Renatus Investment Coach/ Mentor
Engineer · Chicago, IL · Member since 2014 · 8 posts · 7 votes
Hi Everyone,
Last night I went to a real estate invest presentation.
I responded to an ad on Craig’s list and was invited to a presentation. The presenter was really entertaining, he went over the company (Renatus), offered courses that would help to educate potential investors for a fee (between $2K - $15K depending on the your course selection). The program is designed to walk new investors through different real estate tractions with an experienced investor. It was presented like a win-win...
My question is, have anyone heard of this company? I have done some research and I am finding mixed reviews. This idea of a one stop shop is appealing, but I don’t want to put myself in a hole falling for a gimmick.
Please help …
Hi Marisa,
I may catch some flak for this, on this site. I'm a current Renatus student in Chicago, based at the same Downer's Grove office you probably visited. I've just been a student for a little over a month. I believe, personally, that it's the right fit for me. But I'm not going to say that everyone/anyone NEEDS a Renatus education to succeed in Real Estate. It's true as other posters have stated, that that there is a LOT of information right here in the BiggerPockets community. In fact, I usually listed to BP podcasts on my Thursday commutes to the office for study groups.
What Renatus and the Downers Grove office study groups give me are the comprehensive, structured education, followed through in study groups, and a community of students and mentors who have gone through the classes and have gone on to make a number of successful deals. There is a group accountability to complete the classes, there are discussion groups to make sure concepts are covered, there are regular events (these events are NOT visiting "gurus" whose appearance is aimed at selling additional products).
You would be with people whom you will be in a 'graduating class' with, have had education together with in study groups, and will be able to do deals with. I've gotten to know several of the other students and instructors pretty well in the short time I've been with them. There are a number of other activities hosted by the Downers Grove office: Today after work I visited a fix and flip in Barrington that's about to go on the market - where Renatus students who participated are going to make a ton of money. After that, I traveled down to Downers Grove and in a small group I played the Cash Flow 101 game. This is a "Rich Dad" product aimed at training you how to think about real estate investments at a broad level. (Other Chicagoland REIA's also host "Cash Flow nights" for the same purpose).
If you do not pursue Renatus education, you can find communities of Chicago investors through REIA groups, including Meetups which are listed here. I'm sure Brie Schmidt has already reached out to you if you have made an introduction here, and she can probably steer you to her REIA group. If you tend to work better with some structured education and with a group of people who will motivate you, hold you accountable, and keep you from procrastinating, and if you can commit to traveling to the Downer's Grove office on at least a weekly basis (Thursday nights), then Renatus may be a good fit for you, at the $2k "Essentials" level.
Renatus DOES have an education marketing side, which is completely optional. Myself, I'm not focusing on that. In fact, when I was first introduced to Renatus, the education marketing side gave me red flags, since I perceived it to be a MLM. I like to steer far away from MLM's and have had a couple MLM's pitched at me which I've declined in the past. I feel education marketing is 180 degrees from what I want to do. But I can understand their argument that you need to learn to market to be successful in real estate anyway -- whether it's marketing yourself, your abilities, your properties for wholesale, for rent, for sale, etc. The company's arguments for giving students the option to market its education are: 1) it keeps the money in the community where it can be reinvested rather than sending it to ad agencies or other advertising vehicles, 2) It allows students another mode of cash flow so they can build an operating/investing budget with which to start their RE investing 3) It helps train students to become salespeople, and this discipline is valuable in real estate.
I personally think that Renatus' idea to market the education this way also gives them a terrible image problem, considering that I resisted the first opportunity to join because I checked up on Renatus online and concluded it was an MLM scam, and you can see that there are many who bring up the "MLM" label in regard to the education sales. I personally am not focused on selling the Renatus education. You'll see that I do not have any kind of link in my bio or in this message pointing you at any kind of place you can register. In fact, this post is the first time I have ever mentioned the company on Bigger Pockets.
Whatever your decision, I wish you all the luck in your investing career. If you sign up, I will NOT get a commission based on your decision - that would go to the person who recruited you through the Craigslist ad.
If BP works better for you than a more structured approach with Renatus, that's great. For me, a structured program with a local community that meets each week presents the accountability I need to get my RE business off the ground. If it costs me an initial layout of money for that accountability component in my RE education, so be it. I'm not rich, but I'm worth the investment.
Regarding a few comments I've read basically saying, "Why would someone pay so much for information that's already out there for free?" Hmmm... Should we apply that same train of thought to our educational institutions?
