Dealmaker Catalyst

Jason Seward & Jim Ingersoll
  • 5.0 (26)
  • Investing
  • Updated Weekly

Join the Dealmaker Catalyst Podcast for real conversations with real estate investors and entrepreneurs. Learn how they approach deals, solve problems, and build their businesses. Every episode gives practical takeaways to help you make smarter moves in real estate.

  1. 1d ago

    How to Get Twice the Market Rent on a Single Family Home | Isabelle Guarino

    Isabelle Guarino runs one of the only education companies teaching a real estate niche most investors have never even considered: residential assisted living. As CEO of Residential Assisted Living Academy, she's spent over a decade helping investors convert large single family homes into licensed senior care residences, a business her late father Gene started years ago and passed on to her. In this conversation with Jason Seward, Isabelle breaks down exactly how the model works: a large single family home, housing 6 to 16 seniors, staffed by licensed caregivers the owner hires but never personally cares for residents themselves. She lays out the demographic case for the space, driven by the aging baby boomer population and a 1.3 million bed shortage nationwide, and walks through the three ways to get involved, owning and leasing the real estate, being a private lender or JV partner, or owning both the real estate and the operating business. Isabelle gets specific about the numbers too: what size and type of home to look for, the demographic profile of the surrounding neighborhood that actually matters most, how SBA 7(a) and 504 loans can fund the real estate, renovation, and carrying costs all in one package, and real monthly cash flow figures from her own ten-bed home in Phoenix. She's candid about why the space isn't more mainstream yet, from liability fears to the capital required to get started, and shares the personal story behind why she's built her business around education rather than keeping the model to herself. If you've been looking for a real estate niche that isn't oversaturated with gurus, backed by demographics that aren't going anywhere for the next 20 years, this episode is a genuinely different conversation than most you'll hear in this space.   What You'll Learn in This Episode How residential assisted living actually works: a licensed single family home with 6 to 16 residents and hired caregivers, not a large commercial facility Why the demographic case for this niche is unusually strong, with a 1.3 million bed shortage and 76 million baby boomers entering the market over the next 20 years The three ways to get involved: owning and leasing the real estate, private lending or JV partnering, or owning both the real estate and the operating business What size home, neighborhood demographics, and financing structure (including SBA 7(a) and 504 loans) actually work for this model Real monthly cash flow numbers from an operating ten-bed home, and how the business itself gets valued and sold separately from the real estate Why liability fears and capital requirements keep this niche from being oversaturated, and how to mitigate the real risks   Timeline Highlights [0:16] – Introducing Isabelle Guarino, CEO of Residential Assisted Living Academy [1:34] – Why residential assisted living isn't the mainstream niche most investors expect [2:05] – What the model actually is: a licensed single family home, not a commercial facility [4:19] – The demographic case: 76 million baby boomers and a 1.3 million bed shortage [5:35] – Whether it's too late to get into the space, and why the numbers hold for 20 more years [7:53] – Why smaller homes offer dramatically better care and response times than large facilities [10:20] – The three ways to get involved: landlord, private lender, or owner-operator [12:26] – What size and type of home to look for, and how to convert it [14:11] – The neighborhood demographics that actually predict a good location [15:23] – Financing the deal with SBA 7(a) and 504 loans, including renovation and carrying costs [17:17] – Real cash flow numbers from a ten-bed home: $60K in, $10K net per month [18:49] – How to structure an exit: selling the business, the real estate, or both [20:14] – Why this niche isn't more mainstream: liability fears, capital requirements, and myths [24:01] – How passive investors can get involved through syndications and private lending [25:19] – Why finding a coach or mentor matters, and the origin story of RALA's education arm [29:37] – Jason's own mentor story, and the abundance mindset behind teaching competitors [32:18] – Where to learn more: RAL101.com, in-person events, and the Assisted Living Network Podcast   Resources Mentioned RAL101.com — free training, books, webinars, and how to schedule a call with Isabelle's team — https://ral101.com Residential Assisted Living Academy (RALA) — Isabelle's education company, hosting in-person events roughly every 6 to 8 weeks in Phoenix — https://residentialassistedlivingacademy.com The Assisted Living Network Podcast — Isabelle's podcast, new episodes every Friday Living Legacy by Isabelle Guarino — her book on investing in residential assisted living 608B Capital — episode sponsor, a hard money lender for fix and flip, BRRRR, and value add deals, plus a debt fund for accredited investors — https://608bcapital.com Elite Dealmakers Discount Program — episode sponsor, nationwide discounts at Lowe's, Sherwin Williams, and more for community members — https://elitedealmakers.com/discount   Connect and Subscribe If you've been looking for a real estate niche that isn't already flooded with gurus, this episode is worth a second listen with a notebook out. Isabelle's whole business is built on the idea that there's enough opportunity for everyone, so go check out RAL101.com if this got you curious about a space most investors never even consider. Share this episode with someone diversifying into new real estate niches, subscribe, leave a review, and pass it along to someone serious about leveling up. Dealmaker Catalyst is rooted in the culture built by Jim Ingersoll and the nationwide Dealmaker community.

