Don't overlook the MLS — many profitable deals come from it. Filter for: days on market 60+, price reduced multiple times, estate sales, corporate-owned (REO), and listings with "as-is" in the description. These properties have stigma that keeps retail buyers away but the numbers often work for investors.
Target absentee owners (own property but don't live there), pre-foreclosure (lis pendens), probate estates, tax delinquent properties, and out-of-state owners of local properties. Services like PropStream and BatchLeads build these lists. Send consistent mail over 6–12 months — most deals come from the 3rd–6th contact, not the first.
Systematically drive target neighborhoods looking for visually distressed properties — overgrown yards, boarded windows, deferred maintenance. Track addresses, skip trace the owners, reach out directly. Low-tech but consistently productive in any market.
Build relationships with active wholesalers in your market. They find deals and need buyers. Even if you're a buyer, not a wholesaler, getting on active wholesaler lists gives you access to off-market inventory. Join local REIA groups to meet them.
Probate properties — homes being sold through an estate — are among the most motivated seller situations in real estate. Heirs who didn't live in the property often want a fast, clean sale. Check county probate court filings, work with probate attorneys, and respond quickly — these deals move fast.
Dan White is a licensed Virginia real estate agent at Pearson Smith Realty and founder of FreeDealCalc.com. He has been sourcing distressed properties across Northern Virginia for over 20 years.