Oct 19, 2026

This week Brett McCollum joins The A Game Podcast: Real Estate Investing for Entrepreneurs with Nick Lamagna for an honest conversation about overcoming homelessness, building self-worth, recovering from a major business loss and using real estate data to find motivated sellers faster.

Brett is an investor, entrepreneur, educator and podcast host based in Gainesville, Florida, and he is now with Property Radar, a real estate data and prospecting platform. He grew up in poverty, was homeless twice as a kid and attended 27 different schools. After a short run in pro baseball ended when the Minnesota Twins organization cut him, he built a career as an insurance adjuster, settled more than 5,000 claims and learned negotiation skills that later carried over into wholesaling. He went on to do hundreds of deals, flip houses, build partnerships and coach other investors.

One of the biggest themes in this conversation is that “nobody’s coming to save you” doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. Brett explains how poverty fueled his drive, why a big check can still trigger imposter syndrome, and why trying to fix a major loss by himself made the recovery take far longer than it needed to. He also breaks down why most investors are sending too much direct mail, how to target the people most likely to sell, and why fresh data gives you a competitive edge.

In this episode we talk about:

  • How growing up in poverty shaped his drive and why “nobody’s coming to save you”

  • What 5,000+ insurance claims taught him about negotiation, and why it made him a better wholesaler

  • Why his first wholesale check made him cry, and how to push through your first deal

  • Imposter syndrome and self-worth: why successful investors feel like frauds, and the forgiveness “hack” that changed his mindset

  • The mistake he made after a major business loss and why you need a community or mastermind

  • Why investors are sending too much direct mail, and how to target smarter

  • How to find motivated sellers using distress signals like pre-foreclosure, probate, tax delinquency, and high equity

  • How dynamic lists, skip tracing, and automated mail, calls, and texts save time

  • Why fresh data is a competitive edge over other investors

Brett’s story is a reminder that real estate success isn’t just about tactics. It’s about mindset, community and using the right tools to act faster than your competition. Whether you’re a new wholesaler chasing your first deal or an experienced investor looking to scale, this conversation covers both the mental game and the practical steps for finding motivated seller leads.

BRETT MCCOLLUM

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/brett_mccollum/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/brettcmccollum

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-mccollum-767099137/

Threads:
https://www.threads.com/@brett_mccollum

 

PROPERTY RADAR

Website:
https://www.propertyradar.com/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/propertyradar.info

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/PropertyRadar

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/propertyradar/

Twitter:
https://x.com/PropertyRadar

TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@property_radar

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/PropertyRadar

Threads:
https://www.threads.com/@propertyradar.info

 

START YOUR 5-DAY FREE TRIAL:
https://www.propertyradar.com/register

CONNECT WITH NICK LAMAGNA

Want to buy, sell or partner on a real estate investment?

DM Nick the words REAL ESTATE on social media or email:

podcast@nicknicknick.com

All links: https://www.nicknicknick.com/links

Subscribe to The A Game Podcast: Real Estate Investing for Entrepreneurs on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

If this episode gives you value, please subscribe, rate, review and share it. Tag Brett McCollum and let him know what part of the conversation hit home for you.