  2. Aug 13

    The Co-Lending Model Behind a $50 Million Portfolio | Jason Balin

    Jason Balin has been in the private lending business for nearly two decades, co-founding Hard Money Bankers with his business partner Chris Haddon back in 2007, when there was almost no organized competition in the space. In this conversation with Jason Seward, he steps back from loan mechanics to talk about private lending as an actual business, the kind of decisions that separate a sustainable operation from one that quietly implodes years down the road. Jason walks through the origin story: how a single bad flip taught him that the lender made more money than the flippers did, and how that realization led him and Chris to start a hard money company with no capital of their own and no real playbook to follow. He gets specific about the co-lending model they still use today, why they've deliberately kept their portfolio around $50 million instead of scaling to $75 or $80 million, and the pricing philosophy he picked up in a Russell Brunson mastermind a decade ago: be the most expensive or the cheapest, never stuck in the middle. The conversation goes deep on risk, including a live example of a loan currently sitting in default for over three years, the real cost of chasing deal flow irresponsibly, and why Jason believes so many newer private lenders are quietly heading toward financial trouble because they don't understand that this business is not passive if you're the one operating it. He also breaks down an underused opportunity most new lenders overlook entirely: small balance commercial loans and cash-out loans to buy-and-hold landlords, not just fix and flip investors. Toward the end, Jason talks about the Hard Money Mastermind he and Chris built almost by accident, now home to over 2,600 members, and why they intentionally screen every applicant rather than let anyone buy their way in. If you've ever thought about becoming a private lender, or you're already lending and wondering if you're doing it sustainably, this is a masterclass from someone who's seen nearly every version of this business succeed and fail.   What You'll Learn in This Episode Why one bad flip, where the lender made more than the investors, was the moment that redirected an entire career How to structure a co-lending model where capital partners are the lender of record and you retain servicing Why staying deliberately smaller can be more profitable than chasing portfolio growth Why pricing in the middle of the market is the most dangerous place to be as a lender How to identify the small balance commercial and buy-and-hold cash-out opportunities most lenders ignore Why treating this as a passive investment, instead of an active business, is what quietly bankrupts new private lenders   Timeline Highlights [1:02] – Introducing Jason Balin, co-founder of Hard Money Bankers since 2007 [2:09] – Why Jason and his partner stayed hyper-localized to Maryland, DC, and Virginia [4:00] – The five house flips before the lending company, and the deal that changed everything [6:05] – Realizing the lender made more money than the flippers, and deciding to become the lender [9:23] – Raising capital from people they barely knew, using warm referrals instead of cold outreach [13:31] – The co-lending model explained: capital partners as lender of record, Hard Money Bankers as servicer [20:32] – Why institutional capital flooded into private lending over the last five to ten years [22:04] – The "most expensive or cheapest" pricing philosophy from a Russell Brunson mastermind [28:16] – Why they've deliberately stayed near a $50 million portfolio instead of scaling further [32:51] – The danger of copying an institutional lender's model without seeing their real economics [38:00] – A live example: a loan stuck in default for over three years and the true cost of it [43:24] – Why skin in the game from the borrower changes how hard they'll fight to save a deal [45:34] – Why treating this as a passive income source is the single biggest mistake new lenders make [47:14] – The small balance commercial and cash-out lending opportunities most lenders overlook [48:39] – The origin story of Hard Money Mastermind and why they intentionally screen every applicant [58:07] – A story from March 2020, and why changing your criteria beats quitting the business entirely [1:02:25] – Closing thoughts and how to connect with Jason Balin and Hard Money Bankers   Resources Mentioned Hard Money Bankers — Jason and Chris's private lending company, based in Columbia, Maryland — https://www.hardmoneybankers.com Private Lenders' Podcast — hosted by Jason Balin and Chris Haddon — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-lenders-podcast/id1476153070 Real Estate Reserve Podcast — Jason's second podcast Hard Money Mastermind — the community for private lenders looking to grow their own lending businesses — https://www.hardmoneymastermind.com 608B Capital — episode sponsor, a hard money lender for fix and flip, BRRRR, and value add deals, plus a debt fund for accredited investors — https://608bcapital.com Elite Dealmakers Discount Program — episode sponsor, nationwide discounts at Lowe's, Sherwin-Williams, and more for community members — https://elitedealmakers.com/discount   Connect and Subscribe If you've ever thought about becoming a private lender, or you already are one and something about your business feels a little too passive, go back through this episode with a notebook. Jason's whole message is that this only works if you treat it like the active business it actually is. Share this one with anyone sitting on capital and wondering how to put it to work responsibly, and go check out the Private Lenders' Podcast if you want to keep learning directly from Jason and Chris. Subscribe, leave a review, and pass it along to someone serious about leveling up. Dealmaker Catalyst is rooted in the culture built by Jim Ingersoll and the nationwide Dealmaker community.

