Honestly... How do people actually meet other Investors

New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes

Hello BP!
I’ve been trying to figure out how people actually build real connections with other investors. Im a twenty year old who is considered new to the investing scene to people who have lots of time in the market. Ive been trying to really look for ways to meet other people who also love to invest and have similar interests but I have found I have to very actively look for these people and most the time online they are all trying to just sell you something. The bigger investment meet up groups are easy to find online, but most of them have an entry fee and ive been wondering if others do them and enjoy it. I’d really like to connect with people who are actively doing deals in any market or plan to and are working toward similar goals. Whether that’s through consistent local meetups, smaller leadership type groups, or just a few people open to talking shop in person. Please let me know how you all have done it!

"The quality of your life is directly related to the quality of the people you spend time with." — Shane Parrish

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Crystal SmithPro Member

Moderator

Real Estate Broker · Chicago, IL · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes

4mo

Quote from @Carson Cicenas:

"The quality of your life is directly related to the quality of the people you spend time with." — Shane Parrish

At the beginning we found a local Robert Kiyosaki Cash flow game. There were novice, along with experts playing. At the game we learned of other opportunitie and just expanded out from there. There's a place on BP where you can find local events, freee and paid.

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JD MartinBusiness Member
Moderator
Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 17k+ votes
4mo
Go where the investors are. That can be meetups, local real estate groups, events such as seminars, even just going to regular things like housing auctions or open houses. And get involved in the BP forums here - lots of good posters here that have nothing to sell you (such as myself). Yes, a lot of people online are trying to sell you something but not everyone.
Another thing you can do is start your own meetup group. For a number of years I was part of a mastermind group with a bunch of other investors and we met online on a zoom call on a regular basis to just discuss RE, set goals, etc.
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- Carson Cicenas
  OP
  New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes
  4mo
  @JD Martin
  
  Thanks JD, this is super helpful. I like the idea of starting a small mastermind group — hadn’t thought of that. Have you found the Zoom ones to be as effective as in-person?
  0 Reply
- JD MartinBusiness Member
  Moderator
  Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 17k+ votes
  4mo
  Quote from @Carson Cicenas:
  
  @JD Martin
  
  Thanks JD, this is super helpful. I like the idea of starting a small mastermind group — hadn’t thought of that. Have you found the Zoom ones to be as effective as in-person?
  
  Yes, it was just as good as being in person. Actually more so because we were spread out all over the US. So ours gave you a good cross-section of people in the country doing different things.
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  1 Reply
- Shiloh LundahlPro Member
  Rental Property Investor · Gilbert, AZ · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
  4mo
  @JD Martin I concur.
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Kenneth GarrettPro Member
Investor · Florida Panhandle/Illinois · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
4mo
Hi Carson,
This a people business. You need to interact with people. Local REIA meetings are the best way as well as meetups. When I started, I went to local REIA meetings. Those meetings would hold open houses for active projects where they would discuss how they found the deal, what they paid for the property, the rehab they were doing, the cost of the rehab and the exit strategy. These meetings were very beneficial when I started out.
Best of Luck.
2 Reply
- Carson Cicenas
  OP
  New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes
  4mo
  @Kenneth Garrett
  
  Thanks Kenneth, appreciate the advice. Local REIA meetings sound like a great move. Were those pretty easy for you to get into when you first started?
  0 Reply
Ken M.
Investor · Get yourself trained before doing something inadvisable. · Member since 2024 · 3k+ posts · 1k+ votes
4mo
Quote from @Carson Cicenas:

Hello BP!
I’ve been trying to figure out how people actually build real connections with other investors. Im a twenty year old who is considered new to the investing scene to people who have lots of time in the market. Ive been trying to really look for ways to meet other people who also love to invest and have similar interests but I have found I have to very actively look for these people and most the time online they are all trying to just sell you something. The bigger investment meet up groups are easy to find online, but most of them have an entry fee and ive been wondering if others do them and enjoy it. I’d really like to connect with people who are actively doing deals in any market or plan to and are working toward similar goals. Whether that’s through consistent local meetups, smaller leadership type groups, or just a few people open to talking shop in person. Please let me know how you all have done it!

