21 Year Old Alex Saenz Shares How He's Earned $1MM+ in Wholesale Fees

Steve Trang: Hey, everybody. Thank you for joining us for today's episode of Real Estate Disruptors. Today, we have Alex Saenz with Home Equity Pros.

Alex Saenz: Yep.

Steve: And he's here to shout. He's earned already a million dollars in wholesale fees by the age of 21. I'm a little bit jealous. So if this is your first time tuning in, I'm Steve Trang, broker owner of Stunning Homes Realty, cofounder of the OfferFast Wholesale app, the one app you need for, wholesaling. And I help people I help people become real estate entrepreneurs.

If you're excited for today's show, give me some waves, give me some hearts. And before we get started, I did start the show because we wanna give back to our community. I've struggled before. I know Alex has struggled before, and we wanna shortcut shortcut that struggle for as many young leaders as possible. I don't charge a dime for this show.

I don't make any money doing this, so here's all I ask. This is your only cost for listening to this show. If you get value, please tell a friend. Either share this episode right now, tag a friend below, or tell them your best takeaway from this show later on. That way we can all grow together.

Don't forget, this is a live show, and so please post your questions and Alex would be happy to answer them for you. Ready

Alex: to go? Absolutely. Let me just finish sharing this and get it going.

Steve: Okay. So Good to go. I will start with a softball. What got you into wholesaling? Well, first,

Alex: first and foremost, thank you for having me on here. I mean, I watched majority of these and they're awesome. So, I mean, the value that you're providing for out there for free, you know, on your own time, oh, it's amazing. So thank you for that.

Steve: Oh, it's my pleasure. Yeah.

Alex: So what got me into real estate? I think the the best answer is I would I would say would be, would be God. Yeah. Because I never planned it. So a little background.

So, I grew up with the my dad was a contractor.

Steve: Okay.

Alex: So from I mean, since I can remember age of five, I would go on small projects that he was doing. And growing up, I wanted to be a construction manager. I wanted, you know, I wanna go to college. I think they pay, like, 70 to 80 k a year. So that was, like, my intentions, you know, throughout high school.

Yeah. And, but it I've I never thought about being an investor. So, you know, after, you know, graduated high school, I went through some hardships in life. Parents divorced, you know, lived in a trailer park. You know, I just very humble upbringing.

And what got me into real estate was my buddy, Jalen White. Yeah. I'm sure you know him. Right?

Steve: Oh, he's a little bit of a legend. So yeah.

Alex: Yeah. He's a legend. So one day, it's like two weeks before graduation and, he says, hey, Alex. Can you go down with me to see property, that I just bought?

Steve: I'm like Where you graduated high school?

Alex: Be before I graduated high school. Oh. Yeah. Two weeks before graduation, I learned about wholesaling. Right?

So he's like, hey hey, Alex. Do you wanna go down with me, to see a property that I just bought? I'm like, you just bought a property? I mean, I have, like, negative 20 in my bank account. Like, he's 18 as well.

So I was just, you know, mind blowing. And, we go to this property. And I think the reason why he wanted me to go is because it was a very rough area.

Steve: Well sketchy?

Alex: It was, yeah, very sketchy. And we boarded up crack heads around the corner. Right. But, you know, it turns out, like, he ended up, you know, telling me about real estate, and he was still very new at it, but he gave me enough information to intrigue me. Mhmm.

And then two weeks after that, like, a day before graduation, he shows me his bank account and he closed a $13,000 deal. And, that was all the proof that I needed

Steve: Alright.

Alex: To to start real estate. So he introduced me to to wholesaling, mid twenty fifteen, and he closed his deal, left for vacation for, like, three months. So now I have, like yeah. He he introduced me, but, and I was very eager to learn. So Right.

Throughout those three months, just looked at every YouTube video that you can think of on real estate. Like, I mean, even the legends like Ron LeGrand. Yeah. Just old, old videos. I mean, you know, very bad quality videos but very good content.

Steve: Right.

Alex: So started then and, it was it was by accident. I mean, it just happened. Didn't go to college. I was gonna enlist in the Navy. Didn't do that.

Kept, you know, banging out real safe. And it took me eight months to get my first deal. Really? And those eight months, they were not pleasant. I'll

Steve: tell you that. You learned a lot of lessons. So that's the

Alex: next question. Where what was some of your early struggles? No guidance. Really, you know, I grew up and I'm I'm a very confident guy. Mhmm.

So I grew up and it it can get the best. And I grew up thinking that I can do everything by myself. Yeah. And during those eight months, I mean, I got the first deal by myself, you know, help here and there. But for the most part, it was just, oh, I'm gonna do this for myself.

I don't need anyone. Mhmm. So early on, if I would've now I'm taking all the help I can get. Yeah. And I learned from everybody.

So, early on, that's that was one of my biggest struggle, just, you know, putting my ego down and really learning from people that were crushing it that I can, you know, duplicate in my life.

Steve: And before you came in, I was doing some research, so I came across your your journey story on YouTube. Yeah. And there was a quote that jumped out on me, and I'm probably butchering it. But, God doesn't put you through a road that you cannot come out of. Something along those lines.

So you're going you're you're you're dealing with something where you lost $5. What let's What

Alex: about that deal? Yeah. Okay. So, you know, like I said, eight long months of just constant, struggle to get my first deal. Mhmm.

I mean, during those eight months, I gained 45 pounds. I just depression, every bad emotion you can think of was going through my mind.

Steve: Mhmm.

Alex: So it's very I mean, there was it was it was not easy. But during that during that time about December, which was six months after I, you know, learned about the concept of wholesaling, I got a 5 k deal under contract. Mhmm. And got it under contract, and it was set to close January 2 or the third, if I remember correctly. And I quit my job Christmas day.

I had $1,500 to my name from my saved checks. You know, I I actually saved the checks. I didn't cash them because I knew I would waste them. So I was living off credit cards, but I I wanted to stay cash heavy, which

Steve: Alright.

Alex: I still do. So I quit the job and I flew out to Dallas, for New Year's. Mhmm. And out there, I mean, I'm I'm very I'm very giving when it comes to family. So I was was buying, you know, small gifts here and there.

I went to a Cowboys game. Yeah. Sat like second row. I mean Nice. I was, I spent it thinking that, you know, when I came back,

Steve: cash checks you didn't have yet.