  3. Aug 6

    Why Making Offers Beats Perfecting Your Numbers | Jennifer Steward

    Jennifer Steward has spent the last decade doing something most real estate investors avoid entirely: personally cold calling off-market property owners, thousands of hours of it, until she'd built a repeatable system worth teaching. Today, she runs Phone Phoenix Agency, leading a team of more than 200 trained virtual assistants who handle cold calling, lead management, and appointment setting for investors and agents across the country, and is backed by more than 155 five-star reviews. In this conversation with Jason Seward, Jennifer gets specific about what actually works in 2026: why listening for silence matters more than any script, why cold calling is real, unglamorous labor and not a passive income source, and the honest math behind what it costs and how long it takes to get your first deal. She also opens up about the poverty she grew up in and why she believes real resilience, not talent, is what separates the operators who make it from the 95% who don't. If you've been burning through marketing budget without a real system behind it, this episode is a grounded, no-fluff look at what it actually takes.   What You'll Learn in This Episode How to listen for silence on a sales call instead of filling every gap, and why that single habit changes your close rate Why cold calling is real, labor-intensive work rather than a passive income source, and what that means for your expectations What it actually costs and how long it takes to get your first deal, from $4,000 to $7,000 per deal and three to four months of spending before any income comes in Why "specificity of motive" is the real signal a seller is ready to sell, no matter what price they name How to structure a virtual assistant team, from a $540 a month starter package to a full-time hire, and what results to expect at each level Why making offers, not perfecting your comps, is the actual bottleneck holding most investors back from their first deal   Timeline Highlights [0:16] – Introducing Jennifer Steward, founder of Phone Phoenix Agency and a 200+ person cold calling and lead management team [2:37] – Jennifer's connection to Jim Ingersoll and Dealmaker, starting with a client named Lloyd on Upwork [4:47] – Speaking at a Dealmaker event and watching her income and net worth grow six figures every time [9:19] – Jennifer's path from cold caller to lead manager to quitting her W-2 job in April 2021 [13:38] – What most investors misunderstand about people: it's what they don't say, not what they say [14:30] – The psychology of silence, and how the brain rewires around listening the way a blind person's does [16:22] – The real numbers: one lead per eight-hour shift now versus five per hour before Covid [17:14] – Why BatchDialer's reputation management feature is critical to actually reaching people [19:36] – Why Jennifer stopped offering texting services after carrier shutdowns in August 2023 [22:09] – The sales mentor who taught Jennifer to shut up and let silence do the work [28:42] – Why quality of leads has gone up even as quantity has gone down since Covid [30:54] – Jennifer's own story of childhood poverty and why she believes it built her resilience [34:48] – Why military veterans tend to be her most durable clients [36:22] – When an investor should hire their first virtual assistant instead of cold calling themselves [38:06] – The real cost of a deal: $4,000 to $7,000 depending on market, and 3 to 4 months before your first close [43:43] – Why "specificity of motive" matters more than the price a seller names [48:14] – What working with Phone Phoenix Agency actually looks like, from a $540 starter package to full-time [54:23] – Why making offers, not perfecting your numbers, is what actually gets deals done [59:37] – Jennifer's philosophy on legacy, and the mentor who taught her the abundance mindset [1:03:27] – Closing thoughts and how to reach Jennifer directly   Resources Mentioned Phone Phoenix Agency — Jennifer's lead generation and virtual assistant company for real estate investors, wholesalers, and agents Jennifer Steward — contact by email at jen@rtidatasource.net BatchDialer — the dialer Jennifer's team uses, credited for its reputation management and number replacement features — https://batchdialer.com Rehab Valuator — the comps and deal analysis software created by Daniil Kleyman, which Jennifer has used for seven years — https://rehabvaluator.com X Leads CRM — referenced as a CRM that can automate offer sending; exact product name and URL could not be independently confirmed 608B Capital — episode sponsor, a hard money lender for fix and flip, BRRRR, and value add deals, plus a debt fund for accredited investors — https://608bcapital.com Elite Dealmakers Discount Program — episode sponsor, nationwide discounts at Lowe's, Sherwin Williams, and more for community members — https://elitedealmakers.com/discount   Connect and Subscribe If there's one thing to take from this episode, it's Jennifer's line that the business you're in is the business of making offers. Go count how many offers you actually sent this month, and if the answer is zero, that's the fix before anything else. Share this episode with someone who keeps saying the leads aren't converting, and go check out Phone Phoenix Agency if you want a team like Jennifer's in your corner. Subscribe, leave a review, and pass it along to someone serious about leveling up. Dealmaker Catalyst is rooted in the culture built by Jim Ingersoll and the nationwide Dealmaker community.