"The quality of your life is directly related to the quality of the people you spend time with." — Shane Parrish

I'd start with attend meetings where like minded people are.

1 Reply
- Carson Cicenas
  OP
  New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes
  4mo
  @Ken M.
  
  Thanks, checking it out tonight! Appreciate you taking the time.
  0 Reply
Nicholas L.Pro Member
Flipper/Rehabber · Pittsburgh · Member since 2018 · 6k+ posts · 5k+ votes
4mo
@Carson Cicenas
find other Carsons and start your own beginner house hacking mastermind
good luck
1 Reply
- Carson Cicenas
  OP
  New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes
  4mo
  @Nicholas L.
  
  Instead of looking for other Carsons, I’ll probably look for more Nicholases. Starting a beginner mastermind is actually a solid idea; might do that.
  0 Reply
Jules Aton
MD/DC · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
4mo
What do you do for a living? Networking is far easier if you are a Realtor, Contractor or Tradesman.
1 Reply
- Carson Cicenas
  OP
  New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes
  4mo
  @Jules Aton
  
  I’m currently a firefighter and finishing up academy and switching departments right now. My plan is to get my real estate license once I’m settled in about a year or so. So hopefully that helps with the networking side of things!
  0 Reply
G. Brian DavisPro Member
Investor · Hatboro, PA · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 890 votes
4mo
I'd encourage you not to worry too much about finding the "perfect" group. Find a few places where active investors gather; local meetups, REIAs, online communities, networking events, and become a regular.
Most of the meaningful connections I've made in real estate didn't happen overnight. They came from showing up consistently, asking good questions, following up, and staying involved in the community.

Over time, you'll naturally figure out who is actually doing deals and who is mostly selling something.
2 Reply
- Carson Cicenas
  OP
  New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes
  4mo
  @G. Brian Davis
  
  This is great advice, thank you. I really like the point about consistently showing up and asking good questions. That makes a lot of sense.
  0 Reply
Wale LawalBusiness Member
Real Estate Broker · Houston | Dallas | Austin, TX · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 2k+ votes
4mo
@Carson Cicenas
I assure you that the best networking I have ever done was through persistence and providing value, as opposed to paying for membership in expensive networks. Go for meetings in your locality, provide your services, contact people one-on-one, and keep those connections going. Experienced investors would not mind sharing their knowledge, especially knowing that you mean business.
Good luck!
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- Carson Cicenas
  OP
  New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes
  4mo
  @Wale Lawal
  
  I definitely agree on the emphasis on providing value first. That’s a good mindset to have. Thanks for your insite it means a lot!
  0 Reply
Tabish Masood
Investor · Sterling, VA · Member since 2026 · 89 posts · 48 votes
4mo
One thing I’ve noticed is that the best relationships in real estate usually come from working on something together, not from attending networking events.

A lot of new investors think they need to meet hundreds of people, but in reality, a handful of quality relationships can make a huge difference.

If I were starting over, I’d focus on:
- Local real estate meetups (even if you only attend occasionally)
- Investor-focused Facebook groups in your market
- Volunteering to help other investors with projects or open houses
- Following up with people you meet instead of collecting business cards
- Finding people who are 2–5 years ahead of you, not necessarily 20 years ahead
I’ve also found that asking thoughtful questions and being genuinely curious goes a lot further than trying to impress people with what you know.

One thing working in your favor is your age. At 20, if you’re serious, show up consistently, and follow through on what you say you’ll do, a lot of experienced investors are surprisingly willing to help.

