His First 22-Acre Land Deal Made $104,000

In this episode of The Real Estate Investing Podcast, Ron Apke interviews Jonathan Duong about his journey from making just $3,000 in his first year of land investing to eventually building a seven-figure business. Jonathan shares how he got started in 2019 after leaving his last job and looking for a way to build a real estate business completely from his laptop.

After months of analysis paralysis, he finally sent his first batch of mailers and closed his first deal in 2020.
From there, things slowly started to click. Jonathan talks about making $43,000 on his second deal, learning some hard lessons about managing money as a new entrepreneur, and eventually building a lean operation focused heavily on infill lots. He breaks down how relationships with builders, higher-value "sniper" markets, and a mix of SMS and direct mail helped him go from his first six-figure year in 2022 to more than $1 million in revenue in 2024.

Throughout the episode, Jonathan and Ron get into the strategies and mindset that have helped him stay in the business for the long haul. He explains why he likes having buyers lined up before targeting properties, how doing additional due diligence can create bigger spreads on infill lots, and why he's now beginning to expand into larger acreage deals after making a $104,000 assignment fee on his first 22-acre deal.

They also talk about the importance of being transparent with sellers, adapting as the land industry changes, building financial intelligence, and staying patient when success doesn't happen immediately.

Jonathan shares how his faith has helped keep him grounded through the highs and lows of entrepreneurship and why taking action, finding the right community, and focusing on what's in front of you can make all the difference when building a land business.

Watch the full episode to hear Jonathan’s complete journey, how he built a seven-figure land business, and the lessons he’s learned along the way.