5 Key Steps To Becoming A Successful Real Estate Investor
Success in Real Estate is not based on luck, family connections, or natural talent. There are no genetic or biological factors that will guarantee success in this business. BUT! You CAN be successful. Here’s the good news:
What Are You Already Good At And How Did You Get That Way?
We all grow and profit as investors in much the same way we would become successful in any other industry. When leading skill development workshops on Negotiating Skills, Deal Structuring, Creative Financing or any of our Investor Quick Start programs I often ask the attendees to think about something they have been good at or had success with in the past, be it a talent like playing the guitar, a sport or a hobby.
What made you good? What separated you from others?
The responses are always similar. They understand the specifics of what they were good at, they were focused, had a good plan, executed it, surrounded themselves with like-minded individuals who shared a similar passion, and were coached by a successful, experienced person.
As a youngster, I learned to play the trumpet. I took lessons in school with all the other kids. What helped me to excel and eventually play professionally were the hour and a half weekly private lessons with a professional musician. He helped me see the music differently; develop practice drills and a plan for effective practice.
Enjoying a successful business in Real Estate is no different. Virtually every successful, wealthy agent, broker and investor I know became wealthy because they took the time to educate themselves on different options and opportunities, have laser sharp focus, execute a well thought out marketing plan, surround themselves with a strong, experienced team, and have a coach or mentor.
1. Understanding Requires Core Knowledge
What is going on with the market now? What will the market be like a year from now?
In order to have a long, profitable career, you will need to be familiar with multiple ways to purchase properties and multiple ways to sell.
The strategy you utilize in a sellers’ market will most likely be different than the strategy you utilize in a buyer’s market. If you aren’t flexible and prepared to adapt to the changing market conditions, then you will be left behind. When the market changed from red-hot to ice-cold a few years ago, many agents and investors stubbornly kept the same marketing plan. They simply failed to respond to new conditions. After all, it had worked well in the past, so why change? Many of those folks are no longer in the business.
Rehabbers who failed to adapt have since lost their jobs had to find new careers. Recognizing when to focus on short sales, lease options, subject to, selling with owner financing, or buy and hold strategies is important. Mastering the different strategies required to adapt to a changing market will allow you to maximize your profits.
2. Possessing Laser Sharp Focus Is The Secret
Mastery of anything has a number of requirements but none is more important than one’s ability to focus. When are you at your professional best? It’s when you know exactly what you want and exactly what you are required to do in order to achieve your goal.
When do most mistakes occur? When uncertainty exists. Uncertainty is the opposite of focus. When you are focused, you complete tasks. People who lack focus tend to procrastinate and/or make unnecessary and sometimes costly mistakes.
There is no doubt that knowledge, or lack thereof, plays an important role in focus, as does our next step; having a detailed plan.
3. Your Marketing Plan
You can have all the knowledge necessary to close any real estate transaction, but if no one knows what you do, then how will you close any deals? If you are not generating leads and connecting with people, you will not have any opportunities for transactions.
So how do you attract motivate sellers? A good marketing plan will identify a number of different strategies. I recommend a minimum of 3.
Note – if 3 is good more are better!
When planning out your marketing strategies remember to budget your time as well as the financial requirements. It does you no good to have a goal mailing 500 letters a week or distributing 1000 flyers if you don’t budget time for this activity as well.
So what works best for attracting motivated sellers? When done properly, a targeted direct mail campaign is the most successful form of advertising. Incorrectly implemented is can also be a great waste of money. It is important that you work with an experienced company that has a solid track record and the right mailing list.
If you have no marketing dollars then you have to make marketing time to spread the word. Whether it is door knocking, gum-flapping or handing out business cards or flyers in front of a supermarket (I don’t recommend this) you must get the word out! Sometimes other people can help with this.
4. Build Your Dream Team
We’ve all heard the expression, “No man is an island.” It is true and you cannot do this business alone! Even if you are an extremely capable person that doesn’t require assistance from anyone else to buy, fix and a house, you will still require the services of another contractor, a lender, a title agent and attorney, CPA or other professional.
Why do you need all this help? What would you do if while you’re working on a project and another great deal falls in your lap? Leveraging others allows you to focus on your business and build your wealth faster. The assistance of others will lead to more transactions and more profits.
5. Leverage a Coach or Mentor
Think of one well known, highly successful person who is at the top of their field. It doesn’t matter if they are an athlete, actor, business tycoon or famous personality, they have one thing in common: a coach.
Coaches have experience in areas that you do not, can guide you, help you avoid major blunders, and drive you to do more than you ever thought possible.
It doesn’t matter how many books you’ve read or cds you’ve listened to; your first few deals will throw something at you that you’ve not seen before or even anticipated. When this unexpected and sometimes frightening situation occurs, it’s good to have someone who’s been through these situations before guiding you through the transaction.
To summarize, while virtually anyone can have success in the real estate business, not everyone will have success. If you seriously wish to be wealthy, then do what other wealthy real estate professionals do. They commit themselves to being life-long learners and never stop expanding their knowledge base.
Successful investors are extremely focused; they plan and execute diligently. They surround themselves with other successful professionals, and are coached by someone who will help them continually achieve more and do it in less time.
We are now accepting applications for our new and improved 12 month Personal Action Coaching and Transformation Program (PACT). This session starts in January! Learn more from our information and videos at www.PACTProsperity.com. To your success…..
