From Contract to Close: Secrets to Stress-Free Land Deals with David Olds

Kendall LeJeune
Feb 9
5 min read

Updated: Aug 1

OnlyLandFans Podcast Ep. 101

If you’re in the land game, you know the excitement of locking up a deal. But here’s the harsh truth: 50% of real estate contracts never make it to the closing table.

That means half of the deals that wholesalers, flippers, and developers work so hard to secure fall apart because of title issues, missing paperwork, or bad coordination.

💥 But what if you could guarantee more of your deals actually close?

David Olds, founder of EZREI Closings, is on a mission to fix the biggest bottleneck in real estate: transaction coordination.

In this must-listen episode of OnlyLandFans, David breaks down:

✅ The #1 reason deals die—and how to prevent it.

✅ How to spot red flags in title issues before they become a nightmare.

✅ The simple strategy that turns transaction coordination into a profit center.

If closing deals is stressing you out, this episode is packed with game-changing insights that will help you streamline your process and get more checks, faster.

⏳ Why Half of All Real Estate Deals Don’t Close

"You did the marketing, you locked up the deal, you found a buyer—then boom, title issues kill the deal." – David Olds

Here’s the hard reality:

📌 Nationwide, 50% of real estate deals never close.

📌 In states like Florida, that number jumps to 60%.

📌 Virtual wholesalers? The failure rate is even higher.

The reason? Bad transaction coordination.

Most investors focus on finding and selling deals—but nobody talks about the mountain of paperwork, title issues, and problem-solving that happens in between.

That’s why EZREI Closings exists—to make sure those issues don’t derail your payday.

🛑 The Biggest Mistakes Investors Make in Transaction Coordination

1️⃣ Not Staying in Contact with Sellers

"If your seller hasn’t heard from you in three weeks, they WILL sell to someone else."

Wholesalers love to ring the victory bell when they get a signed contract—but if you ghost your seller, they’ll assume the deal is dead.

💡 Solution: Call, text, or email your seller weekly. (Or let a transaction coordinator do it for you.)

2️⃣ Working with the Wrong Title Company

"Your 'investor-friendly' title company is NOT built to solve title problems." – David Olds

Most title companies just verify records and issue insurance—they don’t:

❌ Track down missing heirs

❌ Solve boundary disputes

❌ Fix bankruptcies or foreclosures

💡 Solution: Work with a team that specializes in investor-friendly closings.

3️⃣ Not Asking the Right Questions

"A bad title company will tell you ‘No’—a great transaction coordinator will find a way to get it done."

David shared a real-life horror story: He had a deal that a title company rejected immediately—but when he pressed them, they admitted a workaround was possible.

Had he just accepted their first answer, he would’ve lost tens of thousands of dollars.

💡 Solution: Always ask:

👉 What CAN we do to get this closed?

👉 What documents do we need to solve this problem?

👉 Has this issue ever been fixed in another deal?

🚀 The Hidden Costs of Doing Transaction Coordination Yourself

🛑 Transaction coordination is killing your growth.

Think about it:

📌 Every hour spent chasing down documents = an hour NOT talking to sellers.

📌 Every deal delayed by title issues = an opportunity cost of a new contract.

📌 Every closing that falls apart = money wasted on marketing and due diligence.

💡 David’s Advice: "Hand off your deals and get back to acquisitions—because that’s where the money is."

That’s why EZREI Closings takes over from contract to close, handling:

✅ Title searches

✅ Lien and foreclosure issues

✅ Probate and heir problems

✅ Coordination with buyers, sellers, and title companies

So you can focus on finding more deals and making more money.

💰 How to Turn Transaction Coordination Into a Profit Center

Here’s a little-known hack: Most investors aren’t paying for transaction coordination at all.

Instead, they use one simple contract trick to pass the cost to their end buyers:

✅ Add a "Transaction Coordination Fee" (typically $595-$795) into every contract.

✅ The buyer pays it as part of their closing costs.

✅ Your closings are handled for free—or even at a profit.

"The top wholesalers in the country are making $50,000 a year just from this one trick." – David Olds

📌 Want to implement this strategy? EZREI Closings will help you set it up.

🏆 The #1 Way to Close More Deals in 2024

🔥 Here’s the cold, hard truth: Most investors waste too much time dealing with title issues instead of finding new deals.

📌 If you want to close more deals and scale your business, you need to delegate.

✅ One transaction coordinator = thousands in lost time saved

✅ One closing saved = tens of thousands in lost revenue recovered

✅ One smart system = a business that runs without you

"Close your eyes and think of the worst real estate nightmare you've had. That’s what we handle every day between 9 AM and 11 AM." – David Olds

If you’re ready to stop losing deals and start closing more contracts, it’s time to systematize your transaction coordination.

🔊 Final Thought: Stop Letting Closing Issues Kill Your Deals

Real estate isn’t about finding deals—it’s about closing them.

If you’re tired of deals falling apart at the finish line, it’s time to make transaction coordination a priority.

💡 Want to close more land deals, faster?

📌 Visit StartTC.com to learn more about EZREI Closings.

📌 Follow David Olds on Instagram (@DavidOldsREI) for expert tips.

👉 Drop a comment below: What’s the biggest title or closing issue YOU have faced? Let’s talk solutions! 👇

Enjoy the show!

David Olds is a seasoned and successful real estate investor based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. With a passion for real estate that began in 2002, David and his wife unknowingly purchased their first home, which turned out to be a foreclosure. Little did they know that this fortuitous event would be the catalyst for their journey into the world of real estate investing.

Building on his expertise and success in real estate investing, David founded ezREIclosings, a nationwide virtual Transaction Coordination Company that serves investors and wholesalers. At ezREIclosings, the team specializes in handling complex title problems, streamlining the closing process, and taking the burden of tedious administrative tasks and paperwork off the shoulders of investors. This allows investors to focus on their core business activities. By providing top-notch transaction coordination services, ezREIclosings not only facilitates more deals but also empowers real estate professionals to generate more revenue and attain greater freedom in their businesses.

ezREIclosings also helps investors offset their transaction coordination expenses and turn them into a profit center. With a focus on excellence, a wealth of experience, and a genuine desire to help others succeed, David Olds continues to be a driving force in the real estate investing community. His contributions to the industry and commitment to his clients have solidified his reputation as a leader and innovator in the field of real estate investment and transaction coordination.

Want to collaborate with David? Here's how to get started:

TRANSACTION COORDINATION & TITLE SOLUTIONS