How I Built a Real Estate Business That Runs Itself (Without Relying on Zillow or Realtor.com)

21 Oct 2025 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:27

Lars Hedenborg built a real estate business using direct mail and a managed database instead of Zillow or Realtor.com. He targets 8 to 10x ROI and keeps costs around $1,500 per closed lead, versus the high fees paid to lead vendors. The system treats agents as marketers and the database as the real asset.

Questions this video answers

Up to 40% at closing.

8 to 10 times return.

Average commission $15,000; should cost around $1,500 all-in to acquire and close via direct mail/system.

I made the decision that I was going to become a world class direct response marketer. I want you to implement the system that it's going to be in your business forever. So let's take database example. Agents that fail to scale 10 to 15 to 20 years in the business, they didn't focus on their database like it was worth a million dollars a year in gci. Maybe I was just wired in a way where I was more systems driven. On the one hand, we're desperate for transactions so we're just sort of commission seeking salespeople. I ask everyone to put on business builder hats on the regular and also inside of that, a marketing hat. I want to turn you all into marketers where there is no lead to purchase. Here the industry has become so lazy overall where we're just looking for someone else to get in the way of us and a buyer or a seller and we're just going to pay for that lead, whatever they want to charge us. Now Zillow Flex is up to 40% at closing. They're dictating the amount of money that you could make on that closing. My rule of Thumb is an 8 to 10 times return is what we're shooting for. So if you set up these systems properly and average commission check in your market is $15,000, it should cost you around $1,500 all in with direct mail, with the system, the tech and all of it to get that expired or for sale by owner to closing.