4 Things You Need To Do To Start Investing in Real Estate

Steps to Success

Investing in Real Estate is one of the best ways to obtain financial freedom. The passive cashflow, tax benefits, and potential upside from appreciation make it one of the best ways to increase your net worth. But without a guide, it can be scary. Here are four things you need to do to start investing in real estate.

1. Go on BiggerPockets

Join the website https://biggerpockets.com. It’s one of the best websites that introduces new investors to the game. The website has one of the best forums and communities that teach you how to invest and where to invest. They host a weekly podcast where they invite guest speakers to explain the different types of real estate investing.

The website has plenty of original content and material such as eBooks, guides, and blog posts. Reading this material and browsing the forums will get you familiar with common concepts and a basic understanding of the business. Create an account today and start asking questions on the forum!

2. Read Books

Books are an invaluable tool to self-education. Very few things in the real estate investing world is original, and a lot of scenarios have been seen in the past.

Books such as “The Millionaire Real Estate Investor” by Gary Keller is a fantastic book to introduce you into the world of real estate. It goes over the mindset of an investor and what common things to look for in a property. The book also has actionable steps for you to do your first deal.

The best part about this book is how it changed my mindset and made me think bigger. Instead of investing to become a millionaire, the goal of this book is to teach readers how to make a million each year through their passive investments. What a concept! I explained how important it is to “Think Big” in an earlier post here: The Number One Way To Guarantee Success and Financial Freedom.

3. Listen to Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to get the inside scoop on the investing world. While reading blog posts and books are a great way to get familiar with the business terms and lingo, there’s only so much information you can read before your eyes hurt and you want to take a nap.

Podcasts are amazing because you can listen to them anywhere. You can listen to them in your car on the commute to and from work. Or you can listen to them while you’re at the gym. Heck, you can even listen to them as a bedtime story before going to sleep.

People are busy, and rarely have time to read and study. Podcasts allow you to learn while you’re on the move. I typically speed up the podcasts to 1.5x speed to get more content in less time.

Another great thing are the variety of guests that can come on the show. On my podcast, “The Everything Real Estate Investing Show“, I interview real estate professionals to get the inside scoop on the industry. You will never see a book written about staging, contracting, or real estate photography, but you will be able to hear about it on my show!

4. Attend Meetup Groups

Finally, when you have some basic knowledge of the industry and can start talking like an investor, show up to some of your local meetup groups! The real estate investing community is the most generous and giving community that I know.

Go to the meetups and meet some of the big players in your area and take them out for lunch to hear their story. By meeting and talking to the different investors, you’ll find out what type of investing jives with you. It could be flipping homes, buying out of state properties, or being a passive investor in a syndication!

Show up to the meetups on a consistent basis, and you will be guaranteed to succeed. If you need tips on what to do at a meetup, you can read one of my previous guides here: “The Absolute Best Way to Become Successful as a Real Estate Investor“.

If you live in the Bay Area, come to my meetup! We meet at least once a month. Click on the link to get a schedule of our next meetup! Looking forward to seeing you there! https://www.meetup.com/SVREIM/

Conclusion

Starting a new venture is always scary. Luckily, there are people that are willing to help. Follow the four steps outlined in this post and you’ll have a smooth ride into becoming a real estate investor. Sign up for Biggerpockets, read relevant books, subscribe to podcasts, and attend meetups.

Once you’ve followed those four steps, make sure you take action and EXECUTE! Find ways to help the big players you met at the meetups by bird dogging, cold calling, or performing tasks for them that they don’t want to do. Get involved and continue to learn. One day, you’ll be as successful as them. Good luck!