How to Buy Off-Market Wholesale Real Estate Deals

June 22, 2026

Off-market wholesale deals are properties under contract by a wholesaler and assigned to an end buyer before they ever hit the MLS. For investors, they are the fastest path to inventory that is not bid up by retail buyers.

What "wholesale" actually means

A wholesaler ties up a property with a purchase contract, then assigns that contract to you for an assignment fee. You are buying the contract, not (yet) the house. Your real cost is the contract price plus the wholesaler's fee.

Underwrite in five minutes

ARV (after-repair value): pull 3–5 sold comps within ~0.5 miles and the last 6 months.
Repairs: budget honestly — a light cosmetic flip and a full gut are not the same number.
The 70% rule (starting point): Max offer ≈ (ARV × 0.70) − repairs. Adjust for your market and strategy.
Exit: flip, BRRRR, or buy-and-hold — your numbers change with each.

Move fast, but verify

Off-market deals go to whoever can perform. Have your proof of funds ready, know your earnest money (EMD) amount, and read the assignment language. On Empire, the exact address is masked behind a non-circumvention agreement (NCA) until you sign — which protects both you and the wholesaler.

Build a repeatable pipeline

One deal is luck; a pipeline is a business. Save your buy box, get notified when matching deals list, and respond within minutes. Speed and certainty of close are what earn you the next call from a wholesaler.