Help Center · Getting Started

Your First Deal: End-to-End Workflow

This guide walks you through the complete lifecycle of a wholesale deal in Deal Run, from the moment you add a property to the moment you close and collect your assignment fee. Each step builds on the previous one, and data flows automatically between features so you never have to re-enter information. By the end of this walkthrough, you will understand how every piece of Deal Run connects and how to use the platform to move deals from contract to close as efficiently as possible.

Step 1: Add the property and create a deal

You have a property under contract (or you are evaluating one). The first thing to do is add it to Deal Run.

Navigate to the Deals page from the sidebar (desktop) or bottom nav (mobile).
Click "+ Add Deal" in the top-right corner.
Type the property address into the search bar. Select it from the autocomplete dropdown.
Enter your contract price -- the price you agreed to pay the seller. This is optional at this stage but strongly recommended because it feeds into the margin calculator later.
Click "Create Deal."

Deal Run immediately pulls property data from public records: beds, baths, square footage, year built, lot size, owner information, tax history, mortgage details, sale history, school ratings, and flood zone designation. This data is loaded onto the deal detail page within seconds.

Your new deal appears on the Kanban board in the Active Marketing column. It is now your active subject property, which means all analysis tools and marketing features will reference this address until you switch to a different deal.

Step 2: Run comp analysis (ARV)

From the deal detail page, click "Run Comps" or navigate to the Hub and open the comp analysis tool. Deal Run automatically searches for comparable sales near your property.

Start with the ARV (After Repair Value) tab. This shows recently sold properties near your subject. Your job is to select the comps that are most similar to what your property will look like after renovation.

Use the filters to narrow results:

Set the radius to 0.5-1 mile to keep comps in the same neighborhood
Set the date range to 6 months for the most relevant sales
Match the property type and bedroom/bathroom count to your subject

Select 3-7 comps by clicking the checkbox on the map or in the grid view. As you select comps, the ARV estimate at the top of the page updates in real time. Look for comps that show renovated finishes in their listing photos if you are planning a full renovation -- these represent what your property will sell for in renovated condition.

Data that flows forward: Your ARV estimate carries into the margin calculator (Step 4) and into your marketing package (Step 6) as the expected resale value presented to buyers.

Step 3: Estimate repairs

From the comp analysis page, click "View Repairs" or navigate to the repairs analysis tool from the Hub. The repairs page lets you estimate renovation costs for your subject property.

Upload photos of the property if you have them. Deal Run's AI analyzes the photos to identify the condition of key systems: roof, HVAC, kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, exterior, landscaping, and more. Each category gets a condition assessment and an estimated repair cost.

Deal Run provides repair estimates for three exit strategies:

Flip repairs -- full cosmetic renovation to retail-ready condition (new kitchen, updated baths, fresh flooring and paint, landscaping). This is the standard estimate you present to flip buyers.
Rental repairs -- functional repairs to make the property rent-ready without full cosmetic upgrades. Lower cost than flip repairs, appropriate for landlord buyers.
Wholesale repairs -- minimal repairs to make the property safe and habitable. The lowest cost option, used when marketing to buyers who plan to do their own renovation.

Review each category and adjust if you have on-the-ground knowledge that differs from the AI assessment. If you walked the property and know the roof is brand new, override the roof estimate to $0. The AI provides a starting point -- your local knowledge refines it.

Data that flows forward: The repair estimate feeds into the margin calculator and appears on your marketing page so buyers can see the expected renovation scope.

Step 4: Calculate your margin (MAO)

Navigate to the margin calculator from the repairs page or the Hub. This tool brings together your ARV, repair estimate, and contract price to answer the critical question: does this deal work?

