Joseph Back: The Real Cost of Scaling From 65 to 450 Deals Per Year

In this episode of the CG Live Podcast, I sit down with Joseph Back—an unstoppable force in the real estate investment space who’s scaled from a modest 65 deals a year to nearly 450 across multiple states. Recorded live at our Q2 CG Premiere and CEO meetings in Clearwater Beach, Florida, this conversation is packed with actionable insights on scaling strategically, avoiding common pitfalls, and building a brand with integrity.

 

Joseph opens up about the real lessons learned while expanding into new markets, what “quality over quantity” truly looks like in real estate wholesaling, and how a single mindset shift at his first CG meeting reframed his view on what was possible. If you’re operating in a smaller market or wrestling with scaling without sacrificing profit, this episode is your playbook.

 

Episode Highlights:

[0:00] - Introduction

[1:19] - The markets Joseph has expanded into—and how his wholesaling model operates

[1:43] - How Collective Genius helped Joseph break mental barriers around deal volume

[2:45] - His first “test market” beyond Alabama and the lessons learned from going too fast

[5:20] - The critical mistake of scaling before proving profitability

[6:07] - What Joseph’s “quality over quantity” pivot looks like in practice

[8:11] - Why inbound leads and brand-building outperform outbound marketing

[10:14] - The personal evolution from “moneymaking scheme” to purpose-driven brand

[12:08] - Joseph’s formula for extracting real value from CG events

[14:34] - His biggest takeaway from the event: never getting bored with the basics

 

3 Key Takeaways:

1. Expand strategically, not reactively – Be present when launching new markets and adopt a phased approach to hiring and marketing.

2. Shift focus from deal volume to deal quality – Higher volume doesn’t always mean higher profit. Optimize for better margins and lower fallout rates.

3. Simplicity scales – Mastering the fundamentals and executing them consistently will outperform chasing every new idea.

 

Links & Resources:

• Learn more about Collective Genius: explorecg.com

 

If you got value from this episode, be sure to follow, rate, and share the CG Podcast. And if you’re ready to surround yourself with other high-level real estate investors who can help you scale, apply to join us at explorecg.com