Alex: That's right. So I was spending that's one thing I learned now. Do not count your money too early.

Steve: Right.

Alex: Especially in in real estate because anything could just turn real quick. Yep. You know, so so fast forward, you know, after I came back from Dallas, I had $300 left. And on that Monday, I get a call from the seller saying, hey. My dad, well, the seller's son.

Hey. My dad has cancer. We're not gonna sign closing docs. And at this time, I didn't know about memorandum. And, plus, I wouldn't even I would it didn't come across my mind just because it was such a tragic situation in their family that I just just moved on.

Mhmm. So I lost that $5,000 deal. So now I have, you know, rent coming. I'm living at a studio by myself, and I had to borrow money for rent. And, I mean, here we go again.

You know, no job, you know, had to borrow, you know, money. So I'm in debt even more. I have, like, 3 k in credit card, bills. And, it's it was just a it just crushed me at that moment.

Steve: And then you said that you gained a lot of weight and all this other stuff that was going like, what what was the lead up? Because right now, you know, I know there are a lot of people that are wholesaling houses full time, watching YouTube videos. Yeah. And they're dreaming the dream. And they're they think that it's just gonna, oh, I'm just gonna go wholesale and I make, you know, a crap load of money.

And I'm sure you had that aspiration. I know I've had some crazy ideas. Yeah. So how what were some of the struggles and how can we help some of those people going through

Alex: that struggle? Well, before I I go there so aft let me just finish off this story because I think it's very it's actually very interesting. So I went ten days of, like, pure, just like I'm telling you, every negative emotion you can think of. Right? So those ten days, I just I wanna quit.

I'm quitting at life. You know, everything's, you know, total victim mentality.

Steve: Mhmm.

Alex: Ten day ten days later, I drive for dollars. On the second house that I find, I look I look up the owner's name, you know, county assessor. I I look up, his number on Intellious, which is a very low quality data company. And,

Steve: They advertise the most.

Alex: Yeah. They have yeah. They have a good marketing budget. Right?

Steve: Yeah.

Alex: Ended up contacting the seller. And just to fast forward that, I got two deals from that second, house that I drove for dollars in. Alright. And to this day, I have not got a deal that's exact same way. Yeah.

So I know it was like I call it God's a wink. Mhmm. When God just reassures something in your life. So, I mean, the, I got the dealer contract and three to four days later, the next day I found a buyer. I called all the, people that, individuals that had, houses for rent in the area.

Mhmm. And then, he was a cash buyer. He closed in three days. So, I mean, from January 2 to the thirteenth, was just horrible, horrible. Just wanted to quit.

I was looking for jobs and then got a blessing, like, the thirteenth, fourteenth. And then three, four And then three, four days later, I got a check for $13,000. And that was my that was my first deal story. Yeah. So it's it's crazy.

Steve: What I wanna add to that too for guys that didn't, watch this story was that this was a you were just listening to a Christian station, and you were just wallowing in depression, and that was the most I was broken.

Alex: I was I mean, I was heartbroken. I was, I was just done. I mean, I I had gave I really had had gave in. And, my girlfriend, she invited me to go eat. Because she was still working, so she invited me to go eat.

And I remember so she invited me to go to Buffalo Wild Wings. Yeah. Like, I remember every detail. And, we saw by her grandma's, and she's like, hey. I'm gonna get ready.

Do you wanna come in? I'm like, no. I'll stay So, I mean, I had to give in, but I'm still like like, man, I was this close, like, just thinking. So switching through stations and, certain there's, Christian music. So, you know, I've always I've been a Christian my whole life.

I've been, you know, part of the church since I can remember. So I've always had an immense amount of faith. And during that time, I just I felt this, I don't know, warm feeling. Right. And, and I heard, the radio host, mention, you know, God doesn't put you through a road that you that he knows that you won't overcome.

Mhmm. Something along those lines. Right. And that and at that moment, like, that's when I just decided to drive for dollars. Yeah.

So it's just it was a moment in my life where I just felt extremely guided. And it's it's really hard to explain if if if honestly, I think every one of us has those little moments, and I call them God's winks Mhmm. When he just when you just know, like, okay, this didn't happen for a reason. Or it it didn't happen for no reason. It happened for a specific purpose.

And now looking back, it's like that was just a huge blessing. Yeah. Yeah.

Steve: So going back to some of the struggles that did face that led up to that point Mhmm.

Alex: What were

Steve: some of the struggles and how did you overcome those struggles for the new guys that haven't done a deal yet?

Alex: So when I first started? Yeah. Well, first of all, I would I would say I didn't have a mentor or or guidance. And, you know, I I didn't have money for a mentor, but there was now, like, looking back, there's there there's different ways I've could've I could've added value to someone's business in return for for mentorship. So Yeah.

I think, just following, you know, someone that you resonate with and and, someone that, you know, you kind of vibe with, just finding someone that can guide you. I mean, listening to constant podcast, this show. So Yeah. Early on, that that's something, and then just staying in tune with the the business and those in the business. Mhmm.

So that that's something that that really helped looking back now.

Steve: Okay. And then so I saw that you're also flipping Jordans when you were hustling. So before you were flipping houses, you were flipping Jordans. So let's talk about that. I mean, you're always a hustler.

Alex: Yeah. I mean, I sold candy in school and, we would do, like, the, for football, we do, like, cookie dough Mhmm. Fundraisers. I would be, like, the top guy because I was hustling. That money never came to me, but paid our uniforms.

Right?

Steve: Right.

Alex: Yeah. For for the Jordan story so I I I got a pair of Jordans, in 2008. I think I was, like, twelve twelve at the time. And, my mom gave me a pair for my birthday Mhmm. Or Christmas, one of those.

Can't remember off the top of my head. I ended up selling the pair, like, a month later, which is not something you do. I mean, if you get a gift, but I don't sell it. But I ended up selling it or selling, you know, a pair. It was a pair of thirteens for the Jordan fans out there.

And, you know, I got, like, $200. I went on Craigslist and I started lowballing, people that had Jordans for sale. So kinda just started and before you knew it, you know, two turned into four and then four and a five and then you're trading. And then I would trade, like, Jordan, like, I'd pair I would trade, like, a really good pair of Jordans, like, retros for Jordans and, like, a jersey. Yeah.

