Podcast Summary

Podcast: How Much Can I Make? — Real Jobs. Real People. Real Money.

Episode: Digital Real Estate - Buying Websites For Cash Flow
Host: Mirav Ozeri
Guest: Matt Rad (Digital Investor / Business Buyer)
Date: January 5, 2026

Episode Overview

This engaging episode explores the world of "digital real estate," a growing field where entrepreneurs buy, renovate, and profit from existing websites. Host Mirav Ozeri interviews Matt Rad, who, together with his wife Liz, transitioned from being zoologists to successful digital business owners. They share hands-on advice, real-life success stories, strategies for finding and evaluating sites, and actionable tips for anyone curious about online income streams—or the idea of owning a website that pays you in your sleep.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What is Digital Real Estate? [00:59]

• Digital real estate entails buying existing websites (excluding e-commerce sites), often built around hobbies or "passion" topics.
• Matt compares websites to virtual property:
  • "The street is the web address...the house is the website that sits on there." (A, 00:59)
• The strategy: buy neglected but established sites, renovate (improve content/SEO/monetization), and hold for cash flow.

2. Matt & Liz’s Background and Journey [02:20]

• Former zoologists turned business renovators
• Early career in physical (bricks and mortar) businesses, experienced bankruptcy and high risk.
• Switched to online businesses for flexibility and scalability.
  • "We realized...we can do on the Internet what we’ve always done with bricks and mortar." (A, 04:23)
• First major online win was an affiliate crafting site, which immediately started earning passively across international borders. [04:58]

3. How Does Buying Websites Make Money? [05:16]

• Websites earn via:
  • Advertising (e.g., ad clicks)
  • Affiliate links (e.g., product recommendations with commission)
  • Digital products/courses
• Owners may know nothing about the site’s topic; content can be created by hired writers or outsourced experts.
  • "We’ve bought websites that we know nothing about...We just pay crocheters to write articles." (A, 06:01)

4. Examples and Success Stories

A. The Gardening Blog Flip [07:41]

• A couple bought a neglected gardening site for $400 (owner was ready to close it).
• After a "renovation" (SEO, fresh content), now gets 80,000 visitors/month and nets $4,000/month (seasonally higher).
  • "He hadn’t posted in a year or two...They tidied it up. Now it gets 80,000 visitors a month." (A, 07:45–08:17)

B. Ashleen’s Portfolio [08:56 & throughout]

• Tech professional burnt out; buys multiple hobby sites (crochet, car, sewing, fishing) for under $1,000 each.
• Part-time work, outsources content, now earns ~$8,000/month.
• Bought a "Thai massage" course site for $45,000; it nets $3,000–$5,000/month, run completely remotely.
  • "She knows nothing about fishing, sewing, or cars...she just outsources. This is just in the last year...making $8,000 a month." (A, 08:56)

C. Annette’s Travel Blog Buy [30:04]

• Bought a travel blog with a 10-year history and 100,000-member Facebook group for $5,000.
• Now makes $4,000/month while traveling Australia, leveraging AI and sponsorships.

5. Skills & Time Commitment Required

• Tech skills are helpful but not mandatory—WordPress and web builders suffice (no coding needed) [24:46].
• "Build a website" is a core skill, both for due diligence and for starting small digital projects.
• Most start it as a side hustle, scaling up when they master the process (typically 6–12 months learning curve) [11:29; 12:56; 25:21].

6. Due Diligence & Evaluating Sites

• Treat like buying any business: research, check traffic and profits, verify analytics and revenue.
• "If you go to Flippa...the main metric that we’re looking at...is profit and traffic." (A, 17:39)
• Tools: Google Analytics (request live access), bank account video walk-throughs for bigger deals, and brokers’ verification [18:43–19:42].
• Start small (under $1,000) and work up to bigger, pricier sites. Never buy the first site you see.

