How to Anticipate a Buyer’s Next Move From the Very First Conversation
This article will teach you how to confidently spot a buyer’s exit strategy before they admit it, based on how they talk, what they ask, and which details they zoom in on.
Austin Beverigde
Tennessee
, Goliath Teammate
In real estate, understanding your buyer is everything.
Whether you're wholesaling, assigning deals, or doing direct-to-buyer dispositions, knowing a buyer’s exit strategy before they reveal it can save you time, prevent deals from falling apart, and help you position properties more effectively.
But most buyers don’t tell you upfront. They’re cagey. They’re noncommittal. They drop phrases like “We’ll see what we do with it,” or “Depends on the numbers,” or “I’ve got a few options.”
And that’s exactly why you need to learn how to read between the lines.
This article will teach you how to confidently spot a buyer’s exit strategy before they admit it, based on how they talk, what they ask, and which details they zoom in on.
Let’s dive in.
Why Exit Strategy Dictates Everything
The exit strategy determines:
The buyer’s ideal price point
The level of rehab they’ll tolerate
How quickly they need to close
How long they plan to hold
What kind of paperwork or contingencies they’ll fight for
If you misread this, even slightly, you could waste days pitching the wrong deal, overestimate their motivation, or set false expectations that blow up later.
Knowing their exit strategy means you can tailor your pitch, pick your comps, and control the frame.
The 5 Main Exit Strategies You’ll Encounter
Before you learn to spot them, here’s a quick recap of the five most common strategies your buyers will use:
Fix-and-Flip – Rehab and resell quickly at a profit.
Buy-and-Hold – Acquire property for long-term rental income and appreciation.
BRRRR – Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat. A hybrid strategy that starts like a flip and ends like a hold.
Assignment – Put the contract under control, then sell it to another buyer for a fee.
Wholetail – Buy below market, make minor cosmetic fixes, and list on MLS for a fast retail flip.
Each of these strategies has clear tells, if you know where to look.
Clue #1: What Kind of Questions They Ask
The easiest way to reverse-engineer a buyer’s strategy is to listen closely to what they focus on.
Fix-and-Flip Buyers Ask:
“What’s the ARV?”
“Got recent sold comps?”
“How much is the rehab?”
“What’s the square footage?”
They’re obsessed with the spread. They want equity on the front end. The moment they start calculating margins or referencing a 70% rule, you’re talking to a flipper.
Buy-and-Hold Buyers Ask:
“What’s the rent?”
“Any tenants in place?”
“What’s the cap rate?”
“What are the taxes and insurance?”
They care about yield, occupancy, and long-term performance. If they talk about property management or ask about neighborhood turnover, they’re holding.
BRRRR Buyers Ask:
“Can I refi after 6 months?”
“What’s it rent for after rehab?”
“What do the lenders need for seasoning?”
These buyers want equity and long-term hold, but they’re leveraged. They need numbers to line up on both ends. BRRRRs ask both flip and rental questions.
Assigners Ask:
“Can I get pics before I visit?”
“Is it assignable?”
“What’s your lowest price?”
They’re always angling. They want maximum spread, minimum effort. They often ask surface-level questions and try to get commitment fast.
Wholetailers Ask:
“How’s the roof and HVAC?”
“Can it pass inspection?”
“What would it take to get it MLS-ready?”
They’re flip-minded, but lean clean. If they ask about easy cosmetic updates and resale speed, this is likely their play.
Clue #2: How Fast They Want to Close
Exit strategy is directly tied to timeline.
Fast-Closers:
Flippers
Wholetailers
Assigners
These buyers move quickly, or want to appear like they do. If they ask about 7-day closings, fast title, or “What’s the soonest we can wrap this up?”, they likely want to turn the deal immediately.
Slow-Closers:
Buy-and-hold
BRRRR (especially if financing)
First-time flippers
These buyers tend to slow the pace. They may need appraisals, lenders, or JV approvals. If they ask about seller financing, long escrows, or extensions, they likely want to hold or BRRRR.
Speed = Intent.
Clue #3: How They Talk About Risk
Risk tolerance is a dead giveaway.