So then I would get the Jordans, I would sell the jersey, get cash and it was just an ongoing thing. A sneaker head. And, before you knew it, I mean, about a year and a half later, I had like 24 pairs and then I ended up selling most of them. I I think I still have like like, eight. Yeah.

They don't fit me anymore. I'm size bigger now, but, I bought a I bought my first car as a freshman in high school. Wow. So I was the only freshman. I didn't have a license.

I mean, don't yeah. I mean, I have a license now, but at the time, I didn't. So but it was pretty cool being the only freshman driving a Mitsubishi Eclipse.

Steve: Yeah. Very cool. Very cool. And then I saw that you were at the so there's two things that stuck out for me in the last couple of months was that you were able to go to the Cavaliers game.

Alex: That's right.

Steve: That was pretty cool. And I was just, you know, from, you know, working your butt out. How was

Alex: that? Yeah. So, I mean, that, that was a huge, fulfilling moment in my life. Yeah. And something so simple that we can all do, but it's just like, it was just amazing.

So back story. So I've been a LeBron James fan since he hit a game winning shot against the Magic in, like, 2009. So, like, the bank shot? Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. On the Dwight Howard team. Yeah.

And that was the first NBA game I've watched. I watched. I was at Red Robin. It's crazy. I have a great memory.

Steve: Yeah.

Alex: And, so I followed him all along, like, when he went to Miami. And I remember, when I was, like, 12, 13, like, we moved into the the the trailer park. And while my dad's, like, fixing the trailer home up, the we have, like, a small TV and we're helping him, you know, clean up and build the kitchen and stuff and just watching, like, the finals. And he's gone to the finals for, like, the past eight years. So it was just, like, you know, as a 13 year old, I dreamt of doing that.

Steve: So I

Alex: had the chance and we had great seats and, I mean, we sat next to Donovan Mitchell, me and my buddy Austin. So it was pretty good. Bunch of celebs everywhere is pretty sweet. So I

Steve: think the other thing too, and it's for inspiring everybody else, I I mean, it's not just about the cars and everything else, but you're also able to help your brother. Right? Yeah. So he's 19, and he's doing wholesale deals now.

Alex: Yeah. So yeah. He moved in with me when he was fresh 18. Yeah. And, he's been under my wing, and he he he got his first self generated deal.

He gets deals for our company, but his own deal, I didn't help him. He I I mean, I taught him the ropes, but he did everything. I can't take credit for that. I made $16,000. Yeah.

That's 19

Steve: very cool.

Alex: Yeah.

Steve: Okay. So, what are the first five steps? I mean, we talked about the mentoring and and and educating yourself and everything else. But if you were, you know, starting brand new today, what were, like, the first, maybe not five, but first three or four steps you would take today?

Alex: Don't overcomplicate it. That would be the first thing. What I always think of real estate as is it's not a it's not a sprint. Mhmm. You know, it's a marathon.

So any progress that you make day by day is gonna add up, you know. So one step at a time. And I'm sure you can agree with this. You know, one, you know, one step, one step, one step, and before you know it, you're at Yeah.

Steve: Compound effect.

Alex: Yeah. Compound effect. So, yeah, don't don't overcomplicate. No. It's it's the long run.

I mean, I started at eighteen. I wish I would have started, like, at twelve. Like, let's but but then I have people telling me, like, oh, I wish I started at twenty one. So but, you know, we can always wish that we could start start earlier. But I've I've kept, I haven't burnt myself out.

Yeah. I've been very, you know, progress product. Yeah. Very, you know, prog you know, progress progress progress. Yeah.

So that would be the first thing. Number two is, like I said earlier, follow someone that you can, you know, resonate, vibe with, you know, someone that you, you you trust, you know, even if it's not on a personal level, but you like what they're putting out there. Right. Like the show.

Steve: Yeah.

Alex: And, number three, patience. I would I would say patience. Yeah. It's not gonna come when you want it. It's not gonna come how you want it, but it will come.

Right. Just like that first deal. I didn't I mean, I didn't think it was gonna come like that. God's like, I'm gonna take this $5,000 deal away from you, but here's 13,000. Yeah.

So so it it it ain't I didn't expect it to come like that. But looking back, it's something that, you know, just be patient in the process. Yeah.

Steve: That's great advice. I I think Andrew LeBaron, if you're listening, patience. That's his big he says that's that's what he wants to work on the most.

Alex: Yeah. And, I mean, don't get me wrong. As an as an entrepreneur, you're like go go go go. But marathon marathon.

Steve: So Right. Now you gotta remind yourself. So what are you most passionate about? Growth. Yeah.

Yeah. So talk about that.

Alex: Just how much so I asked myself, like, how much can I squeeze out of myself Mhmm? Until the day that I die? Right? Yeah. So, you know, how how much am I capable of, and how much is in me?

I think I heard I heard Grant Cardone say, someone said, like, you're squeezing out all the juice. He's like, I don't want any juice left. Like, when I'm when I'm in my death bed, I don't want any juice. I don't want no energy left. So it's something.

Steve: Yeah. Well, that guy's a machine. I mean, he's

Alex: Yeah. I think he liked the the picture he posted today.

Steve: Well, it's a picture of you. So yeah. So yeah. But that was awesome. You know, it felt like a touch definitely from a celebrity.

So that was pretty cool.

Alex: Yeah. That's awesome.

Steve: Okay. So you're talking about growth. I saw that you were at a Mark Evans event.

Alex: Yeah. Right?

Steve: So let's talk about how do you invest in your growth because that's obviously very important characteristic.

Alex: Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Like I said, there's always something you can learn from anybody. So, I go to this year, probably go to, like, eight to 10 mastermind events Wow.

Throughout the country. Last year was great growth year. It's really not I'm not afraid to to invest in myself. Mhmm. And it always comes back.

Steve: It it always does. Yeah.

Alex: But I went to Mark Evans. You know, I I'm in other select groups and just constantly just networking and and building relationships and, you know, just taking in, you know, information from people that have been in the business for twenty plus years. Because, for me, you know, mentors, they shorten the learning curve. Mhmm. So for me, if I can, you know, get twenty years of experience and shrink it down to a year for me, like, that's that's game changer.

So

Steve: Okay. Do you know how much and this might be too personal a question. Do you know how much you invest in your personal growth?

