050: How Real Estate Investors Can Find Sellers Online with Trevor Mauch

Trevor Mauch started investing in real estate when he was 21 years old by purchasing a four-plex. Trevor has continued to invest in real estate, but admits real estate is not his main business. He runs a software/internet company that helps investors build websites to find motivated sellers. Trevor started his business after using online marketing to successfully buy houses himself, other investors saw what he was doing, and they wanted him to build them a website. Trevor started a company (oncarrot.com) to help investors and agents build websites to generate leads. Make sure you listen to everything Trevor has to say on this episode of the InvestFourMore Real Estate Podcast.

How did Trevor get started investing in real estate?

Trevor went to college to become a doctor, but he decided that he wasn’t going to be successful in the medical field when he fainted during school. Trevor changed fields and also became very interested in real estate. The problem Trevor ran into was he had almost no money as a college student. He knew he could use his father as a cosigner, but did not want to put his dad in that position. He ended up finding an investor who was willing to seller-finance a four-plex. Trevor bought the property with a small loan for the down payment, the seller financed the deal and he had his first real estate investment.

How did Trevor’s real estate investing career progress?

Trevor continued to invest in real estate by bird-dogging (finding deals for other investors). He learned to find deals through Craigslist, sending out letters and other traditional off-market techniques. Trevor was able to find many deals, but knew as soon as he stopped marketing the deals would stop coming in. He decided he needed to figure out a way to automate his business, without having to actively work all the time.

How did Trevor bring in motivated seller leads without actively marketing?

Trevor decided to use the internet and his marketing skills to create websites to market to motivated sellers. He learned to build his websites to gain search engine traffic and he had sellers calling him, without having to send letters, search Craigslist or actively look for vacant homes. Trevor had found a way to market to motivated sellers in a way that would bring in constant leads, without actively working.

How has Trevor transferred his online skills into a business?

Trevor began to have other investors ask him how he had built his online lead generators. Trevor began to help a few real estate investors build their own sites, and he saw a huge opportunity. Trevor started oncarrot.com in 2013, and it has taken off to become one of the largest lead generation sites. Trevor has built a site that helps investors and agents find motivated sellers. Trevor also discusses what traits he sees in the most successful investors they work with.