How to Find and Connect with Real Estate Investors (Local vs Online): and why it matters
Finding Local Real Estate Investment Clubs / REIA meeting
Find a local real estate investment club. Tap your state.
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Washington DC
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virgin Islands
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
In cities and towns all across the country, real estate investment clubs connect investors to education, a targeted network, and resources. New and experienced real estate investors attend to find information on real estate investments, find local private money lenders, and share resources.
You may find this surprising, especially if you’re just launching your investing business. But it’s true. When you’re involved in real estate investing you NEED other real estate investors.
Why the heck should you connect with “the competition?” Your first thought might be “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” — but that’s the wrong way to think about your fellow investor.
Why Does Connecting with Other Real Estate Investors Matter?
If you’re brand new to real estate investing — no matter the niche — another successful real estate investor can be an invaluable resource. They’ve walked the walk and have the experience you can tap into.
Not only can they be a source of education, but they can also provide referrals and point you to resources that may have taken you ages to find on your own.
An experienced investor can also be a potential mentor. Many successful real estate investors started out under the wing of an investor before them.
More Great Reasons to Find and Connect with Investors in Your Area
- Real Estate Investors are Deal Makers.
Hardly anyone buys every deal they come across. When you’re tapped into a network of real estate investors, you can buy the deals they may not want. You can also sell them the deals you don’t want. It can be a “great scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” arrangement.
- Real Estate Investors are Connected.
Real estate investing is a team sport, though it may not seem like it. No one does real estate investing alone, no matter if you’re a fix and flipper, a single-family landlord, or a commercial property investor. Each needs a carefully selected team to support their business, everyone from closing attorneys to contractors to property managers. Look to your fellow investors to find the best of the best in any of the trades.
- Real Estate Investors can be Partners.
Someone once said, “Great deals are created, not located.” That not only applies to taking down a great deal on a property, it also applies to working with partners. The right real estate investing partner on the right deal can help grow your real estate investing endeavors faster and better.
How to Find Real Estate Investors in Your Area
Now you know why it’s important to connect with investors in your area, so let’s talk about HOW. Networking used to be based on face-to-face interaction. Today, effective networking happens both live and online. Here are some of the best ways to find real estate investors in your target investment areas.
ConnectedInvestors.com offers multiple ways to connect with investors wherever you choose. Unlike other social sites, Connected Investors brings together like-minded people who invest in real estate. Hands down, Connected Investors is the simplest and fastest way to connect with other investors.
Inside you can easily
- Find real estate investors
- Join or create Real Estate Groups
The beauty of Connected Investors is that it also connects you to online tools and resources. For example, if you have a wholesale deal and want to notify local investors, all you have to do is quickly upload it to the investment property Marketplace. Your deal gets blasted to investors in your area. It quick, easy, painless, and effective!
Other (less targeted) Online Resources
- Craigslist Ads — You can locate local investors including wholesalers using craigslist. Search for “We Buy Houses” ads or scroll through the real estate ads looking for posts related to buying houses, investment properties and cash buyers.
- LinkedIn — While it’s possible to find local real estate investors, LinkedIn isn’t built to target the searches you need. The process to find locals is a much bigger challenge than using a more industry-targeted site like Connected Investors.
How to Join Real Estate Investment Clubs
There are all kinds of advice out there for getting involved in real estate investing. But probably the most often repeated piece of advice is, “Join a Local REIA.” An REIA group is a Real Estate Investor Association group that is part of the National REIA. Consult the directory to find an REIA group in your area.
You’ll find real estate investors involved in a variety of activities — wholesalers, flippers, landlords, property, and money brokers along with just about every other aspect of investing. Some real estate investment clubs have subgroups devoted to new investors, landlords, flippers, and more. Membership fees vary by group.
Local Networking Groups/ Meetups for Real Estate Investing
Not all local real estate investment clubs are part of the national network of REIAs. A simple search of Meetup.com can help you locate local investment groups.
Guerrilla Tactics to Find Real Estate Investors in Your Area
- Real Estate Auctions
Being in the right place at the right time can put you in direct contact with local investors. Real estate auctions can be a great place to meet like-minded investors. Courthouse auctions as well as other real estate auctions bring out real estate investors and wholesalers. It can create the ideal opportunity to introduce yourself.
- Bandit Signs
Bandit signs are all over the place proclaiming “We Buy Houses.” The investors responsible for those signs are great prospects for networking — they’re in the business and can be a great contact. Call the number on the sign; introduce yourself. Share contact info and maybe even arrange a time to meet. Ask where they network with other investors and make a point to show up.
Successful Networking 101
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo2oNxnBLtc&feature=youtu.be
There’s a great article on networking how-tos at entreprenuer.com. It’s a great read; here are the top-line points:
- Set a goal to meet five or more new people at each event.
- Try one or two new groups per month.
- Carry your business cards with you everywhere.
- Don’t make a beeline for your seat.
- Don’t sit by people you know.
- Get active. Volunteer in some capacity.
- Be friendly and approachable.
- Set a goal for what you expect from each meeting.
- Be willing to give to receive.
Expand Your Reach
Virtually every successful business today has a web presence and you should too. Whether you are becoming a buyer, seller, wholesaler, or landlord, people expect to find your business online. There are many options for websites, but few that are built specifically to handle the business of real estate investing. We recommend DealInSite which offers lead capture, lead management, property listings, and more.
Your Network is Your Net Worth
You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. — Dale Carnegie
Read about how to succeed in business and you will undoubtedly come across the importance of building your connections. In real estate investing in particular, your network can greatly impact your net worth. The time and effort it takes are one of the biggest investments you can make.
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