Alex: Last year I mean, I'm I'm done with my books now, so I can tell you that. Including travel, well over $40 last year. This year, I have some big goals. I wanna join this mastermind called Genius X. Mhmm.

This Dean Dean Graziosi's group.

Steve: I wanna join that same group. Yeah. So it's a 100

Alex: k a year. Yeah. And, shoot. Yeah. Yeah.

It's, I don't know.

Steve: Yeah. No. That I that's on my that's on my checklist. Right?

Alex: So Yeah. So by the end of the year, I wanna I wanna join that.

Steve: So Very cool.

Alex: Very cool. So just constantly growing and and just getting to these high high level groups, just building myself up that way.

Steve: Yeah. Okay. And I think they say, the rule of thumb should be about 10%, you know, 10% for tithing, 10% in your personal development. Yeah. So that's that's awesome.

I saw that you've got wholesaling real estate one zero one. What's that about?

Alex: On the YouTube? Yeah. So I was getting the same questions over and over again. And, you know, I was posting, you know, progress, but I had this message from this guy and he said, it's and if he's watching this, thank you. Thank you so much.

He said, it's cool that you share content and stuff Mhmm. Or, or your progress, but you're not showing us how to do it. You know, we're struggling here. Help us. Yeah.

So that really touched me because I've been in that position where, you know, I've reached out to, you know, bigger guys and they just gave me a big hand. Yeah.

Steve: And No. I've been dealing with

Alex: that too. Yeah. So and I understand they're busy now in that position. I understand. So I want I was getting the same questions over and over again, so I decided to make a YouTube channel, just by name, Alex Signs, and just giving out free content.

But over the last I haven't posted, like, three, maybe four weeks. Right. I just had to prioritize some things in my business and life and then been traveling to these events. So Yeah. But I definitely wanna get that going and just start giving hope and, solid content, out there.

Steve: Okay. And then we were talking about beforehand that after this is done, we're actually gonna put this whole thing on on there too. So Yeah.

Alex: I'll be posting it. Yeah. YouTube channel.

Steve: So if you guys started late, you guys will catch it later on in YouTube. Okay. And then I checked out your space. You know, you, Carlos, Sal, and you guys got that pool table, which is pretty cool.

Alex: Yeah. Did you win?

Steve: That's not really important. You know, everyone tried really hard, and that's what matters.

Alex: Yeah. It's the effort that counts. Yeah. Progress. Progress.

Steve: Progress. So what is what is your organization look like today?

Alex: Okay. So I I am, I'm CEO. So I handle marketing and dispositions. Mhmm. I have a COO slash main acquisitions manager.

Yeah. His name is Andy Garcia. I've known him since six years old, since I was six. Wow. We have very similar stories, and love them to death.

So he's my main acquisitions and then I have two acquisitions under him.

Steve: Okay.

Alex: So total of three. And I have the rest are agents. Okay. 15 agents.

Steve: 15?

Alex: 15. Yeah. Wow.

Steve: And then are you doing you're in the same school of philosophy like Rafael, Carlos, and Sal, where you guys are making offers over phone?

Alex: Yeah. Same thing. Yeah. We don't go on appointments. Drives me

Steve: just crazy.

Alex: Yeah. We just I mean, we after comping thousands and thousands of properties, like, we know you know, we we have our thing down to a science. So

Steve: Okay. So you got three acquisition guys and 15 cold callers?

Alex: Cold callers. Yeah.

Steve: Sure. How about dispositions?

Alex: I still handle that.

Steve: So you still handle this?

Alex: But it's very systematized all through Podio. So, you know, get a property gets pushed out to our disposition app and, I mean, it's just blast it and then our offers come in.

Steve: Okay.

Alex: So it's, and we have 14 active deals right now and I think all are sold in, like, yeah, the last ten days. So

Steve: Cool. Very cool.

Alex: So

Steve: yeah. Okay. And what states are you in?

Alex: So I'd I'm, 80 I would say 70% Phoenix, 10% Tucson, 10% Vegas, and 10% San Francisco. So I have, like, two agents in San Francisco, two agents Vegas, two agents in Tucson, the rest in Phoenix.

Steve: Okay.

Alex: But I do majority of my business in Phoenix.

Steve: Why are they in San Francisco if you guys aren't going to the houses?

Alex: So we I have someone on the ground there. Yeah. But but honestly, we still lock up deals over the phone. Yeah. Yeah.

We got one in Oakland, and that was just all over the phone. Okay. We had the sellers send us pictures. So

Steve: And so are the spreads I think you were saying in one of our meetings, like, hey. You guys are ridiculous for being in Phoenix. The numbers are way better in San Francisco or California. Yeah.

Alex: I mean, it's it's it's the same I mean, I wouldn't say there's not a huge, there's no there's no desperate sellers there Mhmm. To tell you that. But there are reasonable sellers in every market. And for the same maybe a little bit more cost per lead, cost per deal, you I mean, the spreads out there are insane. Like, we got one in Oakland for $2.40 worth $4.50.

And that's we're gonna rehab that because Yeah. I mean, the days on market in that specific area are are quick.

Steve: Twenty four hours.

Alex: Yeah. So they're it's insane. You have yeah. You have 10 plus offers in the first day.

Steve: Yeah. You put as soon as the saying goes on the ground.

Alex: Yeah. That it makes sense for me. And, plus, none of my capital, is held there because I have partnerships that fund everything. So

Steve: Very cool.

Alex: Just leveraged right the right way.

Steve: And then what are your top lead sources?

Alex: Cold calling. That's all I do. That's all I've been doing for the last two years.

Steve: Cold calling?

Alex: Cold calling.

Steve: Okay. So then it's gotta be a specific list or type of people that you call.

Alex: Every list that you can think of. I mean, when you have handful of agents and,

Steve: you know, you're targeting callers.

Alex: You know, your absentees, which actually is probably one of my least favorite. Uh-huh. But, you know, tax defaults a huge one in any market. Empty nesters is good. The oh, I like owner occupant twenty plus years Mhmm.

Because no one so huge so here's a nugget. So on we've last year, we did 52 deals and half of them were owner occupant, which is pretty it's odd to hear that because most, you know, wholesalers are doing absentee, you know, tired landlords, things like that. But we did a bunch of owner occupant deals. And what we did there, we so our huge our our huge pitch was, thirty days rent free after we closed.

