All businesses / Property sourcing

Fingerprint: capital · hours · speed to income · margin · ceiling. The dashed line is mid-scale.

Start a property sourcing: the real numbers

Finding deals for investors, paid a fee. Below is what it actually costs, how long before money arrives, and the part most guides leave out.

Startup capital

€1,000–€6,000

Hours / week

15–40

First income

~12 wks

Net margin

80%

Saturation

medium

Realistic ceiling

€800–€4,500+

This ceiling is not a wall

The figure above is what this earns in the shape described — you, running it. Past that it keeps going, but by hiring people or adding units, not by you working more hours. That is a different job from the one you would be starting, and worth knowing before you start it.

What nobody usually tells you

Property money without buying property: fees of €3-6k a deal, and the capital is almost nil. But it is regulated in most countries, income is lumpy, and you only get paid when a deal completes — which is often not at all.

The route, in five steps

  1. Check what registration your country requires — most regulate this
  2. Build a buyer list before you find a single deal
  3. Know one postcode better than the agents do
  4. Charge 2-3% or a fixed €3-6k per deal
  5. Never take a fee before the buyer has seen everything

What you'll need to buy

These are the categories every property sourcing pays for in the first month. We break down what each one actually costs at this size on the tools page.

compliance registrationinsuranceCRMmarketing

Does it hold up for you?

These numbers are the average case. Whether this business clears your target depends on your capital, your hours and how long you can wait — put them in and see.

Run my numbers → See the tool stack