Use AI and direct mail to find better motivated seller leads without wasting your list. In this episode, I’m sitting down with Steven Howell from DealMachine to break down what’s working right now for real estate investors who want more consistent leads without spraying marketing everywhere. We get tactical on building tighter lists, using AI to “virtually drive” properties, stacking motivation filters, calling with better data, and combining direct mail with Carrot CRM so your follow-up doesn’t fall through the cracks. The goal isn’t to replace the human side of sales — it’s to use AI to remove friction so you can spend more time having the conversations that actually close deals. --------------------- Quotes: - “The investors who win in 2026 won’t be the ones working harder—they’ll be the ones using AI to focus on the right 60 leads instead of chasing 600.” - “AI shouldn’t replace relationships. It should eliminate the busywork so you can spend more time having the conversations that actually close deals.” --------------------- Chapters: 0:00 Intro 4:09 What Actually Works in Real Estate Marketing After 15+ Years 8:13 How DealMachine Finds Motivated Sellers in 2026 11:25 Using AI to Analyze Hundreds of Properties in Minutes 16:38 Building a Consistent Lead Generation System with Data + Direct Mail 22:15 The AI-Powered Dialer & Better Seller Conversations 27:23 How DealMachine, Carrot CRM, and AI Work Together 36:15 The Ultimate Marketing Strategy: Combining Inbound + Outbound --------------------- ➨Our Evergreen Marketing Podcast: https://plnk.to/Carrot ➨Our CEO, Trevor Mauch's Entrepreneur Freedom Formula Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/EFF ➨ Facebook Group for Evergreen Marketing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialcarrotcommunity ➨Subscribe to our YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GetCarrot ➨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getcarrot/ ➨Take a demo of Carrot.com: https://carrot.ly/GQ8I --------------------- About Us: At Carrot, our vision is to inspire & empower real estate professionals to gain true freedom and make a greater impact with their businesses. We do that by providing industry-leading websites, marketing tools & training that help you generate more motivated seller leads than any other platform.

➨Our CEO, Trevor Mauch's Entrepreneur Freedom Formula Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/EFF 

➨ Facebook Group for Evergreen Marketing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialcarrotcommunity ➨Subscribe to our YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GetCarrot 

➨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getcarrot/ 

➨Take a demo of Carrot.com: https://carrot.ly/GQ8I

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Email blasts are dying- here’s what’s replacing them in real estate deals. In this episode, I sat down with Bobby Suarez to break down how the off-market real estate game is changing- and what’s actually working right now. We got into why outbound tactics like email blasts and cold outreach are becoming less effective, and how inbound marketing, brand, and buyer experience are taking over. Bobby is spending $50K–$70K a week on marketing and has built a business that runs without him day-to-day. But what stood out most wasn’t the spend- it was how intentional he is about efficiency, culture, and building systems that compound over time. If you want to scale your deal flow and stop chasing every lead manually, this episode will shift how you think. --------------------- Instagram: Bobbysuarez and rezzieoffmarket --------------------- ➨Our Evergreen Marketing Podcast: https://plnk.to/Carrot ➨Our CEO, Trevor Mauch's Entrepreneur Freedom Formula Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/EFF ➨ Facebook Group for Evergreen Marketing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialcarrotcommunity ➨Subscribe to our YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GetCarrot ➨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getcarrot/ ➨Take a demo of Carrot.com: https://carrot.ly/GQ8I --------------------- Quotes from the Episode: “I wanted to build something big enough where it runs without me.” “Buyers are tired of getting spammed with deals that don’t match what they want.” --------------------- About Us: At Carrot, our vision is to inspire & empower real estate professionals to gain true freedom and make a greater impact with their businesses. We do that by providing industry-leading websites, marketing tools & training that help you generate more motivated seller leads than any other platform.

➨Our CEO, Trevor Mauch's Entrepreneur Freedom Formula Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/EFF 

➨ Facebook Group for Evergreen Marketing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialcarrotcommunity ➨Subscribe to our YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GetCarrot 

➨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getcarrot/ 

➨Take a demo of Carrot.com: https://carrot.ly/GQ8I

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Creative finance lets you close more deals, even when the market shifts. In this video, I sit down with Chris Prefontaine to break down exactly how creative finance works in today’s market- and why it’s one of the most powerful ways to build a real estate business that actually scales. We walk through seller financing, subject-to deals, and lease purchases with real examples, plus how to structure deals that create long-term income instead of one-off paychecks. If you're tired of chasing transactions and want more control, more flexibility, and better margins… this is the shift you need to understand. --------------------- ➨Our Evergreen Marketing Podcast: https://plnk.to/Carrot ➨Our CEO, Trevor Mauch's Entrepreneur Freedom Formula Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/EFF ➨ Facebook Group for Evergreen Marketing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialcarrotcommunity ➨Subscribe to our YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GetCarrot ➨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getcarrot/ ➨Take a demo of Carrot.com: https://carrot.ly/GQ8I --------------------- Quotes from the Episode: “I don’t care what the market does—creative finance lets you win anyway.” “If you solve the seller’s problem first, the deal structure becomes obvious.” “You don’t need 50 deals a year—just a few great ones done right.” ------------------- References and Mentions: Smart Real Estate Coach Real Estate on Your Terms (Chris Prefontaine) Never Split the Difference (Chris Voss) Carrot CRM Creative Financing Real Estate Association (CFREA) Shoe Dog (Nike story) --------------------- About Us: At Carrot, our vision is to inspire & empower real estate professionals to gain true freedom and make a greater impact with their businesses. We do that by providing industry-leading websites, marketing tools & training that help you generate more motivated seller leads than any other platform.