One last comment. It seems a few in this thread are "victims" of not receiving what they perceived was due them. That's understandable, but not profitable. Sometimes we we have to look inward to see where the real challenge lies. Unless I am willing to take responsibility for my own actions, I will always be a victim of my circumstances.
And on those happy notes, a Happy and Prosperous New Year to everyone!
hello, I just went to presentation yesterday and it looks really appealing , I was tempeted to sign up for level1 course, and I am still considering it... I dont know, I need to do some more resarach. they are locals and they help each other. it seems that they know what they are doing.......... Tough decision....
MISSION:
“Our mission is to empower One Million entrepreneurs with the knowledge, tools, systems and support needed to become financially free.”
VISION:
“Renatus is a community of principle-centered individuals making a positive, lasting impact on the world. The wealth we create through business ownership and real estate investing is simply a tool that allows us to enlarge the good we do. It provides the means for us to exemplify the principles we have been taught so that we can become our very best selves, enabling us to be the change we wish to see in the world.”
@Maggie G. Research, Research & Research. I suggest leaving your wallet at home when going to the next event you were probably up-sold on for a couple hundred bucks. You will again be up-sold on a higher level event(conference), then another,then another. If it feels right in your gut coupled with the research, go for it!!! Best of luck to you.
Yes - leave your check book and credit cards at home. You won't need them - nothing is for sale at any Renatus group's meetings. YOU decide when you're ready and then - and ONLY then - the person who invited you will accept your order, but only after explaining all of the available funding options (Renatus is the only source of REI education which offers ANY form of financing).
NO ONE is EVER "upsold" on anything. We have three levels of education. Period. The highest price you were shown at the meeting IS the most you can pay. Period.
I'm thinking @Shawn Ackerman has no first-hand experience with Renatus or he would know that and he would know better than to say what he said.
Maggie, I see you're in Chicago. Did you attend the South Loop Meeting? I know those team leaders well. Like many of the others at that meeting, they also participate in Downers Grove.
When you're ready, it's there for you. We've been around since January of 2011 - we're not going anywhere, unlike the "gurus" who fly their people in, sell as much as they can, then fly out again and move on to the next city.
If you decide it's not for you, I support your decision.
My best wishes for your success!
@David Dachtera Thanks for sharing your opinion, however how can anyone possibly take anything your saying (as an affiliate) as having an ounce of objectivity?
I'm there every week, and sometimes during the week when students are collaborating and learning from each other. One of my mentors has 40 years experience as an agent / broker. He's also my landlord.
You've never been there at all. How can anyone possibly take anything you say as authoritative?
What's my motivation to misrepresent anything? That would be counter-productive: having people go to a meaning and learning that I said anything untrue.
Integrity is our hallmark, unlike the gurus who only want your money.
@David Dachtera don't deflect......I'd be happy to comment on your "authoritative" question, which is truly rhetorical, once I receive a suitable response to my initial question.
How much is it? Especially the most expensive one?
If that's your decision criterion, I wouldn't recommend it to you. We prefer to work with folks who make intelligent decisions without making snap judgements based on incomplete information.
That said, you can search the other Renatus threads and find the info you want. In fact, the first post in this thread has that information.
@David Dachtera don't deflect......I'd be happy to comment on your "authoritative" question, which is truly rhetorical, once I receive a suitable response to my initial question.
What am I "deflecting"?
I related my in-person, first-hand experience. That's as "objective" as it gets.
You related something entirely made-up. Not only is that not "objective", it's not even real!
@David Dachtera more deflection..... I see that this isn't going anywhere and I know that you cannot answer my question. Truth is, by being an affiliate, your opinion on this system, group, education program or whatever you'd like to call Renatus will make your response to anyone inquiring about Renatus subject to your own experience therefore eliminating the notion of objectivity. Based on this fact why should anyone take what you say seriously? That is why I suggested @Maggie G. do her research and trust her gut instinct.
Another fact is that Renatus is a business...Or is it a non-profit? I'd lean more on the side of believing it's a business. And the mere fact that it is a business which I'm sure relies on membership, you cannot have me believe for one second that you are not promoting and or attempting to recruit new leads. You may not be soliciting overtly but you are painting a picture for BP members which is a subtle form of promotion.
By no means am I detracting the Renatus business model. I'm sure it's effective. Here you are a student going to bat for them on each and every one of your posts. The point I'm trying to make is when it comes to you "as an affiliate" no one should take what yo say seriously.
So, people should believe someone like you with no first-hand experience before someone like me who is part of the program and "a product of the product"? I suppose that makes sense SOMEwhere. Could you clue me in?
Show me where I stated an opinion. I stated my experience as I experienced it. That's not opinion, it's testimony based on my first-hand experience having been with this group for going on six years. My opinion, on the other hand, is positive (obviously), but irrelevant here.