  4. Jul 30

    How to Build a 12 Million Dollar Portfolio Around Your Kids | Lindsey Jensen

    Lindsey Jensen built a $12 million real estate portfolio in under eight years, and she did it as a brand new mom running a marketing business from home. In this episode she sits down with Jason Seward to explain how one weekend creative finance event in 2016 rewired her thinking, how she negotiated a first deal at 0% interest with nothing down, and why she chose to keep properties instead of flipping them. Today she runs over 70 doors on just a couple of hours a week. What makes Lindsey different is the part most people skip. Plenty of gurus teach you how to buy a house. Lindsey teaches you how to own it without it owning you. She gets into the mentor who backstopped her early 50/50 deals, the master landlording systems she learned from David Tilney, the simple Trello setup her virtual assistant now runs, and how she is starting to use Claude to flag red flags on tenant applications. Underneath all of it is a bigger message: the grind is real in the building phase, and the freedom on the other side is the whole point.   What You'll Learn in This Episode How to reduce your risk on your first creative deals by partnering 50/50 with an experienced mentor Why consistency beats magic in marketing, and how a simple automated direct mail routine kept her pipeline full How to think like a leader, not just a landlord, so a good deal does not quietly turn into a bad one How to build a system simple enough that a virtual assistant or a non-technical contractor can run it Why the building phase demands a real grind, and how to systematize your way out of it How to start using AI to speed up tenant screening without handing over the final decision   Timeline Highlights [1:02] – Meet Lindsey Jensen, a $12 million portfolio built in under eight years as a new mom [2:46] – The weekend event in 2016 that introduced her to creative finance and blew her mind [3:50] – The seller finance, subject to, and lease purchase deals that got her started [4:32] – Why she partnered 50/50 with a mentor to insulate herself from risk early on [5:48] – The sales background and Zig Ziglar lesson that made talking to sellers her superpower [8:41] – Building around young kids, working during naps, and keeping the SEO business on autopilot [10:11] – Why she focused only on the highest returns and refused to sweat the small stuff [12:17] – The honest truth about the grind, and why "two hours a week" is not the whole story [13:38] – Trying every marketing channel, and why she settled on automated direct mail [15:33] – Why she never obsessed over cost per lead as a small, one person operation [17:17] – Six months of looking at houses before her first deal, and the foundation it built [18:53] – Choosing buy and hold over flipping, and the lifestyle book that shaped that call [21:25] – Why being a great landlord, not just a great buyer, is her real strength [22:01] – The landlording systems she learned from David Tilney, who learned from Jack Miller [23:17] – The Trello system her virtual assistant runs, escalating only what needs her [25:37] – Treating a virtual assistant as a true team member, and keeping them five plus years [29:46] – Using Claude to surface red flags on tenant applications without giving a yes or no [33:18] – Why she shifted her energy from grinding on properties to teaching others [35:04] – Six courses plus one on one help, built by watching what actually worked for students [37:24] – Why every student interviews with her first, so expectations are honest going in [40:19] – The abundance mindset, coaching people in her own market, and there being enough for everyone   Resources Mentioned Clever Kitty Investing — Lindsey's courses, coaching, and systems training for building rental wealth — https://cleverkittyinvesting.com Trello — the simple, card based system Lindsey's assistant uses to run her landlording back end — https://trello.com Claude — the AI tool Lindsey uses to flag red flags on tenant applications — https://claude.ai 608B Capital — episode sponsor, a lender for fix and flip, BRRRR, and value add deals, with a debt fund for accredited investors — https://608bcapital.com Elite Dealmakers Discount Program — episode sponsor, nationwide discounts at Lowe's, Sherwin Williams, and more — https://elitedealmakers.com/discount Clever Kitty Investing on — YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cleverkittyinvesting, Instagram and TikTok — all under the handle @cleverkittyinvesting David Tilney — the landlording teacher whose master lease systems Lindsey learned and built on   Connect and Subscribe If you have been sold the fantasy of zero down deals and two hour work weeks from day one, this episode is the honest correction you needed. Lindsey's whole approach is build the systems, lead your tenants, and let the freedom come on the other side of the grind. Go check out Clever Kitty Investing if you want to see how she teaches it, and share this episode with someone who is trying to build a portfolio without building themselves a second job. Subscribe, leave a review, and pass it along to someone serious about leveling up. Dealmaker Catalyst is rooted in the culture built by Jim Ingersoll and the nationwide Dealmaker community.

