Luke Van Der Veer: How Website Rentals Create Passive Income & Freedom Through Digital Real Estate

Tired of building someone else's dream in a 9-to-5?

The traditional path school, job, save for retirement often ends in burnout, not freedom. If you’re feeling stuck or uninspired, you’re not alone.

Luke Van Der Veer broke the mold—and built his own digital empire.

After years of trying side hustles, Luke discovered the power of renting out websites like digital real estate. Today, he earns passive income by generating leads for local businesses—without being tied to any one client or job.

In this episode, Luke unpacks how he turned SEO into a 6-figure lifestyle business, and why this model could work for you—even if you’re starting from scratch.

Key Takeaways:

• Why the “hope and pray” method of saving for retirement doesn’t work

• How Luke escaped corporate life by renting lead-gen websites

• The SEO strategy behind choosing profitable, low-competition niches

• How he builds passive monthly income with flat-fee or pay-per-lead deals

• Why business acquisition is his next level of digital leverage

• The tools and mindset he uses to stay ahead of Google's algorithms and AI disruption

About the Guest:

Luke Van Der Veer has helped hundreds of people build passive income and take control of their lives. His students have built 6 and 7-figure incomes, quit their jobs, escaped the trap of trading time for money, grown their businesses, and completely transformed their lifestyles.

Links:

https://lukevanderveer.com/

Fast Five Questions:

1. If you woke up and your business was gone, you have $500, a laptop, a place to live, and food, what would you do first? “I'm going to pick a niche that's local to me… something like concrete, plumbing—high value, emergency services… I’ll set up a GMB listing, push it for leads, and do paper lead deals—$50–$100 per lead. That solves rent and starts scaling.”

2. What is the biggest mistake that you have made in business? “Focusing only on the money. I chased side hustles based on how much they could make, not whether they fit me. That wasted 3.5 years. I should’ve asked: ‘What model can help me create the life I want?"

3. What is a book that you would recommend? “DotCom Secrets by Russell Brunson. Honestly, get all three of his books. Sales, personal growth, marketing—he puts it all together. Massive impact.”

4. What is a tool that you use every day that you would recommend? “WhatsApp. My freelancers are all over the world. It’s the easiest way to message, group chat, and coordinate in one place.”

5. What is your definition of freedom? “Doing whatever you want, whenever you feel like it, with whoever you want—without asking for permission. For me, that’s family and friends. And I have that now.”

About Jeff:

Jeff spent the early part of his career working for others. Jeff had started 5 businesses that failed before he had his first success. Since that time he has learned the principles of a successful business and has been able to build and grow multiple seven-figure businesses. Jeff lives in the Austin area and is actively working in his community and supporting the growth of small businesses. He is a board member of the Incubator.Edu program at Vista Ridge High School and is on the board of directors of the Leander Educational Excellence Foundation

Connect with the Freedom Nation podcast at https://freedom-nation-podcast.captivate.fm/

Connect with Jeff:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffKikel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkikel/

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

Leave us an Apple Podcasts review

Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.