Steve: Mhmm.

Alex: And that that hooks sellers. Yeah. Because, you know, they get their money and then they have time

Steve: Right.

Alex: To look for a place. So and then, you know, you could do a holdback, $5,000 holdback. But Mhmm. For most of the deals, we didn't do a holdback. Back.

But since they are owners, not tenants, they actually take care of their property. So Alright. They respect that. So

Steve: Well, I was never worried about them damaging. I was worried about making sure they left.

Alex: Yeah. Yeah. But eviction laws here aren't that bad. In San Francisco, they're they are tough.

Steve: Oh, yeah. No. It's not it's nuts. Yeah. Okay.

So now that we talked about the list, now I wanna skip trace that list. What do I do?

Alex: I use need to skip. Okay. I've tried I mean, for it's the best bang for the buck. I mean, I've tried t l o anything that you can think of. But and when I first started batching, skip tracing, I was paying 65¢ a record.

Mhmm. And then with need to skip, I mean, they crushed that. So I use I use that.

Steve: How are they getting better data? Do you know?

Alex: No clue. I mean, my my guess is credit bureau there, data. Yeah. Credit bureau data. So just very updated information and, I mean, we get all our deals from there.

Okay. Just quality data. And then plus, we contact so, I mean, I understand you can go the cheaper route. So, like, data finder, which is, like, 4¢ a lead with one number. But I never go cheap.

Right. You're spending all this money on marketing, your phone systems, your acquisitions, you're paying commissions. You know, why go cheap with data? You know, you wanna increase your chances of reaching that prospect. So I just I don't go cheap with data.

Go Okay. Quality.

Steve: Oh, no. That's a very good point. So you got any interesting war stories? War stories. Yep.

Anything that's like, man, this any crazy stories, stuff that you've, you've wholesaled or flipped?

Alex: Yeah. So we went on this appointment in, in Buckeye for a piece of land. So it was a piece of land here in Phoenix, and the seller lived in Buckeye. And my acquisitions manager, you know, he went on the appointment. And it's funny.

So he he showed up and the the contract price was, like, was for, like, 3,000. Mhmm. And there was, like, $6,000 in back taxes. So he got to the house and, the seller, you know, he he's getting mad and yelling at at, my acquisitions guy, Andy, because he, apparently, we said that we're gonna pay the taxes. So it it turns crazy.

Right? So Mhmm. The guy's yelling at him. Andy's so uncomfortable. Andy's a big dude.

He's six five, you know, three hundred pounds. And, and he said he said in the back and he recorded a video, which is I know it's, like, it's it's crazy. So he he recorded a video in the back. The wife is is going crazy looking for something in the in the, the drawers, like, scavenging I don't know if it was a knife or a gun or something.

Steve: Yeah.

Alex: So that that was that was crazy. For me so that's probably the craziest story that's happened in in ours. And but we don't get a lot of crazy stories because remember, we do a lot of things over the phone. So we kinda, you know, patch those crazy stories to the side. I mean, for me, I I showed up to a house in South Phoenix, and there was 15 drug druggies in the house when I walked in.

Mhmm. And, I really felt like my life was in danger. So that I mean, imagine just, you know, you open the door and then you walk in and then you're just sleeping and I don't know what they were doing. Never seen stuff like that. Yeah.

But for the most part, I mean, nothing nothing too too crazy. Okay.

Steve: What would you say are some of the critical components to your success?

Alex: Simple effective systems.

Steve: Okay.

Alex: Keeping it very simple, very lean, and just, focusing on business success or personal? Well,

Steve: I would say Business. I would say the what's leading to your business success. Yeah.

Alex: Okay. Yeah. Just simple, simple and effective. We can get, you know, we can get this loophole of constantly finding the next thing. Okay.

What's, you know, what better marketing is or what better list? This, this, and this, and this and that. But for me, it's just really just, you know, keeping my head down and just focusing on what's working and just making sure that I'm maximizing that specific thing.

Steve: So staying focused Staying focused. On what's making money.

Alex: Stay staying focused. Yeah. Cold calling.

Steve: Right.

Alex: Yeah.

Steve: Oh, that's good.

Alex: Because if you're not cold calling right now in this market, I don't know what to tell you. You're missing out.

Steve: Yeah. So then what's your biggest struggle right now?

Alex: It's a good question. Not letting go. And I'll tell you why. So I haven't let go of, like, dispositions in marketing. And I'm I mean, that's one higher away from me stepping out the whole business.

Yeah. But I've I'm so young that I don't know what I'll do. Like, so that's kind of I've been, you know, back and forth on that. I I I still I I still wanna stay involved in the business, but I know there's another, path for me Right. Which is developments.

So just focusing my energy on that. So just kinda delegating.

Steve: What's developments? So

Alex: I wanna get into small scale developments.

Steve: Like building communities? Or

Alex: Eventually, yeah. I mean, you know, start, you know, on the lower end, entitlements, you know, condo conversions, things like that.

Steve: Okay. And what would you say is your superpower?

Alex: I was thinking about this earlier and, alright. I'm gonna mix two. Okay. And it's gonna be, I don't even know how to say it, a a very good visionary leader.

Steve: Okay.

Alex: That makes sense.

Steve: It does make sense.

Alex: So I've I've, you know, I have a great amount of faith. Everything that I do, I just I just know I can accomplish it. There's never second guess in my mind at all. And there and that's just over the years of, you know, small wins, small wins, small wins. And you start building that muscle in your mind of of just reassuring and reassuring your mind that you're winning.

So just constant wins.

Steve: Well, it's supreme confidence. Right? Yeah. Like, you're just gonna figure it out.

Alex: Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, I don't sometimes I don't know how I'm gonna get to a specific goal that I have, but I know I'm gonna get there.

Steve: Right.

Alex: I give this example all the time. It's like if you're driving from, like, LA to New York, you know, I don't know the exact way there. Mhmm. Like, I don't know, you know, okay. A 100 miles from now, I'm gonna take a left or 300 miles, I'm gonna take a right.

Like, I don't know that, but there is Google Maps and God is my Google Maps. So I know I'm gonna get to that destination. So that when I set set a goal, I just I just know that. I just know I'll I'll get there. And then the visionary part, I just have, I just have a huge, you know, eager to learn and and just grow, and just build something just amazing in this life.