  5. Jul 23

    How to Raise 3 Million Without Ever Asking For It | Brian Biernat

    Brian Biernat spent 28 years as a telecommunications executive before real estate ever crossed his mind. Then 2016 happened. A prostate cancer diagnosis a few months into a new job, and four months later his wife was hit while riding her bike on the Natchez Trace Parkway. Those two events changed the question he was asking. He and his wife did not just want a 401k and a life insurance policy. They wanted to build something together, and something that would stand if anything happened to him. They started wholesaling in October 2017 and it took eleven months to close their first deal. What actually clicked came in 2019, when Brian heard a podcast about master leasing furnished properties and his wife said, "I think we found our thing." Today they have 27 doors in Jackson, Mississippi, have raised close to $3 million in private capital without ever asking for a dollar, and Brian has been job free for five years. In this conversation with Jason Seward, he walks through the entire furnished rental model, the numbers he underwrites to, why he spends $0 on marketing, and why the whole business comes down to blocking and tackling.   What You'll Learn in This Episode How master leasing lets you control and profit from a property you do not own, and where the real risk sits Why every furnished rental has to pencil as a long term rental first, and what lenders will actually count What numbers Brian underwrites to, from his cash flow bogeys to how he backs into an offer How to raise private capital by documenting your work publicly instead of pitching people Why speed of response is the single biggest differentiator in the furnished rental business What it actually takes to run this remotely, from contractors and cleaners to a channel manager   Timeline Highlights [0:33] – Meet Brian Biernat, 28 years in telecom before finding real estate in 2017 [2:12] – The two events in 2016 that changed everything: a cancer diagnosis and his wife's accident [3:16] – Starting to wholesale in October 2017 and taking eleven months to close the first deal [4:07] – The Orlando event that lit the fire, watching twentysomethings out-earn a 20 year career [5:16] – The run, the podcast, and the moment his wife said "I think we found our thing" [7:19] – What a master lease actually is and the elevator pitch Brian uses on landlords [8:42] – The arbitrage risk story: 75% of a complex lost when the owner sold [9:56] – Why he targets smaller landlords and single family homes with no shared walls [11:45] – The Marblehead deal: bought at $115k cash, all in at $198k, appraised at $310k [13:04] – Raising close to $3 million in private capital and closing in 5 to 7 days [15:43] – Why he spends $0 on marketing and deals still come to him unsolicited [17:39] – The metrics: $300 a month on a long term rental, $2,000 minimum on a four bedroom furnished [18:22] – Why a brand new house has to qualify as a long term rental for the DSCR loan [22:31] – How 12 months of furnished booking data changes what a lender will use [25:03] – Why he never asked for a single penny and investors still lined up [27:21] – Overcommunicate, because it is when people go silent that problems start [28:36] – What it costs to furnish a house and why TVs in every bedroom are a myth [32:06] – The team: cleaners, runners, a full time assistant, and contractors who pick up first [35:20] – The channel manager that removed the handcuffs and let them scale to 33 doors [36:38] – Why responding in five minutes beats everyone else in the market [38:05] – Real estate comes down to blocking and tackling, not reinventing the wheel [41:25] – The four pillars of the coaching program and why the Airbnb gold rush is over   Resources Mentioned Biernat Investments — Brian's Jackson, Mississippi home buying and turnkey business — https://biernatinvestments.com Brian Biernat on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-biernat-130a045/ OwnerRez — the channel manager Brian credits for letting them scale without handcuffs — https://www.ownerrez.com Brickfolio — the free portfolio management tool for investors, whose founder is the first guest on Brian's new podcast — https://www.brickfolio.org Brian's new podcast — launching the week of recording. The name was not stated on air. Get the link from Brian. Dealmaker Academy — the national community referenced in the closing CTA — https://elitedealmakers.com 608B Capital — episode sponsor, a hard money lender for fix and flip, BRRRR, and value add deals, plus a debt fund for accredited investors — https://608bcapital.com Dealmaker Jackson — Brian's local Dealmaker meeting, running 18 months. Contact Brian directly for details.   Connect and Subscribe If this one hit you, the takeaway is not the furnished rental model, it is that Brian and his wife built all of this at night, after dinner, while he still had a W-2. Ten months before the first deal ever closed. Go do the boring thing well, answer the phone faster than everyone else, and let it compound. Share this episode with someone who is grinding toward their first deal and wondering if it is working. Subscribe, leave a review, and pass it along to someone serious about leveling up. Dealmaker Catalyst is rooted in the culture built by Jim Ingersoll and the nationwide Dealmaker community.

