You've done the training. Your registrations and insurance are in place. So why does a first deal still feel so far away?
That gap between getting set up and getting a first deal over the line is where most sourcing agents and deal packagers stumble. It's also the part almost nobody talks about. Our founder and CEO, Tina Walsh, went live this week to talk about it honestly.
Tina ran her own property sourcing business for over 13 years and invested in property herself, so she has seen a deal from both sides. You can watch the full session below, or read on for the main points.
"I'm set up, what now?"
This is the first hurdle, and the one Tina hears about most. Agents finish their training with pages of notes, sit down on a Monday morning full of energy, and don't know where to start.
What should the day look like? What comes first? Those are the questions members bring to us every week. Tina's answer is reassuring:
"It's easy to get in place. It's just a process that you have to learn."
Investors don't trust new agents
Tina doesn't pretend otherwise. The sector's reputation is poor, and new agents feel it when replies don't come.
The mistake she sees is agents opening with their weaknesses: no track record, no property of their own, no deals yet. If you tell an investor why they shouldn't work with you, they won't. The fix is to turn it round and be clear about what you do bring.
You will still hear no, and you will still be ghosted. That's normal.
"If you press on, and you press on in the right way, then you will eventually get that yes."
Not knowing what investors want
No two investors look at the same deal in the same way. Tina has bought properties other investors wouldn't touch, and sourced deals she wouldn't have bought herself because they fitted someone else's criteria.
That's why a deal can pass every test in your course spreadsheet and still get no response. Each investor assesses a deal differently, and if you don't know how yours does it, you'll keep hitting the same wall.
It's also why finding the deal first and the buyer second is such hard work. As Tina puts it, it's far easier to sell several deals to one investor who wants to build a portfolio than to find a new buyer every time.
Losing momentum
This is the one Tina sees end more sourcing businesses than anything else. You've done everything you were told, posted deals in the groups, sold nothing for months, and now your renewals are due.
So you start looking for something else that promises quick money for little effort. Tina calls it the next shiny penny, and she asks a fair question:
"How many shiny pennies have you tried and picked up?"
If you haven't done a deal yet, you're not behind
What people post online is usually how they want things to look, and rarely how things are. Being set up without a deal is where most agents are, and it can be fixed.
Tina is honest that a sourcing business takes time, hard work and some money, especially in the first year. It is not quick cash. It is a business you can run for many years, and one that can sit alongside investing yourself.
"I'm not a guru trying to sell you a lifestyle."
Join Tina live on Thursday 26th November
Tina is hosting a free live webinar, 2027: Setup to First Deal, on Thursday 26th November 2026 at 7pm on Zoom. It's a practical walk through what to do once you're set up:
How to find investors
How to build trust before you have a track record
The steps to your first deal
How to talk to investors, estate agents, letting agents and sellers
It's for you whether you're already sourcing, just starting out or still deciding if sourcing is right for you. Tina will stay on at the end to answer your questions, and everyone who joins live gets early access to our new guide.
There are 300 free places.
