text or email the listing agent and never speak to them. If four people text and you call, you're the only one having a real conversation, and you're the one the agent remembers.

Questions To Ask A Listing Agent As A Wholesaler

Here's the full list in the order I ask them. The reasoning for each one follows.

1. What's the seller's reason for selling?
2. What would you say the overall condition of the property is?
3. Are there any major issues, like structural, foundation or electrical problems?
4. Has anything been upgraded recently?
5. Is there anything special about this property that sets it apart from other homes nearby?
6. What do you think it would sell for in its best possible condition, fully renovated?
7. How has the activity been so far?
8. Are the offers from homeowners or investors, and how many are there?
9. Are more offers expected?
10. Are you representing any other buyers on this property?
11. What price would I need to come in at today to get it under contract?
12. How flexible is that price?
13. Would the seller consider offers below that?
14. Are there any terms the seller would like to see in an offer?
15. When does the seller plan to review offers?
16. Do you know of any other fixer-type properties, including ones not on the market yet?

How To Wholesale Real Estate With Agents & What To Say (Free Script)

Watch me walk through a full first call with a listing agent, including every question on this list and why I ask it in this order.

 

Before You Dial

Spend five minutes on the listing: how long it's been on the market, any price cuts, whether it's vacant, and what the photos and description admit about its condition. Don't go further than that. I used to drive out, photograph a house, and run the full numbers before my first call, only to hear from the agent that his price was nowhere close. Call first. The call tells you whether the property deserves an afternoon of analysis.

Have your cash buyers' criteria in your head too: the areas, the property types and the price range they actually buy. If this listing doesn't fit anyone you know, you'll hear it in the answers. If you're still working out which listings are worth calling, start with how to find wholesale deals.

Questions About The Seller

This is the question that tells you whether you have a deal. The answer rarely appears on a public listing site. On the MLS it sometimes shows up in the agent-only remarks (see our guide to getting MLS access without a license), but usually you only get it by asking.

Listen to what comes back. "They're going through a divorce, they haven't touched the place in six months and they just want it done" is a motivated seller. "They want the highest sale in the neighborhood" is not. Both are useful. One tells you to move fast. The other tells you to move on.

The answer also shows you what problem you might be able to solve. I have worked with sellers who had to be out within 30 days, and closed by helping arrange the move and leasing the house back to them for a few weeks after closing. You can't offer something like that if you never ask why they're selling.

Questions About The Property

You want the agent describing the problems in their own words. When they tell you about the water stain on the ceiling or the kitchen nobody has touched since the 1980s, they're also setting expectations for the offer you'll make later. A low number is much less of a surprise to an agent who has just walked you through everything that's wrong.

Make sure the photos match reality, too. Sometimes a listing looks rough in pictures and turns out to be mostly cosmetic, and sometimes it's the other way around. You're looking for real distress. If a normal buyer could get a mortgage on it, you'll be competing with the whole market.

If there are no photos at all, call anyway, and ask:

I have found that an agent who usually lists nicer homes is sometimes embarrassed to post photos of a distressed one. They may have dozens on their phone. If they send them to you and nobody else, you're the one buyer who knows what the house really looks like.

This is where your repair estimate comes from. A cracked slab or a failed foundation turns a cosmetic job into a major one, and it changes what you can pay. If the agent isn't sure what you mean, make it concrete: "Things like a cracked slab or bad wiring, or does it look like the work is mostly cosmetic?" Asking this also tells the agent you've done this before.

Upgrades cut your repair budget, and that can let you offer more than buyers who never asked.

Some things never show in photos: a view, an oversized lot, a school district buyers pay extra for. Agents will sometimes volunteer the downsides as well, like power lines over the backyard or a flight path overhead. Both kinds affect what the house will sell for after it's renovated, and your cash buyer will want to know.

Questions About Value

Don't use the term after-repair value (ARV), meaning what the house is worth once it's fixed. Most listing agents don't use it. Ask in plain English, then treat the answer as information, not a number to rely on. Watch me ask this question.