➨Our CEO, Trevor Mauch's Entrepreneur Freedom Formula Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/EFF 

➨ Facebook Group for Evergreen Marketing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialcarrotcommunity ➨Subscribe to our YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GetCarrot 

➨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getcarrot/ 

➨Take a demo of Carrot.com: https://carrot.ly/GQ8I

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most investors miss these deals—here’s how Rich turns “trash leads” into big profits. Most wholesalers toss leads that don’t fit the typical model. But Rich Wonders figured out how to close over 20 deals a month from the same “dead leads” most people ignore. In this episode, I dive deep into Rich’s unique novation strategy, how he qualifies sellers, why small towns are goldmines, and what he does differently to make sellers love the process. If you’re tired of chasing cold leads or spending more than you make on PPC, this convo will change the game. I’m all about helping you build a business of freedom and impact—and Rich is living proof it’s possible when you simplify, systematize, and focus on what actually works. --------------------- Quotes from the Episode: "Simple scales, fancy fails. I’ve built everything around that." "We close 20 to 30 deals a month with leads most people throw away." "You don’t have to remodel—just deliver the result on a silver platter." --------------------- References and Mentions: novationjv.com Novation King on Instagram & YouTube Brent Daniels / TTP PropStream Think and Grow Rich Outwitting the Devil The Screwtape Letters --------------------- Chapters: 00:00 – Intro: Turning Trash Leads into Deals 01:10 – Meet Rich Wonders + Why This Episode Matters 03:30 – The Power of Follow-Up: Over Half of Rich’s Deals 06:00 – How Rich Closes 20–30 Deals a Month 08:45 – Rich’s First Real Estate Flop + Lessons Learned 14:10 – From Selling Vacuums to Building a Real Estate Machine 18:20 – The Turning Point: Getting Back on Track 22:05 – Where Rich Gets His Leads (Hint: Other Wholesalers) 26:00 – What Makes a “Trash Lead” Profitable 28:45 – Small Towns = Big Opportunity 32:15 – Rich’s 3-Phase Sales Strategy Explained 36:00 – What Sets His Novation Model Apart 40:20 – Lead Qualification: Who’s a Fit for Novations? 43:40 – Comping & Making Offers (No Rehab Needed) 49:20 – Why His Model Is Built to Scale 54:00 – Red Flags: When Novations Might Not Work 57:20 – Silver Platter Strategy: Positioning with Sellers 1:01:15 – Seller Psychology & Frame Control Tips 1:05:40 – Real Sales Feedback: What His Team Gets Wrong 1:09:00 – Positioning vs. Chasing: Making Sellers Want You 1:13:30 – Fire Round: Book Recs, Advice, and What Drives Rich 1:20:15 – Final Thoughts + How to Partner with Rich --------------------- ➨Our Evergreen Marketing Podcast: https://plnk.to/Carrot ➨Our CEO, Trevor Mauch's Entrepreneur Freedom Formula Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/EFF ➨ Facebook Group for Evergreen Marketing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialcarrotcommunity ➨Subscribe to our YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GetCarrot ➨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getcarrot/ ➨Take a demo of Carrot.com: https://carrot.ly/GQ8I --------------------- About Us: At Carrot, our vision is to inspire & empower real estate professionals to gain true freedom and make a greater impact with their businesses. We do that by providing industry-leading websites, marketing tools & training that help you generate more motivated seller leads than any other platform.

➨Our CEO, Trevor Mauch's Entrepreneur Freedom Formula Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/EFF 

➨ Facebook Group for Evergreen Marketing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialcarrotcommunity ➨Subscribe to our YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GetCarrot 

➨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getcarrot/ 

➨Take a demo of Carrot.com: https://carrot.ly/GQ8I

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most investors are spending time & money on inbound leads without realizing how much money they’re leaving on the table by not making the most of each one. James Hartquist, investor and one of the brains behind Property Leads, has seen what works — and what doesn’t — across thousands of real estate investors' businesses nationwide. In this conversation with Carrot’s Brady Winder, James breaks down exactly how to maximize ROI from every lead source, how long to stick with a marketing channel before calling it quits, and the follow-up systems top investors use to turn 92% of unresponsive leads into real conversations. You’ll also learn how to stay out of “spam-likely” purgatory, the right budget to actually get a deal, and why integrity and speed-to-lead are the ultimate sales advantages. Listen in!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Find Property Leads in the Carrot Marketplace: https://marketplace.carrot.com/services/property-leads-pay-per-lead/

Free Caller Registry: https://freecallerregistry.com

Get the free follow-up sequence: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VYTWkSxNIuDjCD4pi1sRDMvCK6xtBLl8pwvbn8fWgb8/edit?usp=sharing

Key Quotes:

“If you’re going to wholesale it, just tell them. Make offers with integrity and fully intend to do what you say.”

