Ralph Rodriguez, a New York City special education teacher, made $25,000 wholesaling real estate in his first year. He used cold calling, driving for dollars, Facebook groups, and daily consistency, without a budget or quitting his job.
Ralph Rodriguez is a full-time NYC special education teacher who built a wholesale real estate business on the side and closed a $25,000 deal within one year.
Ralph works in the New York City public school system, supporting high school students with special needs. While committed to teaching, his income could not keep pace with the cost of living. He wanted a way to build savings and eventually invest, but believed real estate required money he didn’t have.
That belief kept him stuck until he discovered real estate wholesaling, a strategy that allows investors to earn fees by connecting motivated sellers with buyers, without buying property themselves.
In this episode of the DealMachine Real Estate Investing Podcast, Ralph Rodriguez shares how he went from a full-time teacher to closing $25K wholesale deals. Want to hear the full story in his own words? Watch the full interview below:
Wholesaling allowed Ralph to start in real estate with no money, no license, and no credit.
Like many beginners, Ralph believed the common myth that you must be wealthy to start in real estate. As a teacher in New York City, he didn’t have extra capital, and that assumption delayed his start for years.
Wholesaling changed that. Through YouTube, he learned that wholesaling focuses on:
This approach removed the biggest barrier he faced: money.
He used Facebook groups to JV a deal and found a buyer after securing the opportunity.
Ralph’s first deal was a joint venture (JV) in Alabama. At the time, he had no buyers, no paid tools, and limited experience. But he took action anyway.
He posted and messaged inside Facebook real estate groups, offering help selling a property. When an investor needed assistance, Ralph agreed, then immediately went to work finding a buyer.
Using Facebook, he located an active buyer, assigned the deal, and earned $5,000.
That first check funded better tools and proved the model worked.
He found a distressed property by driving for dollars, contacted the owner, and followed a simple wholesale process.
Ralph’s largest deal came from New Jersey, where higher home prices often create larger assignment spreads.
The result was a $25,000 assignment fee, earned through daily habits, not luck.
He made cold calls during lunch breaks and followed up after school.
Ralph didn’t wait for summer break. He built his wholesaling business during the school year by using small time blocks:
“If you work too much, find one hour. That hour turns into two, then four.”
His consistency, not free time, created results.
Ralph uses simple scripts, skip tracing, and driving-for-dollars tools to keep the process efficient.
Ralph struggled early with skip tracing and organizing leads. He simplified his system using:
He avoids long explanations and lets sellers talk.
He gets the deal first, then posts it where real buyers already are.
“Post the deal. Buyers will reply. Finding buyers is the easiest part.”
Most quit too early. Ralph committed to volume and consistency.
Many beginners expect results after 50 or 100 calls. Ralph sets expectations differently.
He uses 1,000 calls as a mental baseline. That number keeps him focused long enough to build skill, confidence, and follow-up momentum.
“There are eight billion people in the world. Keep calling.”
Rejection didn’t stop him; inconsistency does.
Focus on daily actions, not expensive systems.
“With $25 and ugly business cards, you can get a deal.”
Use wholesaling income to buy and hold rental properties.
Ralph plans to transition into ownership using the BRRRR strategy:
He’s targeting markets like Detroit while continuing to wholesale with help from virtual assistants.
Use free tools like Facebook, drive for dollars, and cold call owners daily. Time and consistency matter more than money.
A JV (joint venture) is when one wholesaler brings the deal and another brings the buyer. They split the assignment fee.
Ralph recommends at least 100 per day, with real momentum building after 1,000 total calls.
Yes. Ralph built his business during lunch breaks and after school. One focused hour a day is enough to start.
Ralph’s story isn’t about shortcuts. It’s about showing up daily, calling, driving, following up, and repeating the process.
He didn’t wait for perfect conditions. He used what he had: time, effort, and consistency.
The work works, if you stay in it long enough.