You know the story:

You lock up a probate, pre-foreclosure, or code violation, Etc. deal after weeks (or months) of research, follow-up, and negotiation.

You have a real contract.
You’ve built seller rapport.
You’ve verified title, value, and deal viability, EMD deposited.

Then someone slides into your inbox:
“Hey, I got a buyer. Let’s JV 50/50.”

Hold up… Fifty-fifty?

PROS & CONS: JV Buyer vs. Contract Holder

CONTRACT HOLDER (You)

Pros of 50/50:

• You move the deal faster with a buyer you didn’t have.
• It can be worth it if the JV brings real, verified buyers who can close.
• You save time on dispo — and potentially make a new repeat partner.

Cons of 50/50:

• You paid for marketing, skip tracing, tools, CRM, lists.
• You nurtured the lead, built seller trust, solved a pain point.
• You structured the deal, ran comps, handled due diligence.
• And now someone who just found a buyer wants an equal cut?

In many cases, a flat fee or smaller percentage is more appropriate for someone only bringing a buyer and doing none of the groundwork.

🧲 JV PARTNER (Bringing the Buyer)

Pros of 50/50 (from their view):

• “Without my buyer, you can’t close.”
• They may have strong buyer relationships and real connections.
• If they’ve built trust with the buyer and can close quickly, they can add massive value.

Cons (in reality):

• Many “buyers” are just tire-kickers, or worse — other wholesalers.
• If they’re shopping your deal instead of closing, that kills momentum.
• If they’re not under contract with the buyer, it’s speculation, not value.
• If they bring nothing to the table but a vague promise, 50/50 is not earned.

• MY STANCE: VALUE SHOULD DETERMINE THE SPLIT

  Did you lock the deal up?
  Did you negotiate with the seller?
  Did you do title, comps, fact-checking, and confirm it’s a real deal?

  Then you hold the paper = you hold the power.

  If someone brings a buyer? Awesome. Let’s split — but based on contribution.

• If they bring a real cash buyer who closes fast, maybe 30–40% is fair.
• If you have to still do all the hand-holding, vetting, and coordination? It’s not 50%.

• Final Thoughts:

  We need to stop acting like "having a buyer" equals ownership.

  Control of the contract = control of the deal.
  Everything else should be negotiable — not entitled. Again, this is my perspective, what’s yours?