For over 20 years, I ran a simple business: I built websites and rented them to loan officers and real estate agents for $300-500/month each.
Not consulting. Not custom projects. Not “website design services.”
I built digital rental properties and collected monthly rent. Eventually, I had 47 properties generating $18,800/month in predictable recurring revenue. Then I sold the business.
Let me show you exactly how it worked—and why this model is even better in 2025.
The Original Model (2005-2025)
What I built: Lead generation websites for loan officers and real estate agents. These weren’t custom designs—they were templates I built once and cloned to multiple clients with their branding and local market information.
What they got:
- Professional website with their branding
- IDX integration (for real estate agents)
- Lead capture forms and landing pages
- Basic SEO setup for their local market
- Monthly hosting and maintenance
- Ongoing updates and improvements
What I charged: $300-500/month depending on features and market size.
The math:
- 47 active clients
- Average rent: $400/month
- Monthly recurring revenue: $18,800
- Annual revenue: $225,600
Not bad for a solo operator working 20-25 hours per week.
Why It Worked (The Strategy)
1. I solved a real problem: Loan officers and agents needed websites but didn’t want to pay $5K-10K upfront or manage hosting, updates, and tech issues. Monthly rent was easier to swallow than a big upfront cost.
2. I built once, sold many: Instead of custom building for every client, I created 3-4 core templates. New clients got the same proven system with their branding. I could onboard a new client in 2-3 hours instead of 40.
3. Low churn, high lifetime value: Real estate professionals keep their websites for years. My average client stayed 3-5 years. At $400/month, that’s $14,400-24,000 per client lifetime value.
4. Predictable income: I knew what was coming in every month. New clients were pure upside, not replacement income. I started every month with $18K in the bank before doing anything.
5. Minimal maintenance: Once set up, websites required 1-2 hours per month per client for updates. I batched everything. Fridays were “maintenance day.” The rest of the week I could acquire new clients or improve the systems.
The Client Acquisition Strategy
People always ask: “How did you find clients?”
Cold outreach: 80% of my clients came from cold emails and LinkedIn messages. I targeted agents and LOs who had terrible websites or no website at all.
My pitch: “I rent professional websites to [real estate agents/loan officers] for $397/month. No big upfront cost, no tech headaches. You get leads, I handle everything else. Want to see examples?”
Conversion rate: About 10-15% of people who saw a demo became clients. I did 3-5 demos per week and closed 1-2 per month on average.
Referrals: Happy clients referred others. By year 5, 30% of new clients came from referrals.
What I’d Do Differently Today (The 2025 Version)
The model worked. But if I were starting today, here’s what would be even better:
1. Use GoHighLevel instead of WordPress: GHL is built for agencies and multi-client management. It’s faster, more powerful, and includes CRM, automation, and funnel builders. Way better than cobbling together WordPress plugins.
2. Add AI for speed: I can now build what took me 40 hours in about 4 hours using AI prompts. ChatGPT writes copy, generates images, and builds automation workflows. The barrier to entry is 10x lower.
3. Go beyond websites: Websites alone aren’t enough anymore. Today’s clients need complete marketing systems—funnels, email automation, SMS follow-up, review management. GHL does all of this in one platform. The value (and rent) is higher.
4. Target more niches: I was stuck in real estate because that’s where I started. Today, you can build rental systems for ANY niche: contractors, fitness studios, med spas, e-commerce stores, course creators. The total addressable market is 50x bigger.
5. Charge more: I was charging $300-500/month. Today, complete marketing systems rent for $497-997/month. Better tools = higher value = higher rent.
The New Math (What This Looks Like in 2025)
Let’s say you replicate my model with modern tools:
- Build 25 rental properties (I had 47, but let’s be conservative)
- Charge $500/month average (I charged $400)
- Total recurring revenue: $12,500/month
- Annual revenue: $150,000
But here’s the kicker: You can build each property in 4-8 hours now (thanks to GHL + AI), not the 30-40 hours it took me with WordPress. That means you can hit 25 clients in 6-9 months instead of 2-3 years.
And you’re not limited to real estate. Pick any niche where businesses need marketing systems and can afford $300-700/month. They’re everywhere.
The Exit (Why This Is an Asset, Not a Job)
In 2024, I sold the business. Not for millions, but for a meaningful multiple of annual revenue. Why? Because recurring revenue businesses have value. They’re predictable, scalable, and transferable.
If you’re doing one-time projects or freelancing, you have a job. When you stop working, the income stops.
If you build a portfolio of rental properties generating recurring revenue, you have an asset. It has value beyond your labor. You can sell it when you’re ready to exit.
That’s the difference.
The Lesson: Build Once, Sell Forever
I spent 20 years proving this model works. Now the tools are better, the opportunities are bigger, and the barriers are lower.
You don’t need to be technical. You don’t need a huge budget. You don’t need a team.
You just need to build systems that businesses will rent, clone those systems to multiple clients, and collect monthly revenue that compounds over time.
That’s it. That’s the model.
And it works in any niche—not just real estate.