Using a Realtor for Investment Properties

[Macaulay Okwah]

I'm looking for some guidance on whether I am required to use a Realtor to buy my second property or not. I hear all of these success stories from so many people about buying rental properties but  no one has ever mentioned if they used a Realtor or not. I assume some state laws require you have a real estate agent in order to close on a house/investment property. My question is do I need a Realtor to buy on/off market deals, and if, so what are someone good questions to ask to make sure thier expertise aglins with my investment strategy? 

[Kerlous Tadres]

I’d recommend asking things like:

“Do you invest yourself?”
“How many investment transactions have you closed?”
"Do you understand BRRRR, cash flow analysis, cap rates, rehab estimates?"
“Do you have contractor, lender, PM, and insurance connections?”
“How quickly can you run numbers or get into a property?”