{"id":3795,"date":"2021-12-02T15:22:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T19:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/?p=3795"},"modified":"2026-03-17T11:24:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T15:24:03","slug":"how-to-find-an-investor-friendly-real-estate-agent-and-why-you-need-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/how-to-find-an-investor-friendly-real-estate-agent-and-why-you-need-one\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Find an Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agent &#8211; and Why You Need One!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Finding an <strong>investor friendly real estate agent<\/strong> who genuinely understands how investment deals work, and not just traditional homebuyer transactions, is one of the most impactful steps an active investor can take to improve deal quality.<\/p>\n<p>Finding an <strong>investor-friendly real estate agent<\/strong> who genuinely understands how investment deals work, and not just traditional homebuyer transactions, is one of the most impactful steps an active investor can take to improve deal quality and execution speed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Just because a real estate agent is good at working with owner-occupant buyers doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019ll be very helpful to you. In fact, many of them don\u2019t want to work with investors at all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why? Well, the truth is they simply may not be good at working with a real estate investor versus someone who is looking to live in their residence permanently. Sometimes, they may just not want to put in the time and energy for all the extra paperwork. Other times, the agent may not even be knowledgeable about the world of investing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Luckily there are plenty of ways to find investor-friendly real estate agents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">In this Article:<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/how-to-find-an-investor-friendly-real-estate-agent-and-why-you-need-one\/#What_Is_an_%E2%80%9CInvestor-Friendly%E2%80%9D_Real_Estate_Agent\" >What Is an \u201cInvestor-Friendly\u201d Real Estate Agent?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/how-to-find-an-investor-friendly-real-estate-agent-and-why-you-need-one\/#Why_Is_It_So_Hard_to_Find_an_Investor-Friendly_Real_Estate_Agent\" >Why Is It So Hard to Find an Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agent?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/how-to-find-an-investor-friendly-real-estate-agent-and-why-you-need-one\/#Approaching_a_Real_Estate_Agent_as_an_Investor\" >Approaching a Real Estate Agent as an Investor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/how-to-find-an-investor-friendly-real-estate-agent-and-why-you-need-one\/#Other_Ways_to_Find_an_Investor-Friendly_Real_Estate_Agent\" >Other Ways to Find an Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agent<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_an_%E2%80%9CInvestor-Friendly%E2%80%9D_Real_Estate_Agent\"><\/span><a id=\"post-3795-_ygzgpkl1ot5k\"><\/a>What Is an \u201cInvestor-Friendly\u201d Real Estate Agent?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While there is no specific definition of what an \u201cinvestor-friendly\u201d agent is, most seasoned investors can identify one within the first two minutes of a call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the traits of these agents is that they enjoy working with investors and have a lot of experience doing so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Investors want agents to help them find deals, not waste their time driving around town looking at the obvious properties on the MLS and dozens of other aggregate real estate sites.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>These agents don\u2019t have any problem going out of their way to find the better deal for a real estate investor, and they have a <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/our-real-estate-agent-level-membership-launches-with-10-commissions\/\" target=\"_blank\">deep understanding of the investing side<\/a> of the real estate market. They know that the typical investor isn\u2019t fretting about the property landscaping or the cleanliness. Properties that need work are usually the ones investors want because they can be easily discounted. Most retail buyers don\u2019t want to do a bunch of work before they move in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These agents have a vast network of contacts and can find deals before they hit the market. <strong>The investor-friendly agents will go through hell and high water to get their investor\u2019s cash deal offer on the table before any other! <\/strong>They know all the inner workings of real estate investing (tax implications, ROIs, tips and tricks) and have many of the same core values as the investor they are looking to assist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These agents know how to get creative with seller offers and won\u2019t shy away from <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/3-best-ways-easiest-ways-to-purchase-deeply-discounted-properties\/\" target=\"_blank\">non-traditional deals<\/a>. They have worked with double closes, assignment deals, and lease options, and they don\u2019t run the other direction when things get hairy with title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Is_It_So_Hard_to_Find_an_Investor-Friendly_Real_Estate_Agent\"><\/span><a id=\"post-3795-_mygk6y1ctlu\"><\/a>Why Is It So Hard to Find an Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agent?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It can be a lot easier for a real estate agent to work with a potential homeowner than an investor. For example, a homeowner who is looking for a nice, long-term residence for their family is generally not looking to make any cash flow off the home, and they don\u2019t have any plans to <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/rehabbing-a-fix-flip-a-beginners-overview\/\" target=\"_blank\">flip a house<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>An investor has different priorities. <\/strong>For example, if they are looking for cash flow from a property, then they need to know the rental rate, the mortgage payment amount, and all of the other costs that are involved. If the investor is looking to flip a property, then they want to know how much the house will be after they finish fixing it up as well as the amount of the repair costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You shouldn\u2019t trust most real estate agents to know what the best deals are. This is because they probably don\u2019t <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/should-you-hire-an-agent-or-fsbo\/\" target=\"_blank\">invest in fix-and-flips<\/a> or rental properties themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Approaching_a_Real_Estate_Agent_as_an_Investor\"><\/span><a id=\"post-3795-_f9283zji75c1\"><\/a>Approaching a Real Estate Agent as an Investor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A lot of investors who are looking for help from a real estate agent are just plain lazy! They will approach a busy agent without doing much research on a property or a particular neighborhood. This type of investor will literally walk up to the agent and not know what they want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This will make an agent who probably doesn\u2019t want to work with investors anyway even more hesitant to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The good news is that you have the power to potentially change their one-sided line of thinking into something that includes you, the motivated investor. One way to do this is by <strong>performing<\/strong> <strong>good evaluation and analysis beforehand<\/strong>. In other words, do your damn homework!