Flippers are comfortable with:
Heavy rehabs
Structural issues
Fire/water damage
They’ll say things like:
“We’ve done worse before”
“Looks like a good challenge”
“We can work around that”
Buy-and-Hold investors avoid:
Crime-ridden zip codes
Foundation problems
Deferred maintenance nightmares
They’ll say:
“Too much hassle for a rental”
“I don’t want headaches”
“Wouldn’t cashflow even if it’s free”
Assigners won’t commit:
They dodge risk by avoiding rehab themselves
If the deal’s risky, they want it dirt cheap
If it’s too complex, they’ll ghost you
Their tone?
“Let me run it by my buyer”
“Can you lock it in for me?”
“I might have someone who wants this”
They don’t own the strategy, they’re middlemen.
Clue #4: The Language They Use
Words matter. Every buyer has a vocabulary.
Flippers say:
“Spread”
“Hard money”
“Scope of work”
“Comps”
BRRRR buyers say:
“Refi”
“Cash-out”
“Stabilize”
“Seasoning”
Landlords say:
“Turnkey”
“Cashflow”
“Cap rate”
“Rent-ready”
Assigners say:
“My buyer”
“Need a walkthrough”
“Locked up”
“Dispo team”
Listen for the subtext. If someone says, “We’re looking for light work,” they’re either wholetailing or wholesaling, not flipping heavy.
Clue #5: Who’s on Their Team
Ask:
“Who else is involved in your decision-making process?”
This uncovers:
Lenders → BRRRR or flippers
Property managers → Buy-and-hold
“Business partner” → Often a front for wholesaling
Title company only → More likely cash buyer
Serious buyers name names. They’ll reference real people, contractors, CPAs, lenders, etc.
Assigners stay vague. “We’ve got a group,” or “I’ve got buyers lined up.”
Clue #6: The Kind of Properties They Respond To
You can also predict a buyer’s strategy by reverse-engineering what they say yes to.
For example:
If a buyer…
Keeps responding to full rehab opportunities → Flipper
Only replies to clean, rented multis → Buy-and-hold
Wants distressed SFRs under $100K → Assigners
Loves light cosmetic fixes with decent equity → Wholetail
Bounces between rehab and hold deals → BRRRR
Track what they click, open, or reply to. Their behavior tells the truth.
Clue #7: Their Entity and Funding Setup
Ask casually:
“Are you buying in a personal name or LLC?”
“Using cash or funding for this?”
Assigners:
Almost always under personal names or use “and/or assigns”
Often don’t provide proof of funds
Rarely mention a specific lender or account
Flippers & BRRRRs:
Use LLCs
Mention hard money lenders
Talk about draw schedules and holding costs
Landlords:
Might use trusts, partnerships, or multiple entities
Care about long-term tax implications
An investor’s setup reflects their long game.
Clue #8: How They Respond to Offers
Here’s a little-known trick: Give them two pitch variations and see which one they prefer.
Scenario:
You have a property worth $180K ARV.
Offer A:
"At $105K, it needs about $40K in rehab. Should sell for $180K easy, great flip."
Offer B:
"At $120K, it’s already rented at $1,350/month. Not much work needed. Good turnkey rental.”
Their reaction:
Pick A → Likely flipper or BRRRR
Pick B → Landlord or wholetailer
“Can I assign it?” → You know what that means
Let their preference reveal their play.
What to Do With This Knowledge
Once you’ve predicted their strategy, here’s how to use it:
Tailor your pitch
If they’re flipping:
Emphasize ARV, rehab budget, and comp support
If they’re holding:Emphasize rent, long-term ROI, tenant info
If they’re assigning:Emphasize “clean title,” assignability, and EMD terms
Segment your buyer list
Group by strategy. Send flip deals to flippers. Don’t waste a landlord’s inbox with fire damage SFRs.
Forecast buyer behavior
Flippers will want walkthroughs fast
Assigners will try to lock up without touring
Landlords will request leases, utility bills, etc.
BRRRRs will ask for post-rehab rent comps
If you anticipate their needs, you control the flow.
