How to Learn About Real Estate Investing

Real estate investing is a tried and true method for building generational wealth that is widely practiced by successful individuals. Although homeownership is a good start, to make serious money in real estate, you’ll need to go deeper. Real estate investing is far from easy. But anyone with the interest and gumption can become an investor. Here are a few ways you could learn different real estate investing strategies.

How to Learn About Real Estate Investing

Become a Real Estate Agent

Real estate is a hands-on business that takes time and experience to learn. A college education isn’t required to make money in real estate – although you can take college courses on the subject. 

Many investors start as real estate agents and work their way up. Becoming an investor doesn’t require a license. However it doesn’t hurt to understand the business from a different perspective. It gives those who choose this route an advantage later on in their career.

Becoming a real estate agent will give you experience and insight into the business. It will help you build connections and put you in contact with those who can teach you about investing. It will also give you access to databases and a client pool that will serve you well as an investor.

Join an Investor Program

You may consider joining an investor program if you aren’t able to become a real estate agent. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of real estate investor programs in existence. Some are reputable and will help you learn the ropes, while others are an outright scam.

Any industry where fortunes are made will attract con artists. These hucksters look to con people with promises of a get rich quick scheme. Real estate investing is a solid way to build wealth in a relatively short amount of time (compared to other investment strategies). However, that doesn’t mean you’ll instantly become a millionaire just by going into business with a particular mentor or group.

Any program that makes extravagant claims about the money you’ll make by joining – especially if they are charging a fee upfront – should be scrutinized. There is money in real estate investing. But it’s not as simple as handing over 10 grand and coming back to collect 50.

But, if you do your research and find a mentor or group that will help you learn the business without taking on all the risk by yourself, these partnerships can be a great way to get the ball rolling

Books and Online Courses 

Real estate comes more naturally to some people than others. If you are a natural people person or already working in a sales job, you may not need any hands-on experience to get started investing.

However, it’s still imperative that you do your research and understand the complexities of the business before you fully commit. Even if you understand how money is made in real estate investing. But it’s a more complicated process than just shelling out cash. As lucrative as real estate can be, bad investments can turn into a money pit. So it’s important to do your homework.

Reading books and taking online courses is a good start if you’re looking for something flexible. BiggerPockets is a great online resource for real estate investing strategies and resources. They have a blog and forum where people can ask questions and get feedback from seasoned pros.

Although books and educational content are a good place to learn, it’s helpful to also build a network to support you through any struggles. Although there are great books and guides out there, it’s impossible to cover every single situation or issue that may arise throughout your investing career. Building a strong network will give you a council to bounce ideas off of and find help in areas you may be struggling with.

There is no definitive resource on how to learn about real estate investing. Trial and error is the only effective method because it’s a business that can vary greatly from person to persona and by region. But if you’re dedicated it’s a business that can be mastered with hard work and time.