Out of curiosity, are you looking to connect more with buy-and-hold investors, flippers, wholesalers, or people doing larger commercial deals? I’ve found those communities can look very different.
2 Reply
- Carson Cicenas
  OP
  New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes
  4mo
  @Tabish Masood
  This is honestly one of the best responses I’ve gotten so far. I really like the point about working on something together instead of just collecting contacts because even so new I have run into that. I’m mainly focused on buy and hold right now, specifically house hacking and small multifamily. I’m only 20 and still pretty new, so I’m trying to learn as much as I can from people who are just a few years ahead of me in the market doing long term single family and multifamily deals. I want to learn the ropes of the basic stuff before I try to get fancy or into more complex strategies.
  0 Reply
Mitch Messer
Lender · Playa del Carmen, México · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
4mo
@Carson Cicenas Lot's of great advice in this thread so far, but I'm going to state the obvious:
Your networking success lives or dies by how COMPELLING you make it to connect with you!
And, right now, you're making it nearly impossible to be taken seriously here on BiggerPockets.
You have no profile photo, no "About me" description, no links to your other social media accounts.
You've shown up to the premiere real estate networking community on the internet wearing a brown paper bag over your head!
Honestly, would YOU reach out to YOU?
(No worries, I made the EXACT same mistakes when I first joined BP, some 12 years ago!)
Fortunately, the fix is FAST and EASY. Complete your BP profile, add a photo, and link to your other accounts, especially LinkedIn!
Show us why we NEED to know who you are, and I guarantee the networking will become SO much easier!
(Pro Tip: When you post here and get engagement from members of this community, EVERY response should be acknowledged by you and also given a vote! It's just good manners.)
3 Reply
- Carson Cicenas
  OP
  New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes
  4mo
  @Mitch Messer
  Thanks Mitch, I actually appreciate the direct feedback — the paper bag line made me laugh and feel bad at the same time 😂 You’re 100% right. I got a profile photo and looking into adding more tonight. Even though I’m brand new and don’t have much to put in there yet, I’ll at least get something up so I’m not showing up completely anonymous.Also noted on replying and upvoting. Good call.
  
  Appreciate you keeping it real with me
  0 Reply
- Mitch Messer
  Lender · Playa del Carmen, México · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
  4mo
  @Carson Cicenas
  
  Nicely done!! When I saw you'd posted a profile pic, I knew you'd fit in just fine here on BP!!
  
  It's not trendy or slick, but when used properly, this is one of the most powerful platforms imaginable for real estate investors!
  1 Reply
Crystal SmithPro Member
Moderator
Real Estate Broker · Chicago, IL · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
4mo
Quote from @Carson Cicenas:

Hello BP!
I’ve been trying to figure out how people actually build real connections with other investors. Im a twenty year old who is considered new to the investing scene to people who have lots of time in the market. Ive been trying to really look for ways to meet other people who also love to invest and have similar interests but I have found I have to very actively look for these people and most the time online they are all trying to just sell you something. The bigger investment meet up groups are easy to find online, but most of them have an entry fee and ive been wondering if others do them and enjoy it. I’d really like to connect with people who are actively doing deals in any market or plan to and are working toward similar goals. Whether that’s through consistent local meetups, smaller leadership type groups, or just a few people open to talking shop in person. Please let me know how you all have done it!

"The quality of your life is directly related to the quality of the people you spend time with." — Shane Parrish

At the beginning we found a local Robert Kiyosaki Cash flow game. There were novice, along with experts playing. At the game we learned of other opportunitie and just expanded out from there. There's a place on BP where you can find local events, freee and paid.
312-681-7487
3 Reply
- Carson Cicenas
  OP
  New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes
  4mo
  @Crystal Smith
  
  Thanks Crystal, this is actually really helpful. I didn’t know they ran local Cashflow games. That sounds like a fun way to meet both new and experienced investors.
  
  I’ll definitely check out the local events section on BiggerPockets too. Really appreciate you taking the time to share this!
  0 Reply
Inder Singh
Real Estate Agent · Boston, MA · Member since 2025 · 67 posts · 24 votes
4mo
You should start going to local real estate meetups and networking events
1 Reply
- Carson Cicenas
  OP
  New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes
  4mo
  @Inder Singh
  
  Thanks Inder, I appreciate it. Local meetups have come up a lot in this thread, so I’m definitely going to start looking for some in the Indy area.
  0 Reply
Bianca BarcelosBusiness Member
NH · Member since 2026 · 90 posts · 49 votes
4mo
It sounds like you're already doing the right things and asking the right questions. Local meetups are a great place to start, but you hit the nail on the head: the real challenge is actually staying connected afterward.

Honestly, networking is exactly like deal flow or lead generation—you might have to sift through 100 casual conversations just to find 5 or 10 genuinely great, active contacts who share your drive. Be patient with the process. The "gurus" make a lot of noise online, but there are plenty of actual, boots-on-the-ground investors out there who are more than willing to talk shop, look at numbers, and pull each other up.