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You should set the tone for the entire relationship by creating a conversation starter piece. This will give them the immediate feeling that you are not looking to dump a huge load of extra work on them just because they decided to be your agent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let them know you have narrowed things down to the type of property you want (condo, house, etc.), have looked in multiple zip codes and counties, found out the general rent prices in a neighborhood, and have done other research such as finding out how safe a neighborhood is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another good way to find investor-friendly real estate agents is to<strong> look for referrals within your own network<\/strong>. These are folks that you know better, so there\u2019s a good chance they won\u2019t let you down, especially if the referral has used that particular agent themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You should also <strong>look online and on social media platforms,<\/strong> such as in Facebook groups. In your region, there are likely <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/how-to-start-a-real-estate-group\/\" target=\"_blank\">investor groups<\/a> that you can join, which will allow you to search within that group for agents. Hell, the agent wouldn\u2019t be in an investor\u2019s group if they weren\u2019t looking to work with potential investors, right? Certain blog sites like <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Bigger Pockets<\/a> are also great for finding investor-friendly real estate agents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are tired of sitting in front of a computer screen, then you may enjoy <strong>attending some of the local networking events in your area!<\/strong> For example, if you are looking to invest in the South Florida region, do a quick Google search for \u201cMiami real estate investors association events.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll see lots of upcoming events pop up from websites like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/d\/fl--miami\/real-estate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Eventbrite<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MDREIAFL\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Miami-Dade Real Estate Investors Association Official Facebook Page<\/a>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/dreia.org\/where-when-meet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Dade Real Estate Investors Association<\/a>. Meeting info will include dates and locations for in-person events for card exchanging and networking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of these events will be online webinars, but it\u2019s important not to show up on screen in the t-shirt you slept in or wearing those around-the-house sweatpants that you\u2019ve had on since the beginning of the pandemic! Be sure to dress the part whenever you attend events on the internet as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other_Ways_to_Find_an_Investor-Friendly_Real_Estate_Agent\"><\/span><a id=\"post-3795-_ec03rzimzx7l\"><\/a>Other Ways to Find an Investor-Friendly Real Estate Agent<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Traditional real estate agents don\u2019t like dealing with distressed properties, so when viewing the list of agents in your area, you should look for agents who frequently list things like <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/what-are-reo-foreclosures-and-how-do-i-buy-them-cheap\/\" target=\"_blank\">REOs<\/a>, short sales, and pre-foreclosures. This way you can tell that they are in fact investor-friendly real estate agents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, agents who list renovated properties regularly may be a good agent for investors. The deal may be that once you renovate the property, then the agent will get the listing, a common deal that is made between agents and investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having an investor-friendly real estate agent will help you find the best deals because they will take the time to listen to the specific details of what you are looking for. In the long-term, they will save you lots of time, energy, and money!<\/p>\n\n<p>Investor-friendly agents who specialize in distressed properties understand how <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/understanding-foreclosure-auctions-in-florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">florida foreclosure auctions<\/a> work and can help you evaluate whether an auction purchase or a traditional listing acquisition is the right strategy for each deal.<\/p>\n<p>The best investor-friendly agents have experience running comparative market analysis for properties that need renovation, which helps you accurately <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/how-to-estimate-rehab-costs-in-real-estate-without-seeing-inside\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">estimate rehab costs<\/a> relative to the after-repair value before you commit to any acquisition price.<\/p>\n<p>Agents who work regularly with investors understand financial metrics like <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/what-is-a-cap-rate-in-real-estate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cap rate real estate<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/what-is-the-gross-rent-multiplier\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gross rent multiplier<\/a>, which allows you to have data-driven conversations about deal quality rather than relying purely on gut feel.<\/p>\n<p>An investor-friendly agent can be particularly valuable when you are preparing to sell a flip, since their market knowledge will help you time the listing to align with the <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/whats-the-best-time-of-year-to-list-your-flip-in-florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">best time to sell a flip florida<\/a> and maximize your net proceeds.<\/p>\n<p>Investors who work both the MLS and the auction markets benefit from agents who understand <a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/what-is-due-diligence-in-real-estate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">due diligence real estate<\/a> requirements for both purchase types, since the research process differs significantly between traditional listings and auction acquisitions.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color:#eef6fd; border-left:5px solid #1a73b8; border-radius:6px; padding:24px 28px; margin:32px 0; font-family:Georgia, serif;\">\n<p style=\"font-size:20px; font-weight:bold; color:#1a3a5c; margin:0 0 10px 0;\">Download the Free Investor eBook on This Topic<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:15px; color:#2c4a6e; margin:0 0 14px 0;\">Join <strong>PropertyOnion.com<\/strong> and get complete coverage of every Florida foreclosure and tax deed auction across all counties. Download step-by-step eBook guides written specifically for investors who want to buy smart at county auction sales.<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/?&#038;reference_member_id=wpposts45&#038;ref2=wpposts45\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"display:inline-block; background-color:#1a73b8; color:#ffffff; font-family:Arial, sans-serif; font-size:15px; font-weight:bold; padding:12px 24px; border-radius:4px; text-decoration:none;\">Start My Free Membership<\/a>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Finding an investor friendly real estate agent who genuinely understands how investment deals work, and not just traditional homebuyer transactions, is one of the most impactful steps an active investor can take to improve deal&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":3831,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[34,131,116,377,67,150],"class_list":["post-3795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate-investing-articles","tag-distressed","tag-flip","tag-foreclosures","tag-investor","tag-real-estate","tag-real-estate-agent"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3795","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3795"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3795\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13398,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3795\/revisions\/13398"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propertyonion.com\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}