Awesome.

Steve: Gabriel wants to know, what would you guys do if the market takes a turn?

Alex: So, so I wholesale 99%. I have two rehabs, and that's just, my dad's a contractor. So That helps. Working yeah. Helping that.

Yeah. Yeah. Get him up and going and and have him crush it. But for me, I mean, we buy wholesale. Yeah.

So plus very little risk. So I mean, if a house is worth, you know, 200, we get a 30% market correction. House is worth $1.40, but it's not worth 100 or it's not it's not 30% on wholesale price. It's 30% of retail. Right?

So Yeah. As a wholesale, you're pretty you're pretty safe.

Steve: Right.

Alex: Yeah. What would you do if the market shifted though? Start seller finance, like, create yeah. Create a structuring. I mean, wholesale I you know, I've asked around and, you know, wholesaling does work.

You just obviously base your numbers on different things. Right.

Steve: So, this actually came up in a different, panel I was speaking on last week. And what they don't realize, like Mhmm. All you just do was you adjust what you buy at. People weren't paying 70% during

Alex: the recession. Yeah.

Steve: They're paying, like, 50. Right?

Alex: Mhmm.

Steve: So you just change your margins so that you can take to account the risk of a market continue to go down Yeah. And holding costs. At the end of the day, you need to make a certain amount. You make that amount.

Alex: Yeah. Yeah. I agree. A 100%.

Steve: So, but it's a it's a good question. Alright. Let's see what else is there. What lesson would you wanna teach today's young real estate entrepreneurs?

Alex: What lesson? Start now. I mean, start now. Like I said, marathon, not sprint. So, I mean, if you take if you even if you make a little bit of progress each and every single day, by the time you're 40 and you're young Mhmm.

You know, you're gonna be way far ahead. So just start start now. You know, if you're searching for that first deal, it's not gonna come how you want it or when you want it. But if you if you stay consistent in your marketing, your efforts, it's it's gonna come. Right.

Yeah. Alright. And what's the greatest lesson you've learned? The greatest lesson I've learned is, positive influence. Just hanging around with the winners.

Mhmm. And, I have to I have to give him a shout out. Sal and Carlos, I mean, we share an office. I mean, they I met them going on to my second year in business. Mhmm.

And I wouldn't I wouldn't be this far ahead without them at all. Right. I'm sorry. You know, just having them and, you know, having them next door and, you know, just having amazing influence from them and from others. You know, Rafa Vargo, shout out.

Right. And, just very positive influence in my life. Like, I don't I hang out with winners and, you know, eagles fly with the eagles and it's really what I do. So that's that's one thing that I would say.

Steve: Yeah. And I think it's the classic Jim Rohn saying. Right? If you you you show me the five people you hang out with, I'll tell you how much you make.

Alex: Yeah. And it's true. I'll tell you your in yeah. Your income. Yeah.

Every everything, growth and personal development, correlates with who you hang out with.

Steve: Alright. Yeah. What is your favorite best or most interesting failure?

Alex: Wow. Most best or interesting failure? I wouldn't I wouldn't say there's just one that just stands out, but it's just been just a like, it it never came, there was no instant wins. Mhmm. There was just base hits, base hits, base hits, base hits.

So for me, it was just, you know, just the whole entire journey.

Steve: Yeah.

Alex: I mean, on the personal side, it was, definitely taking a different turn in life, like, you know, parents divorcing and then feeling very alone and, you know, like I had no one there and then, you know, finding comfort in in God and what he had planned for me. Because if if I mean, there I can go on for hours on my story, but, if certain things didn't happen in my life, I wouldn't be on this path.

Steve: Right.

Alex: So there I mean, literally split second decisions, like, enlisting for the Navy. I was ready to go. And Jaylen actually convinced me not to go. Yeah. And, I mean, even then, like, it took me an extra five months to get a deal, but that, like, moment, I mean, I think I would still be in there right now.

And God bless our troops, of course, but Right. Just had a different path.

Steve: Peter Nguyen has a question about what are the ways that you believe you could add some add value to someone's business. So let's say, you know, we're going back to that mentoring question earlier in our conversation.

Alex: On a what? On a consulting, on a marketing standpoint?

Steve: I'm brand new. I wanna work with Alex. I in order to work with Alex, I gotta add value to Alex's life, right, or business?

Alex: Yeah.

Steve: How do I do that as a newbie?

Alex: Add value to me? Yeah. Just share my content. Just just get more yeah. Really.

Yeah. Because you're not the only one in need. There's thousands of people out there that are in need. So if I can get that extra share that might reach that person that maybe is thinking about, you know, doing something bad for themselves, that's that's I mean, that means a lot to me. Alright.

So just yeah.

Steve: Okay. What's the what book have you given more than any other

Alex: book? Secrets of a Millionaire of Mine. I just I have copies just ready to Yeah. Ready to go.

Steve: It's it's an amazing book. T. Harv Eker, it's that's that's that's an awesome awesome book.

Alex: Yeah. It's, I mean, I love the programming aspect in that book is really changed my life because I started thinking like, okay, why do I make money and don't keep it? Okay. Why why does this happen? Why does that happen?

And then you start realizing like, this is what I was taught, you know. You know, money is the root of all evil. No. It's not. So just really just switching switching the programming up.

Yeah. And just having a foundation to build on, you know, for, you know, for true wealth.

Steve: Yeah. For sure. And what keeps you up at night?

Alex: Good question. Constant growth, like, wanting like, okay. What's next? What's next? What's next?

Just thinking about the next thing to do. And like I said, it's it's blessing and a curse because sometimes it it derails you from your focus. But for the most part, it's just that's really what keeps me up. Like, okay, what can I do, you know, to add value to my team, to people around me? And, you know, just constantly thinking about the next thing to do, which could be a good and bad thing.

Steve: Right. Yeah. One of the guys are asking about virtual wholesaling. So, I'll go back to my question. I think it's a John Martinez thing.

Right? It's the making offers remotely.

Alex: Yeah.

Steve: So why limit yourself to just these handful of states then if you want to be able to if you're doing virtual wholesaling more or less?

Alex: I mean, there's so many different factors when it comes to that. Like, you need someone reliable in case you need an appointment. You know, you need solid buyers. You need, you know, solid title company. So for me, it's just I I virtual wholesale in places where I know if I have a problem, you know, at 03:00, someone can be there by five.