The calculator uses the standard wholesale formula:

Maximum Allowable Offer = ARV x (1 - Buyer's Profit %) - Repairs - Your Assignment Fee

Deal Run pre-fills the ARV and repair estimate from your previous analysis. You set the parameters:

Buyer's required profit margin -- typically 25-30% of ARV for flip buyers, adjustable via slider
Your assignment fee -- the spread you want to make on the deal, typically $5,000-$15,000
Holding costs -- estimated monthly costs while the buyer renovates (taxes, insurance, utilities, loan payments)
Closing costs -- buyer-side closing costs as a percentage of purchase price

The calculator shows you the maximum price a buyer can pay for the property while still hitting their profit target. Compare this number to your contract price. If the buyer's maximum price minus your assignment fee is higher than your contract price, the deal has margin. If it is lower, the deal is too tight and you need to either renegotiate the contract price or reduce your assignment fee.

The calculator also shows the deal from four different strategy perspectives: the 70% rule, a custom flip analysis, a rental cash flow analysis, and a BRRRR (Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat) analysis. Different buyers evaluate deals differently, so seeing all four perspectives helps you market to the right audience.

Data that flows forward: Your asking price (what you plan to sell the assignment for) carries into the marketing page and deal blast templates.

Step 5: Find buyers

Now that you know the deal works, you need buyers. Navigate to the Search section. Your deal's address is pre-filled. Click "Search" to run an investor search.

Deal Run queries public records to identify two types of active investors near your property:

Landlords (green markers on the map) -- absentee owners who purchased investment properties in the area within the last 2-5 years. These are buy-and-hold investors who may want to add another rental to their portfolio.
Flippers (blue markers) -- investors who bought and resold properties within 12 months, indicating a fix-and-flip strategy. These are your most likely buyers for a cosmetic renovation deal.
Both (purple markers) -- investors who appear in both categories, meaning they both flip and hold rentals. These are often the most experienced and well-funded buyers.

Results are ranked by Investor Score, which weighs proximity, recency, price match, property type match, and activity level. The highest-scoring investors are the most likely buyers for your specific deal.

Select the investors you want to contact and click "Skip Trace." Deal Run resolves phone numbers, email addresses, and mailing addresses for each investor. Results are cached, so if you search for investors near a different property and the same investor appears, you won't be charged again for the skip trace.

After skip tracing, click "Add to Buyer List" to save these investors to your persistent buyer CRM. Tag them with relevant information: location preference, budget range, strategy (flip/rental), and VIP status. Your buyer list grows with every search and becomes your most valuable asset over time.

Step 6: Build your marketing page

Navigate to Sell > Market. Click "Create Marketing Page" for your deal. Deal Run pre-populates the page with all the data you have gathered so far:

Property photos (upload them here if you have not already)
Property specs from public records
Your asking price from the margin calculator
ARV from your comp analysis
Repair estimate from your analysis
Flip and rental return projections
School ratings and flood zone information

Add a property description highlighting the deal's key selling points: location advantages, renovation scope, comparable sales that support the ARV, and the buyer's projected profit margin. The marketing page also includes an offer submission form so interested buyers can submit offers directly through the page.

When you publish the page, it gets a shareable URL (e.g., dealrun.ai/marketplace/company/48291/your-deal-slug). Share this link in your email blasts, text messages, social media posts, and buyer group chats. Every view, click, and offer submission is tracked and visible on your deal detail page.

Step 7: Send outreach

With your marketing page live and your buyer list populated, it is time to get the deal in front of people. Navigate to Sell > Campaigns and create a new blast.

Choose a template. Deal Run provides deal blast templates that feature your property photo, specs, pricing, and a button linking to your marketing page. The template is pre-populated with your deal's data.
Select your audience. Filter your buyer list by location, strategy preference, budget range, or custom tags. The recipient count updates as you adjust filters so you can see exactly how many people will receive the blast.
Preview and test. Send a test email to yourself to verify the layout, photos, and links look right.
Send. Click "Send Blast" to distribute the email to your entire selected audience. Emails are sent individually from your Gmail account (see Connecting Your Email), so each recipient receives a personal email.

After sending, the campaigns page shows delivery stats: how many emails were sent, delivered, opened, and clicked. Bounces and unsubscribes are tracked automatically. This data helps you refine your buyer list over time -- remove contacts who never open, and prioritize those who consistently engage.