Is Renatus a business? Google is your friend. I'll even help you: Google: "Renatus, LLC". BBB rating of A+, NOT accredited - we didn't buy that rating, we EARNED it!
What's wrong with promotion? (Moderators: Yes, I KNOW the answer to that question - I'm asking Shawn for his response!) Agents, brokers, contractors, builders, lenders and many other businesses do it here in the forums everyday of the week. My disclaimer says that I am an affiliate. Is that not sufficiently transparent for you?
By the way: the hospital I worked at some years back - Northwestern Memorial in Chicago - is a NPO. Their ads are all over Chicago market television (they "promote").
The "membership" is $125 a year for the affiliate licensing fee - no purchase is required (FTC regulation). Bet you didn't know that, either. That makes you a business owner. Never seen that break anyone. ... and no, that is NOT commissionable!
The answer to your last statement is simplicity itself: don't take my word for it! Come along and see for yourself - FIRST HAND ! ! ! ... or, would that bring about the end of the world? It's free, except for your time, gas in the car, maybe a toll or two if you come that way, dinner on the road, ... There's a meeting near you in downtown New York in the 300 block of 5th Avenue. 6:45 pm.
Take an evening to learn about it. Leave your check book and credit cards at home or in the car (may not be safe in NY). Then, you too can speak authoritatively from your own first-hand experience, just as I do, rather than speculate based on rumors, gossip and whatever.
Hey @David Dachtera I rest my case.
So I went to one of these Renatus seminars. I have mixed feelings about it.
The seminar was about flipping apartment complexes. The person presenting was an actual apartment flipper. It was all he did. He was PAID by Renatus to do the presentation and his presentation was both live and would go online for students across the country to be able to review it and learn from it.
The information presented was extremely detailed. It is one of the biggest problems I have with internet gurus, podcasters, robert kiyosaki, and the like.. Their presentations are full of motivation and hype with little to no substance or details of how to actually do it. The presentation by Renatus was NOT like that. It was thorough and detailed. I could tell that this company was the real deal and would do their best to help you succeed.
HOWEVER, I did not join. Just because it is the real deal doesn't make it the right deal. The information I learned from the seminar I could also learn from reading a book. The price was wrong. If membership in Renatus was $100, it would be worth it, but once we are talking about thousands of dollars, I could buy a LIBRARY of books for that price. A book is dozens of seminars all packaged into one. A book can be easily referenced.
Besides that, there is incredible value here at Bigger Pockets for free. There are also tons of seminars, podcasts, and other information on youtube. In the age of information, why would anyone pay $$$ for information that is free online?
There is one other reason I did not get involved. Time. It takes a lot of time to attend their seminars, meetings, etc. My time is limited. I prefer to spend that time analyzing and looking for deals, managing my rentals, and planning future business operations (I consider my real estate investments a business).
Disclaimer- new student
I got interested in Renatus a year ago and just bought my essentials package. It is really disappointing to see people posting about this product that have never used it. If you used it and had a bad experience, fine but this is not the same set up as the 3 day guru seminars that leave town after you give them 50k. This program has study sessions that are weekly for 25 weeks and there are 8 hour Saturday trainings too these are $50 per session and these are what made me sign up eventually. I went to enough of these and saw the value in these $50 sessions to get the essentials package ($1,997) The structure of the Renatus program is like going to college for RE. You can learn by free things for sure but after the end of these classes you take a quiz and see how much you actually retained. My year of self study was great for general concepts but not the legal details in wording of concepts that could be the difference between a legally sound deal and something that will bring more risk than needed.
I've also been on BP podcasts, reading books, and watching seminars off of here and as much as I love those the Renatus videos are just so much more in depth. Each class topic is 8 hours long. The seminars on here scratch the surface. These videos go into the ins and outs of what paperwork is needed to set up your entity, save on taxes, creatively finance deals etc.
All I'm saying is don't listen to reviews of people that haven't tried it, and attend a $50 Saturday workshop. I went to a Mark Kohler one and then read his books and listen to his podcasts, his office is now who I feel comfortable doing my taxes. This community doesn't pack up the caravan after the 3 day lights show is over. Yes, they charge for the information, but even if you never do anything else trying the essentials is worth the tax and entity explanations alone. The class on creative financing was great, 8 hours and I'm going to have to watch it like 4 more times there is that much detailed information in there.
So I went to one of these Renatus seminars. I have mixed feelings about it.
The seminar was about flipping apartment complexes. The person presenting was an actual apartment flipper. It was all he did. He was PAID by Renatus to do the presentation and his presentation was both live and would go online for students across the country to be able to review it and learn from it.