The answer tells you how the agent priced the listing. If a house is listed at $400,000 and the agent thinks it would sell for $500,000 renovated, the pricing is reasonable. If it's listed at $400,000, needs $50,000 of work, and the agent thinks it would sell for $400,000 once fixed, the list price makes no sense for an investor, and you've just learned there's room to negotiate. Either way, you'll check the value yourself against recent sales before you make an offer.

Questions About The Competition

Start broad and let them talk. If they ask what you mean, narrow it down: how many calls, how many offers, and whether those offers are from homeowners or investors. On a genuinely distressed property you should mostly be up against other investors. If homeowners with mortgages are bidding, the house may not be distressed enough to leave room for you.

Then ask whether more offers are expected. If you're the first caller and nothing's in yet, speed wins. If there are already several offers, you'll need a sharper offer and a stronger relationship with the agent.

If the answer is no, and the property is distressed, and the seller needs to sell, that listing moves to the top of your list.

Questions About Price

This is the most valuable exchange on the call. Ask these in order, and after each one, stop talking and wait.

And if the agent says they can't tell you:

Here's how that can play out on a house listed at $400,000.

You now know the real floor before you've analyzed anything. It won't always go that way, and some agents won't give you a number at all, but plenty will give you a hint, and a hint puts you ahead of buyers who are guessing. Watch me explain how to get price expectations up front.

Notice that none of these can be answered with a simple yes or no. You're not asking whether the seller will come down. You're asking how far.

Questions About Terms And Timing

Terms often win deals without you raising your price. The seller might need a 21-day close instead of 14, or time to find their next place, or a short stay in the house after closing. The agent might tell you that a shorter inspection period than other buyers are offering would stand out. Whatever you offer on terms, make sure it's something you'll actually do. Never offer an earnest money deposit (the good-faith deposit held by the title company) that you don't intend to fund.

If the answer is 3 p.m. today, you know you have a few hours. If it's 11 a.m. tomorrow, you know to call the agent before then and ask where your offer stands. Either way, you're not finding out after the fact that another offer was accepted.

Ask For More Deals Before You Hang Up

An agent who is listing a distressed house today will probably list another one. Some sellers of rough houses would rather avoid dozens of showings and take a cash offer quietly. That's often why an agent knows about a property before it's listed. One call can turn into several deals this way. Watch me ask for more deals.

The agent has to follow the seller's instructions and their MLS's rules about when a listing must go public. Your part is simply to ask and to be the buyer they think of. Asking is fine. Pressuring an agent to skip their own rules isn't.

How To End The First Call

You haven't run the numbers yet, and a number you have to walk back later costs you the agent's trust. Instead:

"As soon as possible" is deliberate. I used to promise to call back within the hour, then got caught up in other deals and broke the promise. Say what you can keep.

Take The Discovery Call Script Onto Your Next Call

Keep it next to you while you dial. The free Discovery Call Script walks you through a structured first call with a listing agent: preparing before you pick up the phone, the questions that reveal the property's condition, the seller's motivation and how flexible the price is, and how to build a relationship that brings you future deals.

Download the free Discovery Call Script →

The Close Call: What To Say When You Make Your Offer

Between the two calls, you do the math. Check the agent's renovated-value estimate against recent sales, estimate the repairs using what you learned on the call, and work out the most you can pay while leaving room for your cash buyer and your fee. Our guide to your maximum allowable offer shows how to calculate that number, and estimating rehab costs covers the repair side. Some people call back within 30 minutes. If you work a day job, calling back on your lunch break is fine too.

Run Your Numbers Before The Close Call

You need a price you'll stick to before you call the agent back. Our free Deal Calculator spreadsheet helps you work back from the renovated value to your maximum allowable offer, with repair and closing costs built in, so you can explain exactly how you got to your number if the agent says it's too low.

Download the free Deal Calculator →

Start By Reminding Them Who You Are

In the time since your first call, a busy agent may have talked to ten other buyers. Put your name and the address together right away:

If they agreed to represent you, say so too ("and having you represent us"). It reminds them that your offer is the one they have a stake in.

