How to Make Money Locating Property for a Finder's Fee

Last Updated: October 21, 2021 Approved

Finders work as intermediaries, connecting sellers to buyers of property, and are not realtors. In some housing markets, particularly those that are extremely depressed, some homeowners are willing to pay finder’s fees to people who are able to connect them to buyers. Keep in mind that in hot property markets, it will probably be almost impossible to do this kind of work because homeowners will have an easy time finding buyers.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Finding Property

1
Look for property that is for sale by owner. Real estate that is represented by a realtor will not work if you are trying to get a finder’s fee. The realtor essentially takes your place as the intermediary. You might find properties for sale by owner on websites like Craigslist or other classified real estate sites. You also might find property by driving around neighborhoods that you think have potential.
2
Contact the owners of the property. Some owners are explicit that they will offer a finder’s fee in their advertisement. Call or email them for the exact details of what they would pay and how they are hoping to move forward. Others are not explicit about whether they would pay you-- contact them to ask if they would pay a finder’s fee.^{[1]
X
Research source}

Advertisement
3
Sign an agreement. Make sure that you have in writing that the customer agrees to pay you the agreed upon fee once you have provided the service and the property has successfully been sold.^{[2]
X
Research source} Always negotiate your rates before you begin to locate properties. It might be a set amount, or it could be a percentage. Keep in mind that that without a contract, you probably have no legal recourse if the seller decides that he or she does not want to pay your fee.^{[3]
X
Research source}
4
Inspect the property. For those owners who have given you permission to try and find a buyer, inform them that you want to see what their property is like so that you have all the available information. As you’re touring the site, take notes about the features. Ask permission to take photos.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Looking for Buyers

1
Reach out to the investors and potential homebuyers you know. Tell them about the property and show the photos. Talk to them about what they are interested in purchasing so that you can keep looking for their criteria in the future.^{[4]
X
Research source}
2
Set up a website. Create a website with the properties for which you are attempting to find interested buyers. Include well-written descriptions of the homes and photographs.
3
Advertise the properties. Post them on the classified websites with links to the descriptions and photographs on your website. Consider posting the information in the local Sunday paper real estate section.^{[5]
X
Research source}

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Setting Up a Successful Sale

1
Introduce the interested buyer to the seller. If all goes well, you have facilitated a sale. Hopefully your work is done at this point. If the sale falls through, however, you’ll be back to work finding a potential buyer to introduce to the seller.
2
Collect your fee. If your introduction was successful, you will be getting paid. Depending on how you have created your written agreement, you will probably get paid when the sale goes through.^{[6]
X
Research source}
3
Continue talking to other interested buyers and sellers. After the introduction, your work is done. Now you need to be moving on to the next groups of buyers and sellers.

Community Q&A

Question

How can I do this without a license to practice real estate?

Community Answer

A licensing board cannot regulate the agreement between two non-licensed individuals.
Question

Where are some good leads in finding homes for sale by an owner?

Community Answer

Craigslist is a good place to look for listings that have been unsuccessfully sold for many weeks or months.
Question

Is it a good idea to join an online group that provides videos and support for getting started (for a fee)?

Community Answer

Yes, it is. Joining a community of other property locators can give you a good opportunity to find advice on getting started.