The information presented was extremely detailed. It is one of the biggest problems I have with internet gurus, podcasters, robert kiyosaki, and the like.. Their presentations are full of motivation and hype with little to no substance or details of how to actually do it. The presentation by Renatus was NOT like that. It was thorough and detailed. I could tell that this company was the real deal and would do their best to help you succeed.
HOWEVER, I did not join. Just because it is the real deal doesn't make it the right deal. The information I learned from the seminar I could also learn from reading a book. The price was wrong. If membership in Renatus was $100, it would be worth it, but once we are talking about thousands of dollars, I could buy a LIBRARY of books for that price. A book is dozens of seminars all packaged into one. A book can be easily referenced.
Besides that, there is incredible value here at Bigger Pockets for free. There are also tons of seminars, podcasts, and other information on youtube. In the age of information, why would anyone pay $$$ for information that is free online?
There is one other reason I did not get involved. Time. It takes a lot of time to attend their seminars, meetings, etc. My time is limited. I prefer to spend that time analyzing and looking for deals, managing my rentals, and planning future business operations (I consider my real estate investments a business).
If the speaker was paid it was NOT a "Renatus seminar", which Renatus does not have. Investor communities hold workshops and intensives. The company itself does not.
So I went to one of these Renatus seminars. I have mixed feelings about it.
The seminar was about flipping apartment complexes. The person presenting was an actual apartment flipper. It was all he did. He was PAID by Renatus to do the presentation and his presentation was both live and would go online for students across the country to be able to review it and learn from it.
The information presented was extremely detailed. It is one of the biggest problems I have with internet gurus, podcasters, robert kiyosaki, and the like.. Their presentations are full of motivation and hype with little to no substance or details of how to actually do it. The presentation by Renatus was NOT like that. It was thorough and detailed. I could tell that this company was the real deal and would do their best to help you succeed.
HOWEVER, I did not join. Just because it is the real deal doesn't make it the right deal. The information I learned from the seminar I could also learn from reading a book. The price was wrong. If membership in Renatus was $100, it would be worth it, but once we are talking about thousands of dollars, I could buy a LIBRARY of books for that price. A book is dozens of seminars all packaged into one. A book can be easily referenced.
Besides that, there is incredible value here at Bigger Pockets for free. There are also tons of seminars, podcasts, and other information on youtube. In the age of information, why would anyone pay $$$ for information that is free online?
There is one other reason I did not get involved. Time. It takes a lot of time to attend their seminars, meetings, etc. My time is limited. I prefer to spend that time analyzing and looking for deals, managing my rentals, and planning future business operations (I consider my real estate investments a business).
You can choose NOT to join and still get involved with the education.
Books are "snapshots in time". What was valid last year may or may not be valid this year. We update classes quarterly. The publishing cycle for a hard-copy book is MUCH longer than that.
This kind of information is NOT available "free", on-line. That information which IS available, well, remember - you get what you pay for. Pay nothing - expect nothing.
Time is something you invest in your education. Increasing and updating your knowledge pays a return. PM'ing does not, it only controls losses where it can.
If you manage your own rentals, you clearly do NOT value your time. That's a contradiction. "But, PM's cost too much money!" I can always get more money (some of the people reading this just had a heart attack). Time? Not so much.
If you consider your investments a business, I'm going to out on a limb and guess that you don't have a business entity structure, based on your PM comment. If you did, you would even be able to deduct your children's school supplies and other expenses if you knew how to move the money through your business entity structure. You'd even be able to build your children's IRA, College IRA, etc. tax-free - if you knew how. Kids are grown? No problem. Pay your own offspring and have THEM pay their children (your grand-children) tax-free.
Try finding THAT in "free" on-line information.
Hey @David Dachtera I rest my case.
As do I.
I made my case, you did not.
@david dachtera Wow you have so many assumptions on me. Mostly false. LOL. I do have property managers. I do have kids. I don't have kids school supplies.
You have been clearly "SOLD" on this and you are doing your best to justify your purchase. If it was such a great organization, why would you need to get so defensive? Seriously, your defensiveness is definitely a red flag. A truly great product needs no defense. It sells itself.
I gave my experience and opinion because I hope it is adding value to the conversation. As I said, I have mixed feelings about the organization. There are pros and cons. Life is not black and white, and there are trade offs to everything.
I did say I liked the detailed information they gave. That is not standard in most organizations like this. Usually it is just hype. Even REIA's can be full of real estate hype. So the seminar I went to was great, no hype, real details. But it was a little annoying that