Everyone talks about passive income. But here’s what they don’t tell you: most “passive income” strategies are either one-time payments disguised as recurring revenue, or they require you to build a massive team to scale.
I spent 20 years in the real rental business—except my properties were digital. I rented websites to loan officers and real estate agents for $300-500/month each. Built once, collected monthly. No tenants calling about broken toilets. No property management headaches. Just recurring revenue that compounded every single month.
Eventually, I sold that business. The model worked. But here’s the thing: what I did in 2005-2020 is even EASIER today. The tools are better. The margins are higher. And you can do it in any niche, not just real estate.
The Portfolio Approach
Think about traditional real estate investing. You don’t buy one rental property and call it a day. You build a portfolio. Property #1 cash flows $800/month. Property #2 adds another $950/month. By property #10, you’re at $8,500/month in predictable income.
Digital rental properties work the same way—but with better economics:
- Build time: 4-8 hours per property (not months)
- Upfront cost: $0-200 (not $50K+ down payments)
- Monthly rent: $297-997 per property (30-40% margins)
- Maintenance: 1-2 hours per month per property (not constant repairs)
- Scalability: One person can manage 25-50 properties (try doing that with real estate)
What Is a “Digital Property”?
It’s a marketing system you build once using tools like GoHighLevel and AI, then rent to businesses who need it. Examples:
- A lead generation funnel for contractors
- An automated follow-up system for e-commerce stores
- A client pipeline for fitness studios
- A CRM for real estate agents (my specialty for 20 years)
- A launch system for course creators
You build the system ONCE. Then you clone it to multiple businesses in the same niche. Each one pays you monthly. You own the system—they rent access to it.
The Math to $10K/Month
Let’s say you charge $400/month average per property:
- 5 properties = $2,000/month
- 10 properties = $4,000/month
- 25 properties = $10,000/month
- 50 properties = $20,000/month
Most people can realistically build and manage 2-3 properties per month once they have the systems down. That means:
- Month 3: 6 properties = $2,400/month
- Month 6: 15 properties = $6,000/month
- Month 12: 25 properties = $10,000/month
Every month you’re adding to your base. It compounds. And unlike one-time projects or launches, you don’t start at $0 next month.
Why This Beats a Traditional Agency
I’m not interested in building a traditional agency. I don’t want to manage a team, chase new clients every month, or deal with high-maintenance retainers. The digital portfolio model is different:
- Solo operator friendly: You can do this alone
- Predictable income: You know what’s coming in each month
- Low churn: Good systems retain clients for years
- Scalable: Add properties without adding proportional time
- Sellable: It’s an asset you can eventually exit (like I did)
The Real Estate Comparison
People understand rental properties. They get the concept of building equity, collecting rent, and eventual sale value. Digital properties work the same way—but you can build your first one this weekend, not this year.
You’re not starting from scratch every month. You’re building a portfolio that generates income while you sleep, compounds over time, and creates real wealth.
That’s the model I used for 20 years. That’s what I’m teaching now. And that’s how you escape the one-time sale trap forever.