How to Find U.S. Rental Property Deals as a Foreigner

Trying to find U.S. rental properties while living abroad? Here’s the big secret: there’s no single way to find dealers as a cross-border real estate investor. 

Whether you want to be deeply involved or stay hands-off, foreign investors have more tools than ever to successfully source and finance U.S. rental properties.

This guide breaks down a variety of options to do exactly that. Whether you’re buying your first investment or expanding an existing portfolio, we’ll walk through practical strategies you can use to find deals from anywhere in the world. From digital platforms to trusted boots on-the-ground partners, you’ll learn how to build a steady pipeline of opportunities that align with your goals, your budget, and your timeline.

Key takeaways:

• Use a mix of on-market and off-market strategies to expand your deal flow and avoid competing for the same listings as everyone else.
  
  
• Build a lead funnel to keep qualified opportunities consistently flowing into your inbox—so you're never waiting on the “perfect” listing to appear.

• Systematize your deal evaluation process so you can quickly filter out poor fits and confidently move on high-potential properties, even from abroad.

How to source leads on and off-market

Sourcing leads simply means finding potential properties to invest in—whether they’re actively listed for sale or not. For real estate investors, this is where the deal-making process begins.

When it comes to sourcing leads, there are two main paths: on-market and off-market.

On-market properties are the ones you’ll find on Zillow, Redfin, or through a real estate agent—they’re out in the open for everyone to see. Off-market deals, on the other hand, are more like hidden gems. They’re not listed publicly, so they take time and resources to discover. In general, on-market deals are easier to find (they’re everywhere) but often come with higher price tags and more competition. Off-market properties require time and effort to find, however there tends to be more flexibility in negotiating price.

So what’s a better option? Both give investors like you plenty of opportunities to spot deals, it comes down to your personal preference. Let’s look at both options in more detail.

On-market 

When it comes to on-market deals, there are three main places to find properties. Each one has its pros and cons, but the real magic happens when you use them together to build a solid pipeline of leads. Here are the top sources for on-market properties:

MLS (Multiple Listing Service)

This is the traditional way to find and buy real estate. It’s typically only accessible through a licensed real estate agent and includes the most accurate and up-to-date property data in a given market. 

The major advantage here is reliability. Listings are vetted, property details are consistent, and you have professional guidance throughout. However, because everyone else has access to the same listings, there’s more competition–especially in hot markets. 

Property aggregators (like Zillow and Redfin)

While property aggregators often source listings from the MLS, they may also include additional properties not found there. These platforms are great for scanning the market, setting alerts, and comparing prices. With full control over how you search and filter, these platforms give you more freedom to explore on your own terms. 

Turnkey providers

These companies offer fully renovated, rent-ready properties, usually aimed at out-of-state (or in your case, out of the country) investors looking for passive income.

Turnkey providers may handle everything from rehab to renter placement, making the process more hands-off. This convenience comes at a cost—turnkey properties are typically priced at a premium, and you’re trusting the provider’s quality and long-term property management. Be sure to research different providers, pay attention to reviews, and local reputation.

On-market deals are easy to find and offer clear info. But competition is high, so speed matters. Work with a great real estate agent who can spot strong leads and help you act fast.

Off-market

Off-market deals aren’t publicly listed, so finding quality leads takes a bit more effort and investigation. Investors use a handful of strategies to uncover these opportunities. Keep in mind that some require a financial investment for marketing expenses, while others demand more time and consistency. Depending on your bandwidth and investing style, here are the most common ways real estate investors source off-market properties:

Direct marketing to sellers

This strategy involves reaching out to property owners directly through methods such as email, text, cold calling, or direct mail—yes, that’s still a thing and it works in real estate. 

You can build targeted lead lists using public records, focusing on property owners who may be experiencing financial or personal distress. These often include absentee landlords, inherited properties, divorce situations, or owners behind on taxes. In many cases, these sellers are motivated but haven’t yet listed their property publicly—giving you a potential head start on a deal.

The big advantage here is exclusivity. You're often one of only a few buyers approaching them, which gives you more room to negotiate along with less competition than the MLS, for example. The downside? It takes time to work and you can’t take things personally. Response rates are typically low, and not everyone welcomes unsolicited outreach. Plus, if you’re doing this at scale, the costs for things like mailing campaigns, skip tracing, and lead lists can add up quickly.

For investors willing to put in the work, direct marketing can be one of the most effective ways to uncover undervalued, off-market deals before they hit anyone else's radar.

Wholesalers

Another avenue to find off-market deals is by working with wholesalers. Simply put, these people find properties by marketing directly to sellers, get them under contract at a discount, and then assign those contracts to investors for a fee. Since wholesalers do the deal-finding and bring them to investors, it’s more streamlined than if you chose to conduct direct marketing campaigns to sellers. 

So what’s the catch? In some states wholesaling is restricted or closely reviewed, especially when those people aren’t licensed real estate agents. The concern is that unlicensed wholesalers may misrepresent deals to sellers or buyers, creating legal and ethical gray areas.

Done right, wholesaling can be a viable way to access properties that never hit the open market, but due diligence is key to making sure the numbers truly work.

Tips to build a consistent lead funnel

If you want to find a property that meets your criteria, you need to build a funnel that allows you to consistently find and analyze deals. Here are five practical tips to help you build and maintain a deal funnel that actually works:

• Systematize lead generation: When lead generation becomes routine, finding deals becomes predictable. You need to consistently bring in leads from multiple sources. Use MLS alerts (your real estate agent can help with this), Zillow-like websites as well as off-market tactics to ensure that you always have fresh opportunities to evaluate.
  
  
• Track your leads: Whether you use a simple spreadsheet or pay for a CRM, you need something to help you organize your pipeline. We recommend that you label properties to explain where they are in your pipeline such as “new,” “analyzing,” “offer made,” or “follow up.” That way, you always know where each deal stands.
  
  
• Use tools to speed up analysis: It can take analyzing hundreds of deals to find one worth pursuing, so the key is to minimize the time spent on each individual property. Tools like Rentometer, Zillow, BiggerPockets, and smart spreadsheet templates let you make informed decisions faster. That way, you can focus more energy on the deals that look promising.
  

• Set aside time each day to review deals: Consistency always wins. Even 30 minutes a day dedicated to reviewing new properties, analyzing deals, or following up with your real estate agent keeps momentum going. 

• If a deal looks good, act on it: Speed matters in real estate—especially in competitive markets. If your numbers check out and it fits your criteria, don’t overthink it, make an offer.

Finding a Deal is Just the Beginning

Once you’ve found the right property, the next step is getting it under contract and making sure your financing is ready to go. For foreign investors, that’s where things can get tricky. Waltz makes it simple by offering U.S. rental property financing without requiring U.S. credit or income.

Learn more about financing with Waltz.

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