“The investors that win call within 30 seconds. Be the person that’s hard to beat to the deal.”

“Every lead source works — if you work it long enough to fix the bottlenecks.”

“You can’t save your way to your first deal. You’ve got to fund your marketing and go all in.”

“People think honesty kills deals, but it actually builds more trust and gets you more contracts.”

➨Our CEO, Trevor Mauch's Entrepreneur Freedom Formula Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/EFF 

➨ Facebook Group for Evergreen Marketing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialcarrotcommunity ➨Subscribe to our YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GetCarrot 

➨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getcarrot/ 

➨Take a demo of Carrot.com: https://carrot.ly/GQ8I

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You’ve heard the myth that there are no deals left on the MLS — or that you need a giant budget to compete. But what if the real opportunity is playing both sides of the deal? Today, we hear how Ryan Zolan turned on‑market listings into dual‑paying transactions, leveraging his real estate license to represent himself and collect both agent commission and a wholesale margin. You’ll walk away with the exact filters, pitch scripts, and mindset shifts he used to scale 3–5 deals per month (and sometimes more). If you're ready to stop chasing deals and start structuring win‑win offers the others can’t see, this is a must‑listen.

Mentioned in this episode:

Agent/Investors: https://www.agentinvestors.com/

Ryan's Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/agentinvestors

Traction by Gino Wickman

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleaan Hill

Outwitting the Devil by Napoleaan Hill

One to Many by Jason Fried

Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin 

➨Our CEO, Trevor Mauch's Entrepreneur Freedom Formula Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/EFF 

➨ Facebook Group for Evergreen Marketing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialcarrotcommunity ➨Subscribe to our YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GetCarrot 

➨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getcarrot/ 

➨Take a demo of Carrot.com: https://carrot.ly/GQ8I

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most people want to go FT in RE in 6 months, but real, sustainable wholesaling success takes time, consistent effort, and mastering a few skills. After spending years cold‑calling, testing outbound channels, and messing with ads, Lisa built a wholesaling business in Houston, averaging 80 high‑quality inbound leads per month, mostly from SEO, while keeping marketing spend low. She shares how she did it, from making her website credible, getting serious about content, leveraging backlinks, and setting expectations right so she wouldn’t burn out. We also talk about her wild story of leaving real estate and giving it a second shot! Enjoy!

Mentioned in this episode:

Lisa's Carrot site: https://www.txcashhomebuyers.com/

Rhino Rank — link‑building company Lisa used for backlink insertions and guest posts. https://app.rhinorank.io/capture?affiliate_id=rraf13039

AHrefs — SEO tool Lisa used for keyword research & finding related terms. https://ahrefs.com - or use Carrot's built-in keyword explorer!

Google My Business — used as part of local SEO strategy. https://www.google.com/business/

Books: Traction by Gino Wickman — a book that changed Lisa’s mindset around business systems.

Key Quotes

“Most people they put like a short time frame on themselves … but it takes time … give yourself five, seven, you know, even ten years.”

“My team is pretty small … all our leads are inbound through SEO.”

“It was scary … I did want to quit a lot of times throughout this whole process, but now it’s like … I already know so many things that I didn’t before.”

➨Our CEO, Trevor Mauch's Entrepreneur Freedom Formula Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/EFF 

➨ Facebook Group for Evergreen Marketing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialcarrotcommunity ➨Subscribe to our YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GetCarrot 

➨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getcarrot/ 

➨Take a demo of Carrot.com: https://carrot.ly/GQ8I

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Carrot Summit 2025 REPLAY: If you missed Carrot Summit, here’s your chance to catch what might’ve been the best session—for free! Steve Trang, one of the top sales coaches in real estate investing, joined us live to break down two real seller calls from rookie investors. No scripts. No theory. Just real conversations and highly practical coaching moments.If you’re struggling to convert leads, stumbling through objections, or just not closing as many deals as you should be… listen in & take notes.

You’ll learn:

The subtle things that kill trust early in the call

Why most investors ask the wrong questions—and what to say instead

What to say when a seller pushes back, without being salesy

👉  Watch the full YouTube video with subtitles here: https://youtu.be/q2Itdq7oDAE

➨Our CEO, Trevor Mauch's Entrepreneur Freedom Formula Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/EFF 

➨ Facebook Group for Evergreen Marketing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialcarrotcommunity ➨Subscribe to our YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GetCarrot 

➨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getcarrot/ 

➨Take a demo of Carrot.com: https://carrot.ly/GQ8I

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.