Building Wealth in Real Estate Through Private Lending and CRM Tools with Brandon Richards

If you’re a real estate investor who’s tired of losing out on deals because of slow funding, chasing banks, or getting bogged down in spreadsheets, there’s good news: technology is catching up to your needs. 

On a recent episode of the “Raising Private Money” podcast, Jay Conner sat down with Brandon Richards, an active real estate investor and the CEO behind Deal Manager Pro, to dive into private money, scaling a real estate business, and using tools like CRM software to streamline and scale.

Raising Private Money: More Freedom, Less Friction

The episode opens with a bold question: What would your business look like if money were never the problem?

Brandon Richards is living proof that this is possible. In his career, Brandon has raised over $15 million in private money—meaning funds raised from individual investors, not banks or institutions. Private money, as Jay and Brandon both pointed out, allows regular people—often your friends, colleagues, or even social media followers—to invest directly in your deals, typically with better terms and less red tape than a traditional lender.

The process is straightforward, especially when you use systems that handle the heavy lifting. Brandon shared that documenting deals correctly, securing investments with real estate (using promissory notes and deeds of trust), and building trust are key to attracting and retaining private lenders. After a few successful deals, investors often don’t want their money back—they want you to keep it working, compounding your ability to scale.

Attracting Private Lenders: The Power of Being Visible

One of the big takeaways from Brandon’s journey: He doesn’t chase money, he attracts it. By sharing real stories—selfie videos at project sites, walk-throughs, before-and-after shots, and deal breakdowns—Brandon has built a following of individuals interested in investing passively in his projects. These posts aren’t high-gloss marketing campaigns. They’re organic, candid, and relatable—more like a “day-in-the-life” than a commercial.

A simple call to action in his stories—“If you want to talk money, DM me”—is all it takes to get the conversation started. His focus isn’t on begging or selling, but on educating and showing the journey. And it works.

Scaling Up: You Can’t Do It Alone

As Brandon’s business grew, he quickly saw the need to remove himself from the daily grind (like being on job sites or managing multiple spreadsheets) and focus on systems—and people—that could handle growth. He credits having reliable contractors and processes, but also emphasizes how getting the right technology in place makes a world of difference.

Which leads us to one of the episode's highlights: the introduction of Deal Manager Pro.

Deal Manager Pro: The CRM Built for Real Estate Investors

In the cluttered world of generic CRMs, Brandon saw the need for software specifically designed by and for real estate investors. Deal Manager Pro offers everything you need in one platform: lead tracking, nationwide comps, direct mail tools, proof of funds, automated follow-up, skip tracing, a rehab calculator, and an advanced deal analyzer. Unlike clunky Excel sheets or piecemealed tech stacks, it keeps everything streamlined and collaborative—so whether you’re a solopreneur or scaling a team, you never lose track of a deal or a contact.

Brandon’s pain points—lost leads, spreadsheet chaos, and communication breakdowns—became the foundation for a system hundreds of investors now rely on.

Final Thoughts

What stands out most from Jay and Brandon’s conversation is this: Real estate investing isn’t just about finding deals or raising capital. It’s about creating repeatable, reliable systems—both in relationships and processes. If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels with DIY tools and want to scale up, adopting a purpose-built CRM like 

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