How to Analyze a Real Estate Deal in Under 10 Minutes

The 10-Minute Deal Analysis

Not every deal deserves a deep dive. Most leads that come across your desk won't work — and spending 30-60 minutes analyzing each one wastes your most valuable resource: time.

This rapid analysis framework lets you evaluate any deal in under 10 minutes. If it passes, you do a deeper analysis. If it fails, you move on immediately.

Minutes 1-3: Quick Property Overview

What You Need

• Property address
• Property type (SFR, multi, land, commercial)
• Approximate square footage
• Bedroom/bathroom count
• Seller's asking price (or what they owe)

Quick Assessment

Pull up the property on your data provider or county assessor:

• Assessed value: What does the county think it's worth? (Not always accurate but a starting point)
• Last sale date and price: When did the current owner buy it and for how much?
• Tax status: Current or delinquent?
• Ownership: Individual, LLC, estate, or trust?

If the assessed value is $80K and the seller wants $200K — skip it. If it last sold for $180K two years ago and they want $90K — dig deeper.

Minutes 3-5: Comp Check (ARV Estimate)

Pull 3-5 quick comps:

• Same property type, similar size, within 0.5-1 mile
• Sold within the last 6 months
• Renovated condition (you want to see what fixed-up homes sell for)

Average the comp sale prices. This is your rough ARV.

Quick decision point: Is there enough spread between the seller's price and ARV to make a deal work?

ARV × 0.70 - Estimated Repairs - Your Fee > Seller's Asking Price?

If yes, continue. If no, move on.

Minutes 5-7: Repair Estimate

You don't need a contractor walkthrough at this stage. Use the tier framework:

• Light cosmetic ($10-15/sqft): Paint, carpet, fixtures — property is livable but dated
• Medium rehab ($20-30/sqft): Kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, some mechanicals
• Full gut ($40-60/sqft): Everything needs replacement

Based on the seller's description or photos:

• 1,200 sqft × $25/sqft (medium) = $30,000 estimated repairs

Add this to your MAO calculation.

Minutes 7-9: The MAO Calculation

For Wholesale: MAO = ARV × 0.70 - Repairs - Wholesale Fee

For Flip: MAO = ARV × 0.70 - Repairs

For Rental: MAO = (Monthly Rent × 12 × 0.50) / Target Cap Rate

Example (Wholesale):

• ARV: $175,000
• Repairs: $30,000
• Wholesale fee: $12,000
• MAO = $175,000 × 0.70 - $30,000 - $12,000 = $80,500

Can you get the property under contract at or below $80,500? If the seller wants $110K, the deal doesn't work for wholesale (but might work for a flip at $92,500).

Minute 9-10: Go/No-Go Decision

After 9 minutes, you have:

• Rough ARV from quick comps
• Estimated repair range from the tier framework
• MAO for your target strategy
• Seller's asking price or expected price

Go (proceed to full analysis):

• Seller's price is at or below your MAO
• The spread supports your minimum profit target
• No obvious red flags (location, property type, condition)

Maybe (negotiate):

• Seller's price is 10-20% above your MAO
• The seller seems flexible on price
• Worth a conversation to explore motivation and negotiate

No-Go (move on):

• Seller's price is more than 20% above your MAO
• No indication of flexibility
• Red flags: bad location, structural issues, title problems mentioned
• Not worth further time investment

The Quick-Filter Cheat Sheet

For Wholesale:

Is (ARV × 0.65) - Repairs > Seller's Price + $8,000? → Worth pursuing

For Flip:

Is (ARV × 0.70) - Repairs > Seller's Price + $25,000? → Worth pursuing

For Rental:

Is Monthly Rent ≥ Purchase Price × 0.01? → Worth pursuing (1% rule)

For BRRRR:

Is (ARV × 0.75) > Purchase + Repairs? → Capital recovery likely

What Happens After "Go"

If a deal passes the 10-minute filter:

1. Pull detailed comps (5-8, with adjustments)
2. Get more accurate repair estimate (contractor or detailed assessment)
3. Run full financial analysis (complete expense model for rentals)
4. Order a preliminary title search
5. Verify property details (survey, zoning, permits, condition)
6. Present your offer

The 10-minute filter saves you from spending 2+ hours on deals that were never going to work.

The Bottom Line

Speed matters in deal analysis. Use the 10-minute framework to quickly assess every lead: property overview (3 min), comp check (2 min), repair estimate (2 min), MAO calculation (2 min), go/no-go decision (1 min). If it passes, invest the time for a deep analysis. If it doesn't, move on immediately. The investors who analyze the most deals find the most opportunities — but only if they're not wasting time on dead leads.