Jeremy Brandt

This transcript has been edited for clarity, readability, and flow. Minor adjustments have been made to remove filler words and improve structure while preserving the original meaning and intent of the conversation.

Henry Harrison:
Well hello, Jeremy. Thank you very much for being on Entrepreneurs, Business and Finance.

Jeremy Brandt:
Thanks, Henry. Great to be here.

Henry Harrison:
I’m going to give a fairly long introduction for my good friend Jeremy Brandt, because he has done—and is doing—a lot of things.

He is the founder of WeBuyHouses.com. He’s an entrepreneur, a lender, an angel investor, and has a strong focus in real estate technology.

He’s been featured in major media outlets including:

• Fox News

• CNBC

• CNN

• Fox Business

• NPR

• USA Today

• The Wall Street Journal

And even Larry King Live.

We met through Entrepreneurs’ Organization, where you were president of the Dallas chapter, then founded the Fort Worth chapter, and later served at a global leadership level.

You’ve also invested with me personally, and we recently celebrated my birthday at your home.

Let’s go back to the beginning—how did you get started?

Jeremy Brandt:
I think I was always an entrepreneur.

I grew up in Washington State, homeschooled, and I’m the oldest of six siblings. I was always independent—buying things at Costco and reselling them, doing odd jobs, and looking for small business opportunities.

When my family moved to Texas, I got involved in computers and networking, which was perfect timing. I worked at a computer store and did side work.

Then during the dot-com crash, I got laid off from a consulting job I loved.

Looking back, that was one of the best things that ever happened to me—it pushed me into entrepreneurship.

Henry Harrison:
And you started in real estate.

Jeremy Brandt:
Yes, I began flipping houses in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.

Then I combined my tech background with real estate and built a lead generation business.

We were doing SEO and online marketing for real estate investors before most people in that space.

We’d generate leads from homeowners wanting to sell, then connect them with local investors and take a fee.

That evolved into Fast Home Offer, which has now been around for over 20 years.

Later, I acquired WeBuyHouses.com, which became a major scaling opportunity.

Henry Harrison:
One part of your story that stands out—you were essentially on your own at 16.

Jeremy Brandt:
Yes.

When my family moved back to Washington, I stayed in Texas because I had a job I loved.

My parents were incredibly supportive—they trusted me to make my own way.

That was a huge gift, and I’ve always been grateful for it.

Henry Harrison:
Let’s talk about WeBuyHouses.com.

Jeremy Brandt:
Sure.

After building my lead business, I wanted to scale further.

I pursued WeBuyHouses.com for about five years before finally acquiring it.

My vision was what I call the “anti-franchise.”

Instead of a rigid franchise system, we built:

• A strong national brand

• Technology infrastructure

• Buying power and vendor discounts

• A peer network

We license the brand to experienced real estate investors across the country.

They operate independently, but with our support and infrastructure.

We don’t micromanage their business—we focus on:

• Ethics

• Compliance

• Consumer experience

That flexibility has attracted highly successful investors.

Henry Harrison:
And the network itself is powerful.

Jeremy Brandt:
Absolutely.

We host annual mastermind events where investors share:

• Marketing strategies

• Deal structures

• Lessons learned

Because they each have exclusive territories, they’re not competing and can collaborate freely.

At one point, the network was buying around 3,000 houses per year nationally.

Henry Harrison:
How did you become such a recognized expert in media?

Jeremy Brandt:
It actually came from a book called Free PR by Jeff Crilley.

The idea was simple: reporters need expert sources.

So I started calling reporters when I saw real estate stories and offering my perspective.

Some ignored me—but some didn’t.

Over time, that built relationships and credibility.

Henry Harrison:
And the Larry King Live story?

Jeremy Brandt:
That’s a fun one.

I heard a promo on satellite radio about a real estate segment. I called CNN and offered to be a resource.

A week later, they called me back—and that’s how I ended up on the show.

It’s a reminder that sometimes opportunities come from simply raising your hand.

Henry Harrison:
Let’s talk about challenges. The 2008 housing crisis was a major one.

Jeremy Brandt:
Definitely.

During that time:

• I shut down one business entirely

• Lost 60–70% of clients in another

• Went from multimillion-dollar revenue to severe losses

I laid everyone off, gave up my office, and worked from home.

For about 2–3 years, I was just trying to lose less money each day.

Eventually, I made a full reset:

• Cut all unnecessary costs

• Simplified operations

• Focused on survival

Most competitors went out of business.

So when the market recovered, we were one of the only players left—and we captured the rebound.

Henry Harrison:
That’s a powerful example of perseverance.

Jeremy Brandt:
Entrepreneurship is hard.

If you want a low-stress life, this isn’t it.

But if you push through, the upside can be significant.

Henry Harrison:
You also do speaking and mentoring.

Jeremy Brandt:
Yes, I enjoy sharing lessons—especially mistakes.

If I can help someone avoid years of struggle, that’s meaningful.

I joke that I’ve only been to college as a speaker, not a student—but I’ve spoken at universities and law schools about entrepreneurship.

Henry Harrison:
That’s a great place to end.

Jeremy Brandt, founder of WeBuyHouses.com—thank you for coming on the show.

Jeremy Brandt:
Thanks, Henry. I appreciate it.