Episode 60: What would we do if we were starting a business in 2026

Dec 2, 2025

Dive into the future of land investing as hosts explore the shift in strategy that led to a major departmental overhaul. Discover key market insights highlighting changes in Southeast markets and the importance of skill over team size. Learn about a tactical 90-day blueprint for achieving significant revenues and the value of data-driven decision-making. They share essential tech tools for investors and emphasize mastering lead channels like texting. Finally, explore creative offer structuring to close more deals in this evolving landscape.

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ANECDOTE

Dismantling The Dispo Department

Clay decided to dismantle his dispo department after reviewing six months of land.com leads that produced only two deals.
He will replace it with one core broker manager to reduce overhead and complexity.

INSIGHT

Market Selection Needs Surgical Precision

Market selection must be surgical in 2026 using short-term demand and days-on-market trends.
Target markets where days-on-market are shrinking and short-term prices are stable or rising.

ANECDOTE

Builder Cornered A Subdivision Win

A listener found a builder who agreed to buy every lot in a near-complete subdivision and flipped dozens of lots for large short-term profits.
The play created its own comps and generated rapid returns with minimal tech or CRM needs.

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🎙️ Welcome to The Ground Game Podcast! 🎙️

Join hosts Clay Hepler and Justin Piche in this episode as they dive deep into the real state of the land business as we head into 2026. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, they’re unpacking what it truly means to thrive in today’s competitive market.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

The Shift in Strategy: Why Clay made the bold move to dismantle his entire dispo department after a thorough analysis of performance across land.com and Facebook.
Market Insights: Justin reveals the slowdown in traditional Southeast markets and how evolving days-on-market trends are reshaping their acquisition strategies.
Skills Over Size: Why the next era of land investing demands sharper skills rather than bigger teams, and how you can adapt to this shift.
A 90-Day Blueprint: A tactical roadmap for both new and seasoned investors aiming for multi-six-figure revenues in 2026.
Data-Driven Decisions: The exact data points they now use to identify winning markets and the rise of value-add land investing, including mobile homes and improvements.
Mastering Lead Channels: Which lead channels are worth your time in 2026, and why texting and agent farming are outperforming PPC for beginners.
Essential Tech Tools: The minimum tech stack every investor needs, including CRM systems and AI tools.
Sales Skills Matter: How AI is changing the way teams train and why mastering sales skills is more crucial than ever.
Creative Offer Structuring: Tips for crafting offers that close more deals and the dangers of hiring too many VAs too quickly.
Scaling Responsibly: Why targeting $500K–$1.5M/year flipping cores is key before layering in value-add strategies, and how to leverage broker relationships and capital partners for growth.

Tune in for actionable insights that will empower you to rethink your approach to land investing. Remember, in this evolving landscape, the right strategies can transform your business and set you on the path to success in 2026!

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