So Yeah. So that's why it's a question why haven't I expanded throughout? Yeah. That's that's the reason why. Plus, I like to stay focused in areas that I know.

Yeah.

Steve: Okay. And Brian Salmons wants to know, as a person who's already successful, what does future success look like?

Alex: Constant growth. So okay. So this is, like, what happened with me. So the first I got into real estate thinking about myself only. Mhmm.

Because I hadn't I I felt like I had

Steve: no one.

Alex: I didn't I had no one no one helped me. Like, no one really supported me. Like, you know, I it's the constant story of no one believed in me. Mhmm. Everyone said I was dumb.

Like, so that really happened to me. But the first year is, like, I'm gonna do real estate, but I I got it I didn't get in it for the money. I got in it for freedom. My goal in my first year was to make, $60,000 and play video games all day. I made $1.20 the first year, and I played video games all day.

But I stayed to the purpose, and but it was all about myself. You know, I I was chilling at home at my apartment just really just by myself, and I started realizing, like, dang. My mom's still working. My dad's still working. My best friends are, you know, in from high scores, they're at you know, they're working.

So, I started feeling very selfish, and then it grew to, okay. I need to help those around me and my family. Yeah. So the next year was about family and, our business I mean, my business has skyrocketed, because it wasn't just about me. It became about family.

Mhmm. So, I mean, we went from $1.20 in revenue to $6.15. It's pretty good job. 1 I mean, from 19 to 20 years old. So, yeah, we we but that that the reason for that is because it wasn't about me.

It was about others now. It was about my family and my immediate, you know, circle. Mhmm. And now this year, it's not just about my family or just me. It's about others and and helping others, you know, help helping them up that next step.

Yeah. So that's that's really it. So I mean, success for me now is helping others.

Steve: Is raising your impact.

Alex: Yep. Abs being a very positive and powerful influence, and just, yeah, just giving, you know, people hope because, you know, I think we all need it. Even at I mean, I I have very high standards of success for myself, but, you know, I I still need hope. So I look up to bigger guys and just a constant, you know, looking up, looking up.

Steve: Constant reaching. I that's that's incredible. Max wants to know, what's the one thing you would recommend to someone who's currently scaling their business? So they've had a little bit of success. They're trying to take it to the next level.

Alex: Invest in marketing. Yeah. But the right marketing. I would suggest cold calling with quality data and, and then just start reinvesting 15% of of deals that you get. Yeah.

And then you grow that that marketing budget. You don't if you're a one man team, you know, you know, get, you know, 50 k in deals saved up and, make that first hire, which I think it should you know, I I always think it should be a sales guy. Right. So acquisitions to get more offers, because you can only make some offers during the day. Right?

Mhmm. So if you get that acquisitions manager to do that, you know, with you or for you, that'll really just expand your, your deal flow.

Steve: So let's talk about the acquisitions guy. Will you pay that guy?

Alex: So I paid my first, guy, Andy. I paid him 2,000 a month and, 5% off on deals. And he quit quit his job and then he worked for 2,000. And then now it's it's strictly commission, but there is a draw. But we're cranking deals out that the draw is rarely there.

You know?

Steve: So what's the commission? 10%

Alex: gross.

Steve: 10% gross? Okay. That's awesome. Gabrielle wants to know I'm sorry. Gabrielle wants to know, what does your daily routine look like?

Alex: So, I switched up my daily routine. So the last, say, month and a half, I've been waking up at 04:30. Mhmm. And, I've been keeping it consistent. And, so I wake up.

I I have a personal trainer at five. Just really trying to become elite in all areas of my life.

Steve: Yeah. So

Alex: I wake up at, you know, I wake up 04:30. I I go to the gym at five, get back, like, 06:30, sometimes seven. You know, my buddy, Elijah, you know, he's Elijah Rubin, so he's he works out with me in the morning.

Steve: So we'll we'll

Alex: mastermind after I

Steve: still need to connect with him. Yeah.

Alex: Yeah. We'll mastermind after the session. And, and then I I get I get home and drink my shake and and, you know, get ready for the office.

Steve: Yeah.

Alex: And, yeah. It's pretty much office office day and head home maybe seven, eight, and, start it all over again.

Steve: We gotta do a we gotta reach out to Hal Elrod and do a miracle morning for wholesalers.

Alex: Yeah. That'd be that'd be sweet.

Steve: Right? Okay. What else is there? James Quan wants to know, what's your offer to deal ratio?

Alex: We are converting one in 50 lead one in 50 qualified leads. You said offer to deal ratio? Mhmm. Yeah. I mean, one in 50 we're converting.

Steve: Okay. Yeah. And then let's see. There was there was some questions earlier. Let me see if I can pull them up.

So do you have, like, x number of deals? Or this is Vic's asking your statistics. How many calls it take to get a lead? How many lead does it take to get a deal? I think we're gonna talk about the leads to deals.

So how many calls to get a lead?

Alex: So it takes, I would say 200 or 300 dials, to get one lead. Wow. One qualified lead. Dials. Now that's dials not contacts.

You're probably reaching if you're I mean, if 10% of those. Mhmm. So, you know, 20 or 30, qualified. And plus for me, since I'm not a realtor or broker Yeah. I know.

Hats off to you. But, we we don't qualify retail leads. Like, that's something that we don't work with.

Steve: Yeah. Okay. And Daniel Pruda wants to know how many offers are your acquisition people making a day?

Alex: They're making a 100 calls a day. And that's a mix of, new new leads, like new one touch leads, new or just make offers that are we're still trying to get a hold of them and then follow-up leads.

Steve: So you talk to them. Do you make an offer no matter what? Yeah. So basically, every conversation you have, you're making an offer.

Alex: Yeah. So this is our sales process. So we have 15 agents, qualified leads. They they're constantly asking, you know, if they're if you're interested in in a cash offer, interested in selling your home, grab the information. Web form link, with Podio.

Mhmm. And then then it gets tagged, need comps. So then run our numbers. And so then the acquisitions, all they have to do is they go in there and they have, you know, say, 50 make offers for for today. Mhmm.

So that initial phone call is always, hey. You know, my name is Alex. And, one of my agents actually reached out to you yesterday, a few days ago. And, you know, is now a good time? And then they proceed with the offer.

