Wholesale assignment fee: set it from the buyer's margin.
An assignment fee is what a wholesaler is paid for assigning the purchase contract to a cash buyer. The fee that works is not a round number you pick in advance: it is whatever is left after the buyer's repairs, costs and required profit come out of the after-repair value, minus your contract price. Price it from the buyer's side and deals sell instead of sitting. To find buyers for the deal, see how to find cash buyers for wholesale deals.
The max-fee formula
Worked example
Made-up numbers to show the math. A house has a $250,000 after-repair value and needs $40,000 of repairs. The buyer's closing, holding and selling costs run about 10% of ARV, so $25,000. Buyers in that area want around 15% of ARV in profit on a medium rehab, so $37,500. Your contract price is $130,000. Max fee = $250,000 − $40,000 − $25,000 − $37,500 − $130,000 = $17,500. Ask $25,000 and the buyer's profit drops to $30,000; some will pass, and the ones who stay may try to renegotiate before closing.
Run your own numbers in the free wholesale deal analyzer: it shows your MAO, the room under it, the buyer's all-in cost and the buyer's profit and return after your fee.
Assign or double close?
An assignment is usually cheaper: one closing, and the fee is paid at that closing. A double close means you buy the property and resell it, often the same day, so you pay a second set of closing costs and may need transactional funding, but the buyer does not see your spread on the assignment paperwork. Compare the two with your numbers in the assignment vs double close calculator.
What to track in your CRM
Planned fee vs closed fee
Save the fee you expected when you went under contract and the fee that actually closed. The gap shows how often buyers push back and on which kinds of deals.
Fee by lead source and campaign
Average fee per closed deal by source tells you more than lead counts do. A source with fewer leads and bigger fees can beat a cheaper one.
Assignment or double close
A picklist on the deal, plus the extra closing costs on double closes, so the report shows what you actually kept.
Questions
What is an assignment fee?
The amount a wholesaler is paid for assigning their purchase contract with the seller to an end buyer. The buyer pays the seller the contract price and pays the wholesaler the fee, usually at closing.
How much is a typical assignment fee?
There is no standard amount. It depends on the spread between your contract price and what buyers in that market will pay. The useful question is not what is typical but how much fee this deal can carry while the buyer still makes the profit they need.
Does the buyer see my fee?
With an assignment, usually yes: the fee appears in the assignment agreement and on the settlement statement. If a large fee would put the buyer or seller off, a double close is the common alternative, at the cost of a second set of closing costs.
Is assigning a contract legal everywhere?
Rules on wholesaling, assignment and disclosure vary by state and change over time, and some purchase contracts forbid assignment. For example, Oklahoma's SB 1075, in effect since November 1, 2025, requires written disclosures to the seller and a two-business-day right to cancel. This page is not legal advice; check the contract and ask a local real estate attorney before you assign.
What should my CRM track about fees?
The fee on every closed deal, the fee you planned when you went under contract, the lead source and the campaign. That shows which sources produce the deals with the biggest fees and how often fees get cut before closing.
Related
DocuSign contracts from the deal · Invoicing fees with QuickBooks · Wholesale deal analyzer · Assignment vs double close · Cash buyers list template · Double closing costs · All guides · All free tools
Several states now regulate how you contract and assign, with disclosures, cancellation windows and closing deadlines. See new wholesaling laws: what your CRM has to track, state by state.
Last updated October 2026. Not legal or tax advice. Oklahoma law source: press release on SB 1075.
Want every fee tracked by source?
I build Salesforce for real estate investors and wholesalers: deal records with planned and closed fees, assignment or double close, and a report of what each lead source actually earns. Start with a free 30-minute call or the fixed-price CRM Revenue Audit (USD 1,500).
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