Present The Offer, Then Stop Talking

Then say nothing. Let the agent respond. The explanation matters as much as the price. It tells the agent your number comes from actual costs, not from trying to see how low the seller will go.

If they say yes, set up the paperwork. If they say maybe, or no, that isn't the end of the call. The next section covers exactly what to say.

When The Agent Says Yes

Walk them through what happens next, step by step, the way someone who has done this before would:

Then ask three short questions that keep the deal moving:

The email on the listing isn't always the one the agent checks. Confirming it saves a day.

Most contracts are signed electronically now, but asking shows you know how this works.

If they say 2 p.m. and it isn't in your inbox by 2:05, call. Keep it friendly: agents get pulled into other calls, school pickups and other deals, and a polite nudge is usually all it takes. Don't sit and hope.

Before you hang up, one more question:

If the seller had planned to review offers tomorrow, sometimes they'll look at yours today, and yours may be the only one they have in front of them.

What To Put In The Offer Email

Keep it complete, so the agent doesn't have to come back to you asking for anything:

• Property address: to confirm you're both talking about the same house.
• Buyer's name: your company name exactly as it should appear on the contract.
• Offer price: the number you presented on the call.
• Earnest money deposit: in an amount you will actually fund on time.
• Closing timeline: "14 days or sooner" signals flexibility, but match what the seller needs if they told you.
• Inspection period: the window in which you can inspect the property and cancel if it doesn't check out.
• Clear title: that the seller will deliver title free of liens and other claims.

And attach:

• Proof of funds: a document showing money genuinely available to you for this purchase. That might be a letter from a lender who has agreed to fund the deal, or a statement from a funding partner who has agreed to back it. Don't present someone else's funds as your own.
• Company documents: your articles of organization, or your operating agreement if your name isn't on the articles, so the agent can see you're authorized to sign for the company.

Two buyers can offer the same price. The one whose paperwork arrives complete makes the agent's job easier, and that buyer tends to get the benefit of the doubt.

When the contract comes back, read it before you sign. Check the price, the dates, the deposit and the inspection period, and make sure it allows you to assign it. The wholesale real estate contract guide explains each clause. Remember too that signing isn't the finish line. You don't have a deal until the seller signs as well.

This is educational, not legal advice. Contract forms, deposit rules and inspection terms vary by state, and your contract is what governs. Have a local real estate attorney review your documents, especially on your first deals.

Why A Written Offer Beats A Text, Even When You Lose

A lot of beginners think they're making offers when they're really just texting agents a number. A text isn't an offer. An offer is a signed contract sitting in the agent's inbox.

Here's why that matters even when your offer isn't accepted. Say the seller takes a higher offer from another investor who never really ran the numbers. A week into the inspection period, that buyer backs out. The agent now needs the next buyer, and they don't scroll back through their calls trying to remember who was interested. They check their inbox for who actually submitted a written offer. If that's you, you're often the first call. I have seen this happen often enough that he treats every written offer as a second chance at the deal, not just a first one. Watch me explain why written offers get callbacks.

You can also offer to be the backup, meaning your contract steps in if the accepted one falls through. The next section covers how.

How Many Offers It Takes

My challenge to new investors is at least one written offer a day, which is roughly 30 a month. In his team's experience, it typically takes somewhere around 10–15 written offers to land one deal that pays a wholesale fee in the region of $10,000. That's his team's observation, not a promise. Your results will depend on your market, your numbers and your conversations. Watch me talk through how many offers to aim for.

Earnings disclaimer: the figures above describe our team's experience and are not typical or guaranteed results. Wholesaling involves risk, you may earn nothing, and your results depend on your market, effort, skills and financial situation.

If you've sent 15 offers without a deal, don't decide the approach doesn't work. Ask a better question: were the offers accurate, and were the conversations good? That's usually where the problem is.

One honest counterweight: your inspection period protects you, but don't treat it as an easy way out. Backing out of contracts again and again is exactly what burns wholesalers with agents. Offer only on deals you've genuinely run and can see a buyer for.