  6. Jul 16

    Cheap Leads Cost You More Than Expensive Ones (Here's Why) | Caleb Luketic

    Caleb Luketic has spent the last decade obsessed with one question: where do deals actually come from? He runs Favor Home Solutions, an active investing operation out of Nashville, alongside Steel Marketing, the agency he built specifically for investors. Since 2017 he has managed over $20 million in ad spend across Google and Facebook, and in 2025 his team closed 154 contracts using nothing but SEO, PPC, and Facebook ads. No cold calling. No direct mail. No door knocking. In this conversation with Jason Seward, Caleb breaks down the inbound playbook he runs in his own business every day, from the $800 first assignment fee that hooked him on organic SEO to the branding moves that have won him deals at prices $20,000 below the highest bid. He gets blunt about ad budget minimums, explains why your cost per lead is the wrong number to obsess over, and shares the one star review that turned into his best lead source. If lead flow is the bottleneck in your business, this is the field report.   What You'll Learn in This Episode Why real estate investors are actually in the marketing business and what changes once that clicks How to build trust and authority so motivated sellers call you before they call anyone else What the minimum viable ad budget really is on Facebook and Google, and why going below it wastes your money Why your cost per lead is irrelevant and cost per contract is the only number that matters How to respond to a bad review in a way that actually wins you future deals What to put in your Facebook ads and why AI generated video repels the motivated seller avatar   Timeline Highlights [0:10] – Jason opens the show and frames it as field reports from people doing deals right now [1:03] – Caleb's background: $20 million in ad spend since 2017 and 154 contracts closed in 2025 [2:25] – How Caleb and Jim Ingersoll connected roughly a decade ago through the dealmaker community [4:31] – The mindset shift that started it all: investors are not in real estate, they are in marketing [5:56] – An $800 first assignment fee, then $15,000 the next year, all from organic SEO [6:45] – A plain English explanation of what search engine optimization actually is [8:24] – How AI search changed the game and what AEO, or AI engine optimization, means for investors [12:03] – How Caleb accidentally built a marketing agency without knowing what an agency was [16:14] – The one thing to take from the whole episode: branding matters more than the tactics [17:09] – Why a motivated seller in crisis wants empathy from a human, not a logic bot [18:56] – The three branding moves: Google Business Profile, real reviews, and testimonial videos [21:41] – Winning deals at $5,000 to $20,000 below the highest bid because sellers trusted the brand [25:26] – The mold house bad review, and the response that later won a better deal nine months on [31:50] – The hard minimums: $3,000 a month on Facebook, $5,000 a month on Google ads [34:42] – Why cost per lead is a vanity metric and cost per contract is what you should track [38:33] – The "your house is killing you" AI ad, and why AI video kills the 55 and older avatar [41:54] – June's numbers: 80 leads and seven contracts at $175 a lead [45:25] – Why leads are only half the equation and follow up systems close the gap   Resources Mentioned Caleb Luketic — the guest's site, covering agency services, newsletter, and one on one coaching — https://calebluketic.com The Operators Brief — Caleb's free newsletter on marketing, sales, and systems, sent Tuesdays and Thursdays — https://calebluketic.com Steel Marketing — Caleb's SEO, PPC, and paid ads agency for investors and service businesses — https://steelmarketing.org Favor Home Solutions — Caleb's Tennessee based cash home buying operation — https://favorhomesolutions.com 608B Capital — episode sponsor, a hard money lender for fix and flip, BRRRR, and value add deals, plus a debt fund for accredited investors — https://608bcapital.com Elite Dealmakers Discount Program — episode sponsor, nationwide discounts at Lowe's, Sherwin Williams, and more for community members — https://elitedealmakers.com/discount Deal Maker Academy — the national community referenced in the closing CTA — https://elitedealmakers.com Go High Level — the CRM Caleb uses and recommends for lead follow up — https://www.gohighlevel.com Connect and Subscribe If this episode made you rethink the money you are pouring into cost per lead, go do the three branding moves Caleb laid out before you touch another ad campaign. Share this one with the partner or acquisitions person who keeps asking why the leads are not converting, and go find Caleb on his site or through The Operators Brief if you want to go deeper. Subscribe, leave a review, and pass it along to someone who is serious about leveling up. Dealmaker Catalyst is rooted in the culture built by Jim Ingersoll and the nationwide Dealmaker community.