I’d love to connect (with you and anyone else here that wants another investor-friend) and hear more about your goals. I’m always open to analyzing deals together, sharing what’s working in my portfolio, or just brainstorming strategies. Sometimes that works as a small group as well. I’ll send you a private message so we can link up!
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- Teera Crawford
  New to Real Estate · Seattle · Member since 2026 · 24 posts · 15 votes
  4mo
  Quote from @Bianca Barcelos:
  
  It sounds like you're already doing the right things and asking the right questions. Local meetups are a great place to start, but you hit the nail on the head: the real challenge is actually staying connected afterward.
  
  Honestly, networking is exactly like deal flow or lead generation—you might have to sift through 100 casual conversations just to find 5 or 10 genuinely great, active contacts who share your drive. Be patient with the process. The "gurus" make a lot of noise online, but there are plenty of actual, boots-on-the-ground investors out there who are more than willing to talk shop, look at numbers, and pull each other up.
  
  I’d love to connect (with you and anyone else here that wants another investor-friend) and hear more about your goals. I’m always open to analyzing deals together, sharing what’s working in my portfolio, or just brainstorming strategies. Sometimes that works as a small group as well. I’ll send you a private message so we can link up!
  Hi Bianca, Id love to connect as well!
  0 Reply
Denise SuppleeBusiness Member
Realtor · Willow Grove, PA · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 662 votes
4mo
Honestly, some of my best connections came from simply showing up consistently and being genuinely interested in other people's experiences. Don't worry too much about your age; many experienced investors are happy to share what they've learned with someone curious and willing to listen. A few strong relationships are often worth more than a room full of business cards.
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1 Reply
- Carson Cicenas
  OP
  New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes
  4mo
  @Denise Supplee
  
  Thanks Denise. I really am seeing what you said being the case here, especially about not worrying too much about my age. Showing up consistently and being a good listener is great advice. I’ll keep that in mind.
  0 Reply
Andrew Silva
Wholesaler · Southern California · Member since 2026 · 1 post · 1 vote
4mo
What's up Carson! I'm also a younger guy building in real estate here (I'm 19, came up through sales). Bianca's line about networking being a numbers game like lead gen really hit. I'm working the seller-lead side focused on the Indy market. Would be cool to connect and compare notes as two people starting out, feel free to reach out.
1 Reply
- Carson Cicenas
  OP
  New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes
  4mo
  @Andrew Silva
  
  Hey Andrew, it’s cool to see another young guy grinding in real estate! 19 is impressive. I’d definitely be down to connect and swap notes on Indy. I’ll reach out to you.
  0 Reply
Bianca BarcelosBusiness Member
NH · Member since 2026 · 90 posts · 49 votes
4mo
@Teera Crawford I'll shoot you a message! :) Thanks. Feel free to check out my virtual business card to reach out direct via email or social media too.
[email protected]
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Becca F.
Rental Property Investor · San Francisco Bay Area · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
4mo
Hi@Carson Cicenas
I'd attend local meet ups. I'm in California but invest in the Indianapolis metro area. When I would fly there to check on my rentals, I didn't notice a lot of in person meetups as frequency of the meet ups. Maybe you could start one?
If you can connect with a local investor who's willing to let you walk their projects, that would be really helpful to learn about the construction side of things.
Feel free to DM me and I can give you some information on who to network with in Indy.
1 Reply
- Carson Cicenas
  OP
  New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes
  4mo
  @Becca F.
  
  Hey Becca, thanks so much for the detailed response. The fact that you invest in Indy from California is really interesting. I’ll shoot you a DM. I’d love to hear who you’d recommend networking with out here. Appreciate you!
  0 Reply
Shiloh LundahlPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Gilbert, AZ · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
4mo
@Carson Cicenas I think it is great that you want to connect with other investors. I would say connecting with other investors has been one of the things that has helped me improve my investing skillset more than anything else. So I am going to share with you a little about my real estate journey from the aspect of connecting with other investors.

