The DealMachine Real Estate Investing Podcast

332: From Firefighter to $4M A Year Through Wholesale Real Estate

Episode Summary

Aaron Gaunt went from firefighter to full-time wholesaler after a $55k deal—and now runs a $4M-a-year operation with a lean team, in-person closings, and systems that buy back his time.

Episode Notes

Are you frustrated by inconsistent deal flow in your wholesaling business after experiencing initial wins, perhaps remembering the excitement of your first $20,000 deal but struggling to scale? In this episode, we learn from Aaron Gaunt, who progressed from those early successes to running a Southern California wholesale operation that achieved under four million in deals last year. He'll reveal the team structure, including three outside sales reps and four inside sales reps, and the systems he implemented to move beyond sporadic deals to a predictable volume. Discover how Aaron built a "lean and mean" operation to consistently generate and close wholesale transactions, allowing him to focus on growth and even dedicate time to personal pursuits.

Here are three impressive things about Aaron Gaunt:

• Aaron made a life-changing decision to quit his job as a firefighter after his first significant $55,000 wholesale deal (by reselling a contract), demonstrating a bold move based on early success and belief in his real estate venture.
• Aaron has proactively implemented strategies to "buy back his time," including building a full commercial-grade gym at his house and hiring someone to handle household chores, freeing up several hours each week to focus on his business and personal life.
• Aaron emphasizes the importance of core values (growthminded, competitive greatness, extreme ownership) and a mission statement (be excellent, be ethical, lasting relationship with you) within his company, actively integrating them into team training and daily operations.

KEY TALKING POINTS:

0:00 - Working On Fitness To Maximize Productivity

4:01 - Buying Back Your Time

5:45 - How Can A Real Estate Business Generate Recurring Revenue

11:03 - What David Put In Place To Buy Back His Time

15:48 - Books That David Recommends

18:54 - How Do You Keep More Of The Revenue You Generate?

30:20 - What Aaron’s Business Looks Like

33:58 - How He Approaches Training His Employees

35:53 - Why Aaron Got Into Real Estate & Low Points In His Journey

43:49 - One Of His Highest Points In Business

46:22 - How To Make Sure Your Kids Aren’t Spoiled

53:21 - What Aaron Would Say If Someone Said It Was Too Late To Invest

53:55 - DealMachine’s Data & AI In Real Estate

59:42 - Cold Calling Services

1:04:49 - What Aaron Is Looking Forward To In 2025

1:07:30 - The Early Days Of Balancing Firefighting And Starting A Business

1:15:34 - Outro

LINKS:

Instagram: Aaron Gaunt

https://www.instagram.com/AaronLGaunt/

Website: Aaron Gaunt

https://linktr.ee/algaunt88

Instagram: David Lecko

https://www.instagram.com/dlecko

Website: DealMachine

https://www.dealmachine.com/pod

Instagram: Ryan Haywood

https://www.instagram.com/heritage_home_investments

Website: Heritage Home Investments

https://www.heritagehomeinvestments.com/