  7. Jul 9

    Buying Real Estate Overseas Without Getting Burned | Michael Cobb

    Most people who've ever taken a vacation somewhere beautiful have had the thought: what would it take to own a piece of this? On this episode, Jason Seward sits down with Michael K. Cobb, founder and CEO of ECI Development and one of the most recognized names in international real estate, to answer exactly that. Since 1996, Michael has built residential communities across Belize, Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and El Salvador, and he literally wrote the book on buying property abroad. This conversation is a field guide to doing it without getting burned. Michael breaks down why he built his entire career "outside the competition," how "margarita madness" leads well-meaning buyers into contracts they regret, and the three simple principles that keep you safe when you leave the bubble of North American consumer protection. From the difference between a heart decision and a head decision, to the "time machine" framework for choosing a country, to what international financing actually looks like, this is a grounded, story-rich playbook from someone who's done it for nearly thirty years.   What You'll Learn in This Episode Why the biggest opportunities live "outside the competition," and how Michael built a mortgage business and development company where no market existed What "margarita madness" is and why relaxed, wined-and-dined buyers keep signing contracts they later regret How the three principles — buy what you see, own the community, know the developer — protect you in a buyer-beware environment Why buying overseas is a head decision when it's an investment and a heart decision when it's lifestyle, and how to tell which one you're making How the "time machine" concept helps you choose a country based on whether you want cash flow now or appreciation over time What international financing really looks like, including higher down payments, higher rates, and shorter terms than in the US   Timeline Highlights [0:10] – Jason introduces the show and the Dealmaker Catalyst community rooted in Jim Ingersoll's culture [1:04] – Michael K. Cobb introduced: founder of ECI Development and international real estate pioneer since 1996 [3:10] – The guiding quote: "There is no competition outside; the masses strive to be outside the competition" [5:18] – Creating the game: building a mortgage business where no bank would finance foreign buyers [7:16] – The opportunity most people missed, and how inspecting collateral revealed a development opening [8:26] – Mismatched door handles and single outlets: the "off" product that sparked North American–standard building [9:49] – Where most international buyers get burned, and why it's the process, not the product [10:55] – "Margarita madness" explained: how great vacations turn into regretted contracts [12:21] – Jason's own near-miss buying a condo in the Bahamas after being wined and dined [14:10] – The three principles introduced: buy what you see, own the community, know the developer [15:11] – "Buy what you see, pay for what you see," and structuring payments as things get delivered [15:55] – Own the community: avoiding ghost towns and asking whether renters will actually have a good time [17:34] – Know the developer: why there's no government agency or lemon law to back you up [18:46] – Leaving the land of consumer protection: freedom and personal responsibility overseas [20:50] – Exceptions to the rules, getting your own attorney, and refundable-deposit milestone structures [23:15] – Boiling it all down to one word: humility, plus going slow and stretching the process out [24:26] – Legitimate investment opportunities abroad and how to mitigate risk with critical analysis [26:45] – The "time machine" framework: choosing a country by cash flow versus appreciation [28:27] – Why brands like Marriott and Hilton put "heads on beds" and drive rental performance [29:24] – The rule of thumb on developer pro formas and the question "How many are you keeping?" [31:11] – The HGTV question: how international buyers actually finance these purchases [32:18] – International financing framework: higher down payments, 11–18% rates, 10–20 year terms [34:23] – Why financing suits lifestyle buyers but rarely makes sense for pure investors [36:19] – A smart strategy for scouting property while on a family vacation without ruining the trip [37:21] – Why serious investors should visit in the worst season to see roads and conditions honestly [39:47] – The truth about overseas yields and why diversification, not higher cash flow, is the real reason [41:10] – Putting a price on the intangible: Jason's mom's question about sitting on the deck by the ocean [42:24] – Why Michael wrote the book: heartbreak, 300+ articles, and helping people avoid getting ripped off [44:27] – Where to find the book and Michael's consulting through Development Advisors [44:51] – The Amazon review offer: a personalized hardcover and a Belize chocolate bar (US only) [45:52] – Closing thanks to Michael and the Dealmaker community   Resources Mentioned Dealmaker Catalyst community — https://dealmakercatalyst.com Community discount program (Lowe's / Sherwin-Williams nationwide discounts) — https://elitedealmakers.com/discount 608B Capital Funding (episode sponsor) — fix-and-flip, BRRRR, and value-add lending, plus a debt fund for accredited investors — https://608bcapital.com/   Connect and Subscribe If this episode got you dreaming about a place by the ocean while also thinking harder about the process behind it, that's exactly the point. Michael's whole message is that a great transaction overseas comes down to humility, patience, and asking the right questions before you sign anything. Grab the book, take him up on the review offer, and reach out through Development Advisors if you want hands-on help with due diligence. If you got value from this one, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who's serious about leveling up. Dealmaker Catalyst is rooted in the culture built by Jim Ingersoll and the nationwide Dealmaker community.