I started investing in 2010. At first I didn't know any real estate investors. The market in Arizona had crashed and I read the book Rich Dad Poor Dad and I decided to buy a cheap property in my neighborhood. I met a realtor at my church and he helped me put in the offer to purchase th property. I knew of some people that used to live in the neighborhood that wanted to move back so I asked them if they would like to live in the house if I bought it and they said yes. I had a home equity line of credit on my home for $20,000 and that is what I used as a down payment to buy the house. So that is how I got started. No systems, no team, and practically no knowledge.

I don't do anything else with real estate for the next 4 years. And then I found out that the building that I have my therapy practice in came up for sale. So I called the realtor who was selling it and I negotiated directly with the sellers realtor I buy the building. I had a family member help me with the $100,000 down payment to purchase the building. This got my investing juices flowing again and I reached back to the realtor who helped me buy the first property and I found out that he had invested in real estate but had lost everything in the crash and he was just staring to get back into it. So I asked him if I could do a deal with him. He said yes and I became the lender on his next flip which turned out great. I earned $13,000 as the lender, he earned about $45,000 as the investor.

By happenstance I was talking with plumber at my church and I shared with him that I helped flip a property. He told me that a guy he grew up with bought a lot of properties at the auction and he gave me his number. So I called him and he invited me to a small training that he was doing about buying real estate. The training had a cost to it. I think it was between $500 and $1000 dollars for this 3-day training that I attended with my wife. He then started emailing me the auction list that I could look at the night before the auction and I could bid on. I bought my next property at the auction. Having low knowledge of rehabbing a house and only knowing one contractor that had done work in my personal home, I hired him to fix up the house and ultimately I over spent and I lost $5,000 on my second property. A month or two later I partnered with a contractor that I had met at the training and we flipped a house. It took about 7 months start to finish and I made about $9,000. So my first year I did 3 deals and I earned a total of $17,000 but I had proof of concept.

I built a friendship with the realtor who helped me buy the house and we decided that we wanted to flip more properties together. So in 2016 we flipped 6 or 7 houses and we each made about $95,000. Now my life was starting to change. That same year my wife signed us up for one of those expensive real state education programs that costs $45,000 and we paid an additional $25,000 for private one-on-one coaching for a year. We paid an additional $5,000 for another program that helped increase my access to lines of credit. So we were about $76,000 into education. And looking back, there was nothing special about the real estate education that I got from the program. However, the one-on-one coaching was very helpful. And the connections that I made during the year long program were also really helpful. One of the trainers gave me the number to his personal banker who ended up giving me 17 loans and lending me 1.7 million dollars within a month of meeting him. That really started our momentum in growth. We followed the BRRRR method and we started to add lease options to it after going to a training about lease options. I got involved with BiggerPockets and I started attending meetups that I found on BiggerPockets and also ones that I found on meetup.com. I also started attending the AZREIA (Arizona REIA) meetings. This was now 2018 and I saw a meetup scheduled for a specific time but it didn't have a location so I offered to host it at my commercial building. At the end of the Bering I invested everyone to come back the following month and I started hosting meetups at my office every month since. At that time I joined a mastermind group just like the one @JD Martin talked about. And that was helpful for growth and support. I contimued to build my portfolio following the BRRRR and lease option strategies. I also started to reach out to other investors that I was meeting at these meetups and ones that I met through BiggerPockets and going to conferences and trainings. And I would take them out to lunch and build good relationships with them.

Then 2 years later I joined a high level mastermind group where I was a little fish in a big pond of high level investors. This mastermind groups cost $30,000 for the year. I'm got to connect with people who had done thousands of deals and I really opened my eyes up to what is possible with investing.

So that was my journey. Everybody has their own journey. But maybe something's that I shared might work for you in your journey.

Good luck to you.
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1 Reply
- Carson Cicenas
  OP
  New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes
  4mo
  @Shiloh Lundahl
  
  Hey Shiloh, thank you so much for writing out your entire journey. I really appreciate you taking the time to do that. Your story is honestly super inspiring and the one of the most motivating I’ve gotten to read. The fact that you had a $5,000 loss on your second deal but kept going instead of getting discouraged is huge. I feel that probably lot of people would’ve stopped right there if they lost money. What really stands out to me is how much you’ve invested in your education and growth. Spending $76,000 on courses, coaching, and high-level masterminds is no joke and it clearly paid off for you. I being so early on am weary about spending that kind of money but later in my invest career would totally do that seeing that it’s helped you with what you mentioned. You went from doing almost nothing for four years to flipping 6–7 houses a year and scaling up to getting $1.7 million in loans. That’s really impressive. It also seems like you’ve been really intentional about building relationships which is exactly what I’ve been thinking might be something I should focus on even in this part of my investment journey. You taking people to lunch, hosting your own meetups, to joining expensive mastermind groups. It sounds like that’s been one of the biggest keys to your success. Thanks again for sharing all of this. Stories like yours are exactly why I joined BiggerPockets and ask my questions because gems like this pop up.
  
