Dedric and Krystal Polite built a $10 million rental portfolio by mastering one thing: finding motivated sellers. Their system focuses on properties priced at 40–60 cents on the dollar, and they move quickly once a lead appears. Whether it’s a tired landlord, a long-vacant rental, or a handwritten “for sale by owner” sign, they act with speed and intent.
They stress consistency over flash. Their approach works in small towns and big cities, in buyer’s markets and tight ones. They use both old-school methods like driving for dollars and modern tools like CRMs and AI texting. Their belief: anyone can close their first or next deal within 90 days, without money, credit, or experience, if they follow the right plan.
Want to hear the full story straight from Dedric and Krystal? In this episode of the DealMachine Real Estate Investing Podcast, they break down their exact marketing strategies for finding off-market deals, building a $10M rental portfolio, and closing in any market. Watch the full interview below:
Keep reading for the full step-by-step breakdown of every strategy they shared.
The clearest signal of a deal is often a faded red FSBO sign with a handwritten number. These leads are direct to the owner, and often come with motivation built in. Dedric and Krystal stop every time they see one. Their FSBO strategy:
They look for older listings, damage, or signs of neglect. If a phone number isn’t listed, they use DealMachine to pull owner contact info, including skip-traced details. Many of these homes have sat on the market for 200+ days, ripe for negotiation.
The Polites never ignore FRBO listings. Even if a property is listed for rent, that doesn’t mean the owner isn’t open to selling especially if the property has sat vacant.
Their strategy:
They source these leads using AffordableHousing.com, then plug the address into DealMachine for contact data.
Driving for dollars is still a core part of their business, even years into their career. Using the DealMachine app, they tag:
They drive neighborhoods weekly, adding 30–50 properties at a time. This creates hyper-local lists that no one else has. From there, they skip trace the data and begin outreach.
Wholesalers are often overlooked by investors who want to source their own deals. But Dedric and Krystal lean into wholesaler networks hard. Their process:
This strategy brings ready-made, off-market deals without needing a large marketing budget.
Dedric and Krystal recommend all beginners start by cold calling themselves, even if it's uncomfortable. Why?
Scaling options:
They track KPIs like:
Without tracking, money gets wasted. With tracking, performance improves.
Texting works best for owners aged 30–50. The Polites use a CRM that:
Text script tip:
“Hi [Name], are you open to a cash or terms offer for [Address]? We can close on your timeline.”
Short. Polite. Clear.
Direct Mail still works especially when it follows texts and calls. The Polites send:
They recommend using DealMachine to send postcards after multiple failed touchpoints. A simple message, well-targeted, can break through.
This method works best for teams with trained phone reps. The process:
Don’t use this channel unless your sales funnel is dialed in. You’ll burn cash if you can’t close fast.
The Polites have a unique target: older landlords. They call this the “silver segment.” These are asset-rich owners who:
One example:
Mr. Holt sold one of his rentals to fund his grandchild’s college tuition. The Polites offered $72K, assigned it at $77K, and earned $5K on a clean, win-win deal.
The takeaway? These sellers respond to kindness, clarity, and flexible terms not just price.
When cash offers don’t work, creative financing steps in. Their toolkit:
They also train wholesalers to pitch these options creating more deals that other investors walk away from.
They learned the hard way: if you don’t track your outreach, you can’t improve it.
Their core KPIs:
Use a CRM or spreadsheet to monitor what works, what needs improvement, and what needs to be stopped.
For Sale by Owner:
“Hi, I saw your property at [Address]. Would you consider an offer if I can make this easy and close as-is?”
For Rent by Owner:
“Hi, I saw your rental at [Address]. Is it still available? Have you thought about selling?”
Follow-Up Text:
“Hi [Name], just checking back on [Address]. Still open to an offer? I can close on your timeline and handle repairs.”
Q1. What is an off-market real estate deal?
Off-market deals are properties not listed publicly, often FSBO or FRBO. These have less competition and more room for negotiation.
Q2. Can I buy a rental property with little money?
Yes. Creative financing lets you secure deals with low down payments, flexible terms, or subject-to arrangements.
Q3. What is the silver segment strategy?
It focuses on older landlords looking to exit real estate. They often value ease and reliability more than top price.
Q4. What tools do the Polites use?
DealMachine, Fiverr, Start Virtual, AffordableHousing.com, and CRMs with text + AI features.
Q5. Do I need to be in a hot market for this to work?
No. These strategies work in all markets, rural, urban, buyer’s or seller’s, because they focus on motivation, not location.
The Polites didn’t build a $10M portfolio overnight. It started with:
They took action every day. They tracked everything. They stayed kind and consistent. And they closed.
If you want to build a rental portfolio, this model works.
Start where others stop. Talk to sellers. Solve problems. Follow up. Keep going.