7. Monetization Methods Explained

• Advertising: Small payouts per click or impression, requires lots of traffic (e.g., 3,000–10,000+ visitors/month) [21:11–22:01].
• Affiliate marketing: Higher payouts (e.g., Amazon referrals at 4–5%), fewer visitors needed if high-ticket products/courses [22:03–23:22].
  • "She sells a course, $400...you only need 10 a month and that's four grand a month." (A, 22:46)

8. Where and How to Buy Sites [14:20; 28:12]

• Use brokers (Flippa.com recommended for beginners; sites often <$1,000).
• Market is mature—blogs and content sites can sell for millions.
• Thousands of opportunities: "Over 5 billion...websites on the planet." (A, 28:01)
• Look for under-monetized, authentic sites often run by hobbyists or people "tired" of them.

9. Risk, Flops, and Multiples [25:24; 26:43]

• Not risk-free; mistakes and occasional big losses are part of the business.
• Sites valued at "three times net profit" is a typical benchmark.
  • "If it makes $100,000 a year, then it's probably worth around $300,000." (A, 26:53)
• Expertise comes with reps and patience.

10. AI’s Impact [28:23]

• Double-edged sword: AI makes due diligence and content creation faster but floods market with low-quality sites.
• Value now in real experience, authenticity, and sites with loyal communities/social media presence.
• Social media (Facebook groups, Instagram, etc.) is increasingly critical in valuing and renovating sites.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "We literally made money while we slept." (A, 04:59)
• "We just buy the website. Typically they're very simple sites, they're advertising sites. We like to buy what we call passion websites." (A, 00:59)
• "If you can't afford $1,000, you should not be doing this or you should not be buying a business. I'm going to be blunt about it." (A, 14:20)
• "It's not a get rich quick thing...Like it would take you six months to 12 months to learn." (A, 11:29)
• "She knows nothing about fishing, sewing, or cars...she just outsources. This is just in the last year...making $8,000 a month." (A, 08:56)
• "There’s definitely risk here...But buying compared to what we used to do with bricks and mortar, we’re now just buying websites under $50,000. I think that’s a sweet spot." (A, 26:08)
• "Any one time on Flippa, there’s around 300 websites for sale and our clients are on there all the time...No one bid on the website that Ashleen just bought. Not a single person." (A, 28:12)
• "AI is a double-edged sword...for certain websites it’s actually good, because people want real...They don't want the AI generated stuff, they want real experience." (A, 28:28)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:59 – What is digital real estate?
• 02:20 – Matt & Liz’s background and switching from zoology to business.
• 04:23 – Light bulb moment: moving online for freedom and market reach.
• 05:16 – Website monetization basics.
• 07:41 – Success story: $400 garden blog turning $4k/month.
• 08:56 – Ashleen’s $8k/month side hustle with hobby sites.
• 11:29 – Learning curve: how long to master this field.
• 14:20 – Where to buy websites & recommended beginner brokers.
• 17:39 – Most important due diligence metrics: profit and traffic.
• 18:43 – How to verify traffic and profits (analytics and bank account checks).
• 21:11 – Traffic thresholds for viable sites.
• 22:03 – Affiliate marketing explained.
• 24:46 – Required skills, learning to build a website, no coding needed.
• 25:24 – Discussing losses and risk; biggest flops.
• 26:43 – Valuation multiples: standard ways to price sites.
• 28:23 – AI’s impact on digital real estate.
• 30:04 – Social media’s role; travel blog with 100k-member Facebook group.

Resources & Next Steps

• Flippa.com: Recommended marketplace for website beginners (under $1,000).
• ebusinessinstitute.com: Matt & Liz's website with free masterclass and further resources.
• Digital Investors Podcast: More case studies of people making money online (student success stories).
• Skill to Build: Learn to build WordPress sites for both due diligence and extra income.

Takeaways

• Anyone can get started in digital real estate with minimal tech skills and a willingness to learn.
• Begin small, do your due diligence, and see website acquisition as a side hustle or career pivot.
• Real money can be made buying neglected websites and turning them around—but there are risks and a learning curve.
• The future of this field will revolve around authenticity, niche knowledge, and effective use of both social media and AI.

Episode Closing

Host Mirav Ozeri sums up the episode with excitement about this unconventional way to generate income, thanking Matt Rad for his openness and insights. Listeners are encouraged to explore digital real estate as a lucrative side hustle and to check out Matt's masterclass or podcast for learning opportunities.