Newbie to real estate- OH

[Brandon Goldsmith]

Hello BP Community!

My name is Brandon and I am brand new to Bigger Pockets. Currently I'm a student at The Ohio State University. While I have been in school I have taken an interest in real estate and think it is the field I'd like to be in for my professional career. I am working towards my Ohio real estate license and am set to take the exam here soon. 

Iv'e had internships in real estate and have been a able to grow from it, but there are a lot of different routes one can take in real estate. I am working with a small brokerage firm Columbus, OH and am learning a lot, but ideally I am looking to start building a portfolio in multi-family. Without capital and  still actively building a knowledge base about the industry, what are some of the first steps taken to own property and build a portfolio? Ultimately I'd like to know what are some mistakes, innovative practices and anything else insightful that helped you all start.

Anything Helps!

[Abel Curiel]

Originally posted by @Brandon Goldsmith:

Hello BP Community!

My name is Brandon and I am brand new to Bigger Pockets. Currently I'm a student at The Ohio State University. While I have been in school I have taken an interest in real estate and think it is the field I'd like to be in for my professional career. I am working towards my Ohio real estate license and am set to take the exam here soon. 

Iv'e had internships in real estate and have been a able to grow from it, but there are a lot of different routes one can take in real estate. I am working with a small brokerage firm Columbus, OH and am learning a lot, but ideally I am looking to start building a portfolio in multi-family. Without capital and  still actively building a knowledge base about the industry, what are some of the first steps taken to own property and build a portfolio? Ultimately I'd like to know what are some mistakes, innovative practices and anything else insightful that helped you all start.

Anything Helps!

Hello Brandon, 

For first steps:

-Keep researching everything you can about multi-family here on BP. Use the search function to find old posts pertaining to questions you currently have.

-Set up keyword alerts so that you can receive notifications once a topic or area of interest is mentioned in one of the forums.

-Keep working with the brokerage firm and ask questions based on your research. This is a HUGE resource for you, take advantage! If you can, obtain MLS access so that you can research multi-family listings (sold and active) in your market.

-Talk to EVERYONE you know about real estate. Don't let lack of capital keep you from discussing deals that you're looking at. You never know when an uncle, friend, neighbor, etc will express interest in a deal.

-Pass your OH state exam! Even if you're not actively assisting buyers/sellers/investors, you can refer your sphere of influence to the agents in your firm for a referral fee. More importantly, they'll likely walk you through the process and give you acquisition experience.

-Find a mentor and accountability partner. Someone to keep you on your path and make sure you'll take the necessary steps to hit your goal.

Best of luck to you moving forward!

Abel