Follow Up Before The Deadline

If the seller is reviewing offers at 11 a.m. tomorrow, call the agent before then:

Wholesaling With Realtors & Agents: Secret Strategies That Actually Work

I cover the offer-stage habits from this section: how many offers to aim for, why written offers get you callbacks, and how rapport tips close decisions your way.

 

What To Say When A Listing Agent Pushes Back

I treat objections as an invitation to show the agent you're the buyer who closes. Most beginners hear one "no," thank the agent and hang up. The ones who get deals stay on the line, answer the concern and still get their offer in. Here's what to say to the pushback you'll hear most, on the first call and on the close call.

"I Don't Work With Wholesalers."

Don't dodge it, and don't pretend you're something else. Find out what's behind it, because it's usually a bad experience:

Some agents will still say no, and some brokerages have their own policies. Thank them and move on. There are plenty of other listings, and the same agent may take your call on the next one once they've seen how you operate.

"Are You Going To Assign This? My Seller Won't Allow That."

Answer honestly. Then find out what the seller is actually worried about. Usually it's certainty: they don't want their house shopped around, or they don't want to be left without a closing.

Many purchase contracts allow assignment unless they say otherwise, but some require the seller's written consent, and forms vary by state. Closing it yourself and immediately reselling it, called a double close, is the other option, but it costs you two sets of closing costs, and some states regulate it too. Never get around a no-assignment clause by being vague about your plans.

Educational, not legal advice. Assignment and disclosure rules vary by state. Confirm yours with a licensed real estate attorney.

"I Can't Discuss Price."

Respect it. The agent works for the seller and may genuinely not be allowed to share what their client will accept. Ask for less:

In my experience, a lot of agents will give you a range or a hint, and a hint is enough to know whether the property is worth analyzing. If they won't, don't push. Ask what terms matter to the seller instead, and let your written offer do the talking.

"Send Me Proof Of Funds First."

That's a fair request, and a good sign the agent takes offers seriously. Have it ready before you ever call, and make sure it shows money genuinely available to you for this purchase. A lender's letter or a statement from a funding partner who has agreed to the deal both work. Someone else's bank statement does not.

"You'll Need To Sign A Buyer Agreement First."

If the agent is going to represent you or show you the house, that's correct. Since August 2024, agents working with buyers need a signed written agreement before touring a home. Don't refuse it. Scope it:

Before you sign anything, check which properties it covers, how long it lasts, and what triggers the agent's pay.

"Just Submit An Offer."

Some agents will try to skip the conversation. Stay friendly, and ask for two minutes:

If they still won't talk, send a written offer anyway. It's better than nothing, and it puts you in their inbox.

When An Agent Is Short With You

It happens, and it's rarely about you. The agent might be having a terrible day, or they might just be direct. Some agents, often in faster-moving markets, only want the address and the numbers, and a beginner can hear that as anger. Match their pace and talk numbers. Watch me answer this question.

If a call goes badly, don't take it personally. Move to the next listing. There are always more listings and more agents, and the same agent may be happy to talk tomorrow. A short follow-up costs you nothing.

Wholesaling Houses Listed With Agents (Top 5 Hacks)

I answer the questions behind this section, including how to get price expectations up front and what to do when an agent is short with you.

 

"We Already Have Higher Offers."

Don't argue with it. Ask about it:

The agent may or may not tell you. Then ask the question the seller cares about most, without saying anything about the other buyer:

You're not claiming the other offer will fail. You're reminding the agent that a price only matters if it closes.

"Your Offer Is Too Low."

Don't tell the agent they're wrong. Show them how you got there. Most listing agents don't price houses the way investors do, so walk them through it.

Nobody takes on a renovation for that. At a lower purchase price the project makes sense, and that's the gap your offer reflects.

Then say it in plain words:

Offering to share your numbers is often what changes the agent's mind. You're not lowballing. You're showing your work.

"The Seller Wants Highest And Best."

The agent is asking for your top number. Give them certainty instead of just a bigger number:

Then keep your word. The whole reason this works is that you really don't come back asking for a discount.

Offer To Be The Backup

If the seller accepts someone else's offer, you're not necessarily out:

A backup offer is a signed contract that becomes active only if the first deal falls through. How backups work depends on your state's forms and the agent's process, so ask how they handle them. Either way, it keeps your offer in front of the agent, and deals do fall through.