For SMS outreach (Pro plan and above), the process is similar: select an audience, compose your message (keep it short -- property address, key specs, asking price, and a link to the marketing page), and send. SMS delivery and response tracking work the same as email.

Step 8: Manage walkthroughs and offers

As buyers respond to your outreach, you will start scheduling property showings and receiving offers.

When a buyer wants to see the property, move the deal from Active Marketing to Walkthroughs on the Kanban board. Log notes after each showing: was the buyer interested? Did they have concerns about the scope of repairs? Are they requesting additional information? These notes live on the deal detail page and help you follow up effectively.

When offers come in -- either through your marketing page's offer form or via email/phone -- move the deal to Offers. The deal detail page shows all submitted offers with the buyer's name, offer amount, and terms. Compare offers side by side. The highest offer is not always the best: a buyer at $5,000 less but with proof of funds and a 10-day close may be more reliable than a higher bidder who needs financing and 30 days.

Step 9: Go under contract and close

Once you accept an offer and sign an assignment contract (or arrange a double close), move the deal to Under Contract. At this stage:

The buyer deposits earnest money with the title company
The title company performs a title search
Any inspection or option periods begin (and you should track their expiration dates)
You coordinate between the original seller and your buyer to ensure closing happens on schedule

Monitor the deal closely during this stage. The deal detail page shows key dates and deadlines. Follow up with the title company and the buyer regularly to ensure nothing stalls.

When the transaction closes and funds, move the deal to Closed. Your assignment fee is paid by the title company at closing. The deal is complete.

How data flows between features

One of Deal Run's core design principles is that you never enter the same information twice. Here is how data flows through the system:

Property data (beds, baths, sqft, owner info) is pulled once from public records and appears on every page that references the property.
ARV from comp analysis pre-fills the margin calculator and the marketing page.
Repair estimate from the repairs tool pre-fills the margin calculator and appears on the marketing page.
Asking price from the margin calculator pre-fills the marketing page and deal blast template.
Investor contacts from the search tool flow into the buyer list, which feeds the campaign audience selector.
Marketing page URL is automatically embedded in deal blast templates.
Offer data from the marketing page form flows into the deal detail page offers section.

This means your workflow is a pipeline, not a collection of disconnected tools. Each step produces data that the next step consumes. You add a property, analyze it, find buyers, market to them, and manage offers and closing -- all within a single connected system.

Tips for getting your first deal sold fast

Speed matters more than perfection. Your marketing page does not need to be flawless. Get it up within 24 hours of getting the property under contract. The first 48 hours generate the most buyer interest. You can refine the page later.
Price it right. If your asking price is too high, even the best marketing will not generate offers. Use the margin calculator to ensure your price leaves enough room for the buyer's profit. A deal priced at 70-75% of ARV minus repairs will attract serious buyers immediately.
Blast wide, then follow up narrow. Send your deal to your entire relevant buyer list. The blast finds the broadly interested buyers. Then follow up individually with the 5-10 who opened the email, clicked the link, or viewed the marketing page. Personal follow-up converts interest into offers.
Upload good photos. A deal marketing page with 15-20 clear photos generates 3-5x more engagement than one with 3 blurry photos or just a Google Street View image. Walk the property and photograph every room, the exterior from multiple angles, the yard, and the street.
Include the numbers buyers care about. Flip buyers want ARV, repair estimate, and projected profit. Rental buyers want monthly rent, cash flow, and cap rate. Include both sets of numbers on your marketing page to appeal to the widest buyer pool.
Respond to inquiries within an hour. When a buyer asks about your deal, they are also looking at other deals. The wholesaler who responds first usually gets the offer. Keep Deal Run on your phone's home screen (see Mobile Setup) so you see notifications immediately.
Build your buyer list before you need it. Run investor searches even when you do not have a deal to market. Every search adds contacts to your buyer list. When you do have a deal, you already have hundreds of verified buyers ready to receive your blast.

That is the complete workflow. Each subsequent deal gets faster because your buyer list grows, your reputation builds, and you become more efficient with the tools. For detailed instructions on any individual step, refer to the specific help center articles linked throughout this guide.