We have DeRosa Group CEO & BiggerPockets Contributor Matt Faircloth on the show!  Real estate is a powerful vehicle for transformation. It can provide stability and security that a family needs to get ahead, and it also creates opportunities for entrepreneurs to build wealth. When we invest in real estate, we’re not just helping ourselves—we’re helping to make neighborhoods better places to live.

That is the mission statement that defines this episode. In this episode, Matt Faircloth shares his journey and tips on how to transform lives through real estate.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

• Scale smartly.
• Work hard to get your brand out.
• Always be ready to pivot.
• Be patient and creative when investing.
• Adopt a positive mindset.

Episode Highlights:

[08:46] How to Scale Smartly

Investing a large amount of money is a behemoth to manage. You have to work your way into it. Start small and do deals with your own money. Double your portfolio every time you do a deal.

[20:37] Investing with DeRosa

Some reminders for people who want to invest with the DeRosa Group include a.) Be patient. It takes time to build cash flow. b.) They invest in specific markets so you have to be okay with their markets because they have assets and operations in place already. c.) Believe in transforming lives through real estate.

[24:20] The Current Real Estate Market

The real estate market is slowly but surely coming back to a level of reasonability. But it does not change overnight. You must be patient and creative. Look at other asset classes besides housing. Find deals that make cash flow on the first day.

[32:26] Create a Positive Mindset

Your thoughts and words create your life. So try to think and speak optimistically. Things work out when you think and speak positively about things. Focus on what you want and fight for what you believe in.

Notable Quotes:

[10:36] “Put your ego down and just double your portfolio every time you do a deal.”

[29:27] “Find deals that make cash flow day one.”

[32:39] “My thoughts and words create my life.”

Resources Mentioned:

BiggerPockets

Raising Private Capital: Build Your Real Estate Empire Using Other People's Money by Matt Faircloth

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch

Reach out to Jeremy on LinkedIn and Instagram

Finding your niche as a real estate investor is important to pave success, and the short-term rental space is a lucrative space to consider if you know how to do it! Once you learn how it works, you will see how much capacity it has to bring in BIG amounts of cash flow. The question is, how do you begin?

In this podcast episode, Graham Singer, the co-founder and co-CEO of real estate investment firm Blue Pine Advisors, joins us to talk about his journey investing in the short-term rental business. He tackles the importance of understanding the market to find the niche that works for you, finding the right people to do the investment with, and finally, overcoming the fear of taking big risks to deliver bigger returns.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

• Find your niche and monitor the market.
• Find people to work with you instead of going it alone.
• Look for ideal locations to fit your niche.
• Budget for high-quality property management.
• Expand your network.

Episode Highlights:

[09:04] Lessons from the First Property

Go for an easy and low-risk property for your first investment. The first property is always a lesson to learn from - how to purchase, renovate, manage, refinance, and repeat. Over time, you’ll learn how to achieve bigger results.

[20:06] Finding Your Niche

It’s not all about just buying the first property you set your eyes on and turning that into a business. You need to find your niche by understanding how the market works. Graham decided his niche would be in luxury short-term rentals that can house a large group of people. He understood the high demand and low competition in that space. He also focused on purchasing properties in luxury locations and renovating them with luxury amenities, staying true to his chosen niche.

[28:42] Find the Right People to Do Business With

There are benefits to purchasing an Airbnb individually, but there are far greater advantages when not investing alone. Funding and management become much easier. Aside from partner investors, you’ll also want to connect with property managers, maintenance groups, etc. Expand your list of buyers and your business network.

Notable Quotes:

[20:53] “The whole logic with our investment strategy is there are far fewer luxury short-term rentals than there are studios.”

[29:52] “If you do go out in Airbnbs, you have to climb the algorithms. So your first few months aren’t going to be your best months.”

[31:48] “I would encourage people not to go out and do it yourself. Invest with you, invest with me, and let us do it because there are a lot of nuances.”

[41:01] “If you see something that’s probably too high to believe, it probably is.”

Links to Resources:

Connect with Jeremy: LinkedIn

Big Law Capitalist: Instagram | Apple

Connect with Graham: LinkedIn

Blue Pine Advisors: Website | LinkedIn

Funds: Private Equity, Hedge, and All Core Structures by Matthew Hudson, available on Amazon

AirDNA: Short-Term Rental Data Analytics: Website

The differentiator between good investors and great investors is the ability to spot opportunity in places others may not be looking.  This applies in traditional real estate and in the PropTech space.

There are no easy answers, but if you’re willing to work hard and think outside the box, you can reach extraordinary levels of success.

In this episode, Paul Wakim joins us to talk about how he entered into real estate investing and ultimately co-founded TwnSqr, a PropTech company. He discusses his entrepreneurial journey from starting a successful real estate photography company to developing a tech start-up that is disrupting the $226bn real estate sales and brokerage industry.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

• Don’t be afraid to act on opportunities when they present themselves.
• Adopt a problem-solving mentality.
• Expand your real estate network.
• The goal should be obtaining freedom of choice.

Episode Highlights:

[06:30] Why People Sell

Real estate would not exist if people did not want to sell their homes. So Paul learned how to code and built an algorithm to interpret the reasons people want to sell and how to find motivated sellers.

[09:15] Defining “Wholetailing”

Retail real estate is the traditional act of buying and selling real estate. Wholesale real estate is selling the contract to purchase before you purchase it. Wholetailing involves finding motivated sellers, purchasing the property, and then selling it to a buyer for a profit immediately after purchasing it.

[17:05] Exploring the Benefits of TwnSqr

TwnSqr is a marketplace for real estate investors and sellers to buy and sell properties themselves. They also have tools to support investors.

One of the defining tools of TwnSqr is that real estate investors can bring a property to the platform as well as their buyers list. Users are also able to share assets with each other. That allows investors to make connections and collaborate. TwnSqr is aiming to own the off-market inventory space in PropTech.

[26:09] What Drives Paul

He simply wants to have freedom of choice - to do exactly what he wants to do whenever he wants to do it. And the only way to get there and achieve that pure freedom is through hard work. He is now working remotely and can travel freely.

Notable Quotes: 

[8:01] “There is no such thing as real estate if somebody doesn’t want to sell their house.”

[21:23] “The guys that transact in high volume that keep their buyers continuously happy, they’re the ones that are getting the most value from the platform.”

[27:29] “I want to be able to do exactly what I want to do whenever I want to do it. And the only thing that I’ve known to get me there is just brutally hard, hard work.”

Resources Mentioned:

BiggerPockets

TwnSqr

Paul Wakim: LinkedIn

Reach out to Jeremy on LinkedIn and Instagram

Connect with Paul on LinkedIn.