Craig Fuhr, Senior Loan Officer at Dominion Financial and co-host of Real Investor Radio, sat down with Brad Chandler, co-founder of Express Homebuyers. As one of the Northeast’s most active investors, Brad has flipped over 4,500 homes and built one of the nation’s leading home-buying companies, showcasing the story behind Express Homebuyers success.
The conversation explores his early days, the company’s rapid growth, and the key lessons he’s learned along the way. A key takeaway? Success in real estate happens over time and requires developing the right partnerships and strategies. Let’s dive in:
Q: How did you decide to start Express Homebuyers, and what’s been the trajectory of the business?
Brad Chandler: “It all started when I was in ninth grade and read Robert Allen’s book on how to buy real estate with no money down. That book set me on a trajectory because it made it obvious that there was unlimited income potential in real estate. Fast forward to 2002, an investor bought my neighbor’s house, fixed it up, and sold it. I didn’t even know you could do that, but after talking to him, I was hooked. I spent months doing everything from putting ‘We Buy Houses’ signs on telephone poles to hand-addressing thousands of envelopes. It took hard work, but by July 2003, I bought my first house.”
Q: So, did you have any real estate experience before Express Homebuyers, or was this your first big venture?
Brad Chandler: “No, it’s funny. I didn’t have much experience. I was working for a developer at the time, and after my son was born in July 2002, I spent my evenings hustling to make this dream happen. I’d come home from work, spend time with my family, and then work from 8 to 11 PM every night. It was relentless. I started out thinking I’d do rehabbing because, at the time, I believed that wholesalers were the ‘uneducated’ ones. It wasn’t until 2017 that I realized how profitable wholesaling could actually be.”
Q: What did you do to get your business going in those early days?
Brad Chandler: “I had a negative $80,000 net worth from my University of Wisconsin MBA, so I didn’t have much money. I had to be resourceful. I relied on things like ‘We Buy Houses’ signs, door hangers, direct mail, and networking. My first big break was a house I found on a Yahoo listserv. It was a crazy experience—I even had to learn on the fly what terms like ‘land trust’ and ‘subject to’ meant. But it paid off, and I made $43,000 on that first deal. That’s when I knew this was going to work.”
Q: How did you end up partnering with Jud?
Brad Chandler: “In October 2003, I met Jud, who’s still my partner today. I had put a ‘We Buy Houses’ sign on one of the properties, and Jud, who lived nearby, cold-called me. We met at a local restaurant and formed a partnership. He had a couple of thousand dollars, and I had zero. We were both doing the same roles until we realized we needed to divide responsibilities. Jud took over construction and finance, while I focused on acquisitions. We then slowly built our team, hiring an admin first and learning to put systems and processes in place.”
Q: You were one of the first to run TV ads. How did that come about?
Brad Chandler: “Yeah, in early 2004, we started advertising on TV. My dad was a lawyer who built a successful practice using TV ads in the 1980s, so I thought, ‘Why not?’ I had a local company create a jingle for $1,200—probably the best money I ever spent. We started buying cheap ad spots for as little as $10 each. We didn’t have a lot of money, but those ads helped build our brand. Today, we spend around six figures a month on marketing.”
Q: How did Express Homebuyers grow from there?
Brad Chandler: “By 2005, things were booming. We made $1.5 million in profit in the first five months of the year. But then, in the summer, we made a series of costly mistakes with development deals and lost $3 million. It took us years to recover from that. I’ve learned that chasing money won’t bring you happiness. It’s something I’ve come to realize over the years, especially as my motivations have shifted from money to purpose.”
Q: Your marketing is legendary. How many leads do you generate monthly, and what’s your conversion rate?
Brad Chandler: “We generate anywhere from 300 to 500 leads a month, and we typically convert one out of every eight to ten leads into an appointment and, ultimately, a contract. It’s all about persistence and process.”
Q: Let’s talk about the real estate market today. What are you seeing in Northern Virginia?
Brad Chandler: “Things are starting to slow. Properties are sitting longer, but prices haven’t dropped yet. The market is definitely shifting, and we’re adjusting accordingly. It’s a constant balancing act in this business.”
Q: I want to touch on something deeper. You’ve talked about realizing that money alone doesn’t bring happiness. Can you share more about that journey?
Brad Chandler: “Yes, Craig. I’ve realized that if you think something external—like money or material success—will make you happy, you’re wrong. I spent years trying to prove my worth by chasing money, and it never worked. I had an underlying belief from childhood that I wasn’t enough, and it took me years to understand and heal that. Now, I’m focused on living a purpose-driven life and helping others. The funny thing is, when you shift your mindset from making money to making an impact, the money often follows.”