And what we do, we do, some of the cold call leads, which is huge step here because it took us a long time. Initially, we're making offers, firm offers. So we would say we can do a 105,500 cash. Mhmm. And then we never heard back from them.

So I call I call that closing the door. Yeah. Like, you make the offer, you close it, you go hide. Mhmm. So now we make verbal offer ranges.

Yeah. So instead of +1 05, we'll say, you know, 95 to +1 05 or 110 or 100 to 110. Mhmm. And I call that keeping the door open for negotiation. Right.

So we do offer ranges and, that works extremely well with cold colleagues because remember, they're not calling you to sell, you're calling them. So you have to convince, you know, not really convince, but, you know, pitch on your value. Right. So after, you know, every yeah. Every new lead would make an offer and then they go into different tiers, you know, contacted, you know, follow-up, you know, contacted, accepted offer, send contract, and it's happened a lot.

On the first call, I I mean, we'll get off the phone with the contract. Right. Yeah.

Steve: That's that's amazing. Let's see. Brian, someone wants to know how many speeding tickets you got in the last month.

Alex: Oh, oh, so I got I got the two cars, the the r eight and then the, the x six, the BMW. It's funny. I got the ticket in the BMW, not the r eight. But I only got one ticket and, I think it's my second. I think I went like three years ago, so I think that's knocked off.

Yeah. So just one. Just one.

Steve: Okay. Well, so, you know, being the broker, I tell my salespeople, if you can't talk yourselves out of a ticket, you might not be in sales.

Alex: Yeah. But when you're going, you know, way over the speed limit, I'm not gonna say because, but yeah. It's

Steve: Well, I got off with a warning cutting off an unmarked cop car 105. Woah. Yeah.

Alex: I was I was close to that. You know, it's I was going to somewhere peaceful too. I was speed I was going to Sedona. I was I go out there, meditate. Try to relax.

Yeah. Try to relax, and I got the ticket going there. So but it honestly, it didn't ruin my day. Uh-huh. I never I never like, the little stuff like that just I mean, like, from like, I never sweat the small things because, like okay.

So, like, during high school. Right? Like, you're, like, you're you're, you know, you're, nervous and and, you know, you're anticipating the test the next day. Mhmm. And, like, for me, like, one time I was, like, studying for tests all day and then, I'm I woke up late for that class.

Steve: Mhmm.

Alex: And my day was over.

Steve: Like Yeah.

Alex: Like, oh, I missed a test. Like, what am I gonna do? I'm freaking out. But, I mean, think fast forward, you know, five years later, like, who gives a crap? Like, it's it's in the past, so, like, just don't sweat.

Steve: Just move on.

Alex: Yeah. Because I mean, a year from now, you're gonna be you're not gonna be thinking about that stuff.

Steve: Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, worry about things you can't control. Right?

Alex: Yep. That's right.

Steve: So Rhett wants to know, a lot of people tell you not to make an offer first. Let them bring a price first. Where do you stand on that concept?

Alex: Great question. So if the so most of our cold callers, they're good at getting that number out of them. Mhmm. You know, so if we can pay cash, you know, what's the bottom line price that, you know, you would you would sell the property for? And I would say I mean, it's not that great.

It's, like, 50% of sellers will tell you. Mhmm. But most of them are just kind of waiting for that number. But sometimes I mean, I understand that, you know, there's a saying out there that, you know, 90% of sellers know what they want. I don't think that's true.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, especially when you're calling sellers that have owned a property for twenty plus years and they have no idea. So we, yeah. Most most of our offers are you know, we say the number first.

Interesting. So

Steve: and Sanad wants to know where do you get your your list?

Alex: Okay. I get my list from ListSource, Adam Data, and, ReboGateway. Okay.

Steve: Cool. So the other question I was asking you was what pisses you off?

Alex: When someone's too comfortable. It's a good question. I was thinking about, like, what what pisses me off? Because I don't sweat the small things. I you ask anybody around me, I'm the chillest, but I'm just very effective in what I do.

Mhmm. I'm good at maximizing my time. Yeah. But, yeah, when someone's too comfortable, when and I mean, even in my own family, like, just when there's no vision, you know, there's no, urge or need to really build themselves, not just for them, but for people around them.

Steve: Yeah.

Alex: Yeah. I think I think a lot of people are selfish. And I've been one of them. Like, I'm telling you that first year, it was just all about myself. Yeah.

Now it's like it's completely separate.

Steve: So is it a matter of them living below their potential?

Alex: Not living a purposeful life. Okay. Yeah. That's what it that's it pisses me off. Yeah.

It really really grinds my gears.

Steve: So you're like your little brother is sitting there playing the Xbox. You kinda just slap the control out of his hand?

Alex: No. No. Not not necessarily. No. There has to be a balance, of course.

But when you just you get into this funk of just, you know, you get up, go to work, go to sleep, and and you just do the same thing over and over again without impacting anyone's life.

Steve: You're stuck in the rat race.

Alex: Yeah. You're stuck in that. And it's like, it's a bubble that I mean, sadly, a lot of people are, are stuck in. Yeah. And And I think the easiest way to get out of that is just make it about others instead of yourself.

Steve: Alright.

Alex: You know, why should I you know, who should I do it for? Mhmm. Not it's not just me. And, obviously, you will benefit personally off that, but that's been something huge for me that it's it's not just about me.

Steve: Alright. Yeah. Okay. So, if someone wants to get a hold of you, what is the best way for them to do that?

Alex: So if you have a, real estate question, I would say YouTube. Mhmm. Because I I I'm gonna be prioritizing most of my time on there. Yeah. And then Instagram, Instagram's a good one.

And then just alex signs. Simple enough.

Steve: S a e n z.

Alex: Yeah. I paid for that name so I wanted to make sure. Really? I did. Yeah.

Oh,

Steve: wow. Okay.

Alex: It was worth it. Awesome. Yeah.

Steve: So again, guys, if you like this show, please share this episode right now and please join me again next Wednesday at 02:00. We got Brandon Tracy. And then don't forget, we do have the event tomorrow night. I don't know. Can you come tomorrow night?

04:30 Yeah.

Alex: I can I can make it?

Steve: So Alex would be there. And then don't forget to check out our website, realestatedisruptors.com to find out more about upcoming events. So thank you guys, and thank you. That was awesome. Awesome.