Real Estate Investing 101: 5 Steps to Get Started (or Restarted)

Real estate investing can be overwhelming for novices, especially when you are bombarded with information. Because this is a broad topic, the numerous options available can be confusing. You can harm your investment if you pursue the incorrect path or make poor decisions. As a capital-intensive project, it is best to try to learn from the mistakes of other investors rather than making them yourself.

In this article, we’ll go over five steps to getting started or restarting your real estate investment career. These actions will help you save time, money, and energy.

 

Step 1: Identify your financial stage and set your financial goals

Investing in real estate is similar to embarking on a journey. You must be aware of your current location as well as your desired destination. Without this, your investment will lack focus and direction. When you look at the big picture, where do you see yourself, and where do you want to be? Choosing real estate investments should act as a vehicle to get you from your current place to your desired destination.

Some investors desire real estate to take them to the point of financial independence. At this level, their income covers all of their living expenses.

To start, you’ll need to know the five stages of wealth:

• Stage 1: Survival
• Stage 2: Stability
• Stage 3: Saver
• Stage 4: Growth
• Stage 5: Income

Assess yourself carefully to see where you stand on the wealth scale. Where do you see yourself in six months, a year, five years, and ten years? This will assist you in determining the best direction to take in your real estate venture, as some techniques are more suited to a specific stage than others.

Step 2: Choose a suitable real estate investment strategy

There are numerous real estate investment strategies. The ultimate goal for those in wealth stages 1 and 2 is to learn, prevent losses, and gain extra revenue. During these stages, your plan should include:

• Becoming a real estate agent and helping buyers find suitable properties. During this process, you will learn about the investment.
• Maintaining your usual source of income to earn more money.
• Renting a unit or room in your residence to understand the process.
• Acting as a leasing agent for landlords and helping them get suitable renters.
• Learning home upgrades and remodeling by supervising projects.

For those in stages 3 and 4, the goals are to increase your savings and grow your net worth. The strategies here include:

• Real estate wholesaling
• Live-in flip
• Fix and flip

For potential investors in stage 5, the goal is to turn your existing equity into investments to earn more income. The strategies here include

• Providing loans to other real estate investors
• Diversifying
• Buying more passive assets (for example, net-lease commercial and higher-quality residential rentals).
• Paying off your debts.
• Selling off low-quality properties and using the money to buy high-quality ones.

Step 3: Build a strong team

Real estate investing requires collaboration and a strong sense of teamwork. Your network will help you maintain a profitable real estate portfolio. You will require the following while assembling your team:

• The maintenance and service team – comprises a home inspector, painter, plumber, pest exterminator, closing agent, HVAC technician, general contractor, yard service, and handyman.
• The internal team – includes friends, relatives, mentors, spouses, and business partners.
• Your support team – includes barristers, lenders, property managers, and accountants.

With the right team, they will offer you the needed network, skills, and expertise to succeed in the business.

Step 4: Search for good deals

Good deals are essential for owning a successful real estate portfolio. However, you need to put in the work before you find them. Good deals require careful planning and research, as numerous deals are available. However, only a few of them are lucrative.

Like the famous saying “opportunity meets preparation,” some good deals are seasonal. You need to prepare and wait for it. Doing so helps you take advantage of the chance when it presents itself.

Step 5: Prioritize your next move

Your actions should be in line with your real estate investment objectives. That is the only way to make your goals a reality. Make a step-by-step action plan to achieve your goal. To accomplish this, we recommend that you follow the steps outlined below:

• Identify one or two suitable projects of interest.
• List step-by-step actions that will help you complete these projects.
• Perform the actions one at a time.
• Complete each activity as they lead you toward your goals.

 

Real estate investing involves meticulous planning and strategizing. When putting your plans into action, you must be proactive. We propose involving real estate investing professionals from the planning stage all the way through execution and exit.