  8. Jul 2

    How to Lend Money on Real Estate Deals You Don't Actually Have | Chuck Glover

    Chuck Glover didn't start building wealth until he was 70 years old. Six and a half years later, with no prior background in real estate or investing, he's a private money lender, author of The $5,000 Millionaire, and the architect of a "massive achievement" philosophy that has funded mission trips across the globe. In this episode of Dealmaker Catalyst, host Jason Seward sits down with Chuck to pull apart the exact mechanics of wrap lending, one of the most misunderstood ways to build wealth using other people's money. This is a whiteboard session, not a hype reel. Chuck walks through how he combines a small amount of his own cash with a passive investor's capital to fund a single loan, how the numbers turn a $20,000 stake into a 35 to 40% return, and why none of it works without the education and relationships behind it. If you've ever heard the term "wrap lending" and nodded along without really knowing what it means, this is the conversation that finally makes it click.   What You'll Learn in This Episode What wrap lending actually is and how it differs from traditional owner financing  How Chuck pairs his own capital with a passive "underlying lender" to fund one loan  Why an underlying lender happily earns 9% while the wrap lender keeps the spread and the points  How the math turns a $20,000 position into roughly a 35 to 40% annual return  Why first lien position and full transparency protect everyone at the table  How to shorten the learning curve through mentors, meetups, and relentless follow up   Timeline Highlights [1:03] – Jason introduces Chuck Glover, private money lender and author of The $5,000 Millionaire [3:23] – The March Richmond event that brought a 300 person room to tears [4:06] – "It was time to stop quitting" and why this episode zeroes in on wrap lending [5:12] – Wrap lending explained at its most basic form, and the two types that exist [6:23] – Chuck's model: never telling a borrower "sorry, I can't help you" [7:26] – Where the term "wrap" comes from, with a $20K and $180K example [7:59] – Paying the underlying lender 9% while lending to the borrower at 13% [9:03] – Why passive investors earn 9% and the wrap lender earns the delta [10:41] – First lien position, second lien position, and total transparency [12:52] – Why you cannot jump into this blindly without education [13:40] – Learning from Dorsey Ford and thousands of hours at real estate meetups [19:13] – Vetting a deal, walking the property, and keeping agreements to a page and a half [24:25] – The full math: two points plus the spread equals a 35 to 40% return on $20K [26:46] – Compounding the model by recycling loans and running up to 30 at once [34:44] – Starting at 70 with zero investing background, now 77 and traveling the world [36:25] – The mindset piece: killing "excuse-itis" and never holding a thought that weakens you [39:09] – Where to find Chuck's book and his live wrap lending class on July 14th   Resources Mentioned The $5,000 Millionaire by Chuck Glover — his book on building wealth from a small starting stake: https://massiveachievement.net/merch Massive Achievement — Chuck's book, merch, and his live wrap lending Zoom class (next session July 14th): https://massiveachievement.net Chair the Love (CHAIR) — the nonprofit Chuck travels with to distribute free wheelchairs worldwide: https://chairthelove.org 608B Capital Funding (episode sponsor) — fix and flip, BRRRR, and value add loans plus a debt fund for accredited investors: https://608bcapital.com/ Dealmaker Discount — nationwide discounts at Lowe's, Sherwin-Williams, and more for community members: https://elitedealmakers.com/discount Connect and Subscribe If Chuck's story lit a fire under you, don't let it fade at the end of the episode. Grab his book, look into the July class, and start showing up to the rooms where deals and relationships get made. Subscribe to Dealmaker Catalyst, leave a review, and share this one with someone who thinks it's too late to start. Dealmaker Catalyst is rooted in the culture built by Jim Ingersoll and the nationwide Dealmaker community.

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About

Join the Dealmaker Catalyst Podcast for real conversations with real estate investors and entrepreneurs. Learn how they approach deals, solve problems, and build their businesses. Every episode gives practical takeaways to help you make smarter moves in real estate.

Information

  • Creator
    Jason Seward & Jim Ingersoll
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    Dealmaker Catalyst

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