Wholesale Calculator
Wholesalers profit by being the cheapest, fastest way for a flipper to buy a deal. Your assignment fee is whatever sits between your contract price and the flipper’s maximum allowable offer. This calculator finds that ceiling.
Deal Inputs
Wholesalers assign a contract to a flipper. Your fee is what’s left after the flipper’s 70% rule math.
The price you have under contract with the seller.
The flipper’s max-allowable-offer percentage. 70% standard; tighter in slow markets.
Max Assignment Fee
The most you can charge before the flipper walks.
The wholesaler’s formula
How to find deals that wholesale
- Direct mail to absentee owners, pre-foreclosure, tax-delinquent, vacant property lists.
- Driving for dollars (manually identifying distressed properties).
- SMS / cold-calling motivated seller lists.
- Bandit signs, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace.
- Networking with probate attorneys, divorce attorneys, eviction filings.
Frequently asked questions
What is real estate wholesaling?
A wholesaler puts a property under contract with a seller, then assigns the contract to a flipper or investor for a fee — without ever taking title. The wholesaler’s profit is the assignment fee. The end-buyer (flipper) pays the wholesaler at closing.
How is the assignment fee calculated?
Max Assignment Fee = (ARV × 70%) − Repairs − Contract Price. The flipper’s max-allowable-offer (MAO) sets the ceiling. Anything above the wholesaler’s contract price and below the flipper’s MAO is the wholesaler’s margin.
What’s a typical assignment fee?
$5,000–$30,000 in most markets. The size depends on the equity cushion: deals with $50k+ of built-in equity allow bigger fees; tight deals get squeezed. Average for new wholesalers is $5–$15k; experienced wholesalers in hot markets routinely see $15–$30k+.
Is wholesaling legal?
Yes in most US states, but the rules differ. Some states require the wholesaler to disclose they’re assigning; some require a real estate license to market the property; Illinois and a few others have tightened rules recently. Consult a local real estate attorney before you start.
How do I find buyers (flippers) for my contracts?
Build a buyers list before you start. REIA meetings, BiggerPockets, Facebook investor groups, and direct outreach to active flippers (look at recent Zillow flips and contact the buyer). Most successful wholesalers have 50–500 buyers on a list before they put their first contract under contract.
What if the buyer backs out?
You either find another buyer (have multiple ready), close on the property yourself with a transactional lender (a "double close"), or release the contract back to the seller and lose your earnest money deposit. Have a backup plan before you put up earnest money.
How is wholesaling different from flipping?
Flipper takes title, rehabs, sells. Wholesaler takes a contract, assigns it, never owns the property. Lower capital requirement (just earnest money), lower risk, lower per-deal profit. Wholesaling is often the entry path before flipping.
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