How The Agent Gets Paid When You're Not Licensed

This question matters on every call, because an agent who can see how they get paid is far more willing to help. Here are the ways it can work:

• The listing side: The seller already pays the listing agent under their listing agreement. That doesn't change because you're the buyer.
• Representing you as well: Where state law allows it, the listing agent can represent you too and be paid for your side. That requires a written agreement with you that states the amount, and in states that permit dual agency, written consent from both you and the seller. Buyer-side pay is often negotiated as part of your offer, so the seller covers it rather than you. Some states don't allow one agent to represent both sides and use other arrangements instead. See how dual agency and double commission work.
• A referral: If the listing agent refers you to another agent, they may earn a referral fee from that agent's brokerage. That's between the two brokerages.
• A future listing: If your cash buyer plans to renovate and resell, you can suggest they use the listing agent to sell it. That decision belongs to your buyer, so never promise it. Offer to advocate for it.

And here's what you can't do without a license:

• Take a commission, or share in one: In many states, paying someone who isn't licensed for work that requires a license is prohibited.
• Pay the agent personally: If you agree to pay an agent out of your own proceeds, it goes to their brokerage under a written agreement, not to the agent directly. In many states, license law requires an agent's pay to come through their broker.
• Promise something you don't control: Don't promise another person's listing, or a commission rate the seller hasn't agreed to.

The three most common ways to structure the agent's pay, with a worked example of what each costs you, are covered in the process guide linked at the top of this page. Whatever you agree to, it goes in writing and into your numbers before you make an offer, not after.

Educational, not legal advice. Agency and compensation rules vary by state. Confirm the arrangement with the agent's broker and a local real estate attorney.

Common Mistakes New Wholesalers Make With Real Estate Agents

Most agents have dealt with a few "wholesalers" who ghost, flake or don't follow through. And when that happens, it makes it harder for serious investors like you to get a shot.

If you want to stand out and build long-term agent relationships, you need to avoid the rookie mistakes that give wholesalers a bad name. Here's a quick table of the most common missteps and what to do instead. Keep it handy. It's your crash course in wholesaling etiquette.

Remember: wholesaling with real estate agents is a people-first business. Respect their time, show up professionally, and you'll be light-years ahead of most so-called investors out there.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wholesaling With Real Estate Agents

Final Thoughts On Talking To Listing Agents

Every deal on the MLS has a person standing between you and the seller, and that person decides whose offer the seller hears about first. You don't need a license to earn that agent's trust. You need to call when everyone else texts, say plainly what you are, ask better questions than the next buyer, and come back with a number you'll actually stick to.

Most of what goes wrong with listing agents comes back to trust: a buyer who hid what they were doing, named a price they couldn't hold, or disappeared after an inspection period. Do the opposite, consistently, and the relationship grows from there. An agent who lists one distressed house will list another, and you want to be the buyer they call first.

Here's your next step, and it's a small one. Pick three distressed listings in your area. Write your opening line and your "I'm a buyer, not an agent" line on a sticky note, and keep the question list from this page in front of you. Then make all three calls before lunch tomorrow, and write down what each agent tells you. You're not making offers yet. You're getting comfortable with the conversation, and that's the part that turns into deals.

About The Author

Alex Martinez

Founder & CEO, Real Estate Skills

Alex Martinez is the Founder & CEO of Real Estate Skills. He has wholesaled and flipped houses for over 14 years, been part of 1,000+ real estate transactions, and personally acquired 55+ residential investment properties. He has trained 6,000+ investors nationwide, and he teaches the listing-agent conversations in this guide on the Real Estate Skills YouTube channel.

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Real Estate Skills is not a law firm, and the information in this article is provided for educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Real estate licensing, disclosure, agency and wholesaling laws and requirements vary by state and change over time. The scripts and examples in this guide are illustrative, and any figures shared reflect individual experience, not typical or guaranteed results. Always consult a licensed real estate attorney in your state before you make offers, sign buyer agreements or assign contracts.