  Appreciate you!
  0 Reply
- Shiloh LundahlPro Member
  Rental Property Investor · Gilbert, AZ · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
  4mo
  @Carson Cicenas You're welcome.
  
  About continuing to invest after I lost the $5,000 on my second deal I would say, anything that is worth doing well, is worth doing poorly at first. I don't know if the following is true or not, but I don't think the first time Michael Jordan shot the basketball it went in the hoop. But I'm glad that he didn't stop there.
  
  Secondly, I didn't pay for real estate coaching when I first started because I didn't have a lot of money when I first started. I kind of fumbled my way through my first property that I purchased and held for five years. And then I sold that property and made $50,000. And when I made $50,000 on that property, I then put all that money into investing in myself through education and coaching. But I didn't do that until after I had been investing for five years. if I had started with coaching earlier, I would have probably done much better to be honest. But also it would've depended on the type of coaching. I find a ton of value in one-on-one coaching. And I don't get much value in group coaching. But that is just how I learn best. People need to find a path that works well for them and follow it.
  
  Good luck to you. Let me know if I can be of help.
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  0 Reply
Mohammed Rahman
Real Estate Broker · New York, NY · Member since 2020 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
4mo
Carson, I actually think meeting people is the easier part.

You can meet potential investors almost anywhere if you're willing to start conversations and make it known what you're interested in. Don't limit yourself to only talking to people who are already in real estate. Some of the best connections can come from people you meet at a coffee shop, a gym, a volunteer event, work, or through mutual friends. Just talk to people. Let them know you're interested in investing. You'll be surprised how many people either own property, know investors, or are interested in getting started themselves.

What people talk less about is building the relationship after that initial meeting. That's the part that takes time and effort.

One thing I'd recommend is finding a local REIA or networking group that hosts recurring events. The value isn't necessarily the event itself. It's seeing the same people over and over again. Relationships tend to develop naturally when you're consistently in the same room with the same group of people. A quick conversation at one event turns into a longer conversation at the next one, then maybe coffee, then maybe discussing deals together.

I've found that the strongest relationships in real estate are built through repeated interactions, not one-time networking sessions. Show up consistently, follow up with people, stay curious, and focus on getting to know people rather than trying to get something from them right away.

Over time, that's how your network starts to grow.

You can start by reaching out to me. I'm a real estate broker in NYC and Long Island, and I work with a lot of first-time investors. My DMs are open if you'd like to connect and share ideas.
0 Reply
Adam TafelBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · St. Paul, MN · Member since 2017 · 593 posts · 403 votes
4mo
Keep going to meetups! It will take a while before someone will offer to teach you anything without anything to gain, this is just human nature. A good cheat code is to find yourself a competent Realtor and lender. There is a fair incentive structure as they will get paid to rep you on your next deal, and if they are well connected and investing themselves it will be a win-win for both parties. Most folks on BP got the majority of their early education this way, myself included.
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- Carson Cicenas
  OP
  New to Real Estate · Indianapolis · Member since 2025 · 26 posts · 12 votes
  4mo
  @Adam Tafel
  
  Hey Adam, thanks for the advice I really appreciate it. I like the advice you mentioned about finding a good realtor and lender early on. That makes a lot of sense, especially the part about them having skin in the game too since they get paid when you close. I’ll definitely keep showing up to meetups. Appreciate you taking the time to reply!
  0 Reply
Noor Shams
Wholesaler · Member since 2026 · 15 posts · 4 votes
4mo
BP forums honestly — posting your buy box and being active in threads. FB REI groups in your target markets. And don't underestimate contractors and agents as connectors, they know every active investor in their market and can introduce you faster than any networking event.
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