Protecting Your Payday: Managing Contract-to-Close Mayhem with David Olds
Date: (5 May, 2026)
Yesterday, we hosted our REsimpli Mastermind session with David Olds (EZREI Closings). David walked through the chaos that shows up after you get a seller under contract — why half of contracts die, what actually causes deals to break, and practical ways investors can protect their paydays so closings actually happen. Below is a recap of the major topics discussed.
Topic: Mayhem Between Contract and Close
Challenge: Most investors focus on lead generation and signing contracts, then assume the contract will close. In reality the period between signing and closing is when “mayhem” shows up: title issues, unexpected heirs, foreclosures, missing EMDs, buyers who ghost, renumbered addresses, probate, bankruptcy complications, lender issues, and shifting deadlines. These problems frequently kill deals — often after sellers and buyers have mentally spent the profit.
Advice:
Treat the contract as the beginning of the process, not the end. Build systems (or hire experts) to manage deadlines, validate title info, confirm all parties/signers, monitor foreclosure and bankruptcy timelines, confirm buyer funds (EMD), and maintain weekly seller communication. Don’t wait until a train-wreck appears — identify likely landmines early.
Key Insight:
You don’t get paid at contract signing — you get paid at closing. Protect that bridge from contract to close intentionally.
Topic: Transaction Coordination Isn’t Paperwork — It’s Deal Protection
Challenge: Many investors believe an “investor-friendly title company” will run the entire closing and protect the deal for them. Title companies focus on search and paperwork; they are not proactively running your deal, calling sellers weekly, postponing foreclosures, or chasing EMDs.
Advice:
Use a dedicated transaction coordination process or provider that treats every contract as a project: intake checklists, targeted discovery questions, weekly seller touches, title coordination, deadline management, buyer and lender follow-up, and escalation paths when issues arise.
Key Insight:
Transaction coordination is not an expense — it’s insurance for your revenue. One saved deal can pay for years of service.
Topic: Focus Where You Add the Most Value — Move from Hustler to Owner
Challenge: Operators try to do everything (marketing, underwriting, bookkeeping, closings, title troubleshooting) and become reactive. That prevents scaling and leaves deals exposed.
Advice:
As the owner focus on four things only: leads, sellers, contracts, buyers. Outsource or hire experts for the rest (transaction coordination, title, bookkeeping, PPC, etc.). Build processes to stack closings instead of gambling each payday on hope.
Key Insight:
CEOs protect deals and structure operations so closings are repeatable; hustlers burn out trying to do it all.
Topic: Common Landmines & Real Examples
Challenge: Landmines aren’t always obvious — wrong property addresses (911 renumbering), undisclosed foreclosures, probate with multiple heirs, missing LLC docs, bad legal descriptions, delayed lender payoffs, buyer EMD failures, and last-minute seller cold feet.
Advice:
Use an intake that forces discovery of red flags (probate, foreclosure, bankruptcy, heirs, trustee sale dates). Keep weekly seller contact. Have a title and TC partner triage early. If a foreclosure or sale date appears, act immediately — early intervention can postpone a sale and save the deal (David shared a real example where a TC’s 20 hours of work postponed a trustee sale and saved a $38k deal).
Key Insight:
The earlier you detect and act on these issues, the higher the chance of saving the deal.
Topic: Using Transaction Coordination Strategically (Pricing & Structure)
Challenge: Investors think TCs are expensive or unnecessary while they’re starting out.
Advice:
Structure TC costs into the deal — have buyers reimburse the fee at closing or include it as part of the transaction. Consider testing an external TC with a starter offer (David’s company offered a two-deal starter pack: handle 2 deals for the price of 1 at $9.97 for new clients). When done right, TC is ROI-positive because it saves closings that generate your revenue.
Key Insight:
Treat coordinated closing support as a profit-protecting investment, not simply a line-item cost.
Tools & Tactics Mentioned
- Transaction coordination with a standardized, deep intake (David described a 5-page intake that drives discovery)
- Weekly seller communication cadence from contract to close
- Partner title company network (David: 500+ partner title companies)
- Intake questions to surface foreclosure, probate, heirs, bankruptcy, sale dates
- Structuring TC fees into deals (buyer reimbursement clause)
- Offering a low-cost two-deal trial to test a TC provider
- “In the Trenches with your TC” YouTube content for real-world examples
- Data sources cited: REsimpli and First American Title (statistic: ~50% of contracts do not close)
Key Session Stats & Claims from David Olds / EZREI Closings
- EZREI has handled 9,000+ files nationwide
- They coordinate roughly 50–70 new contracts per week
- 500+ partner title companies nationwide
- Industry/stat data point referenced: ~50% of contracts fail to close (REsimpli + First American)
Best Advice from the Session
- Protect your deals: you get paid at closing, not contract signing.
- Focus on leads, sellers, contracts, and buyers — outsource the rest.
- Move from hustler to owner: build structure and processes that allow you to scale.
- Don’t rely on title companies to run your deal end-to-end — build proactive coordination into your workflow.
- One saved deal typically covers the cost of transaction coordination many times over; consider having the buyer reimburse the fee.
- Start with a trial if you’re unsure — test TC support on a couple of files before committing.
If you want to protect more of your closings, David recommended booking a short call to review your pipeline and see if a TC solution is a fit. Final note from the session: mayhem is inevitable, but the right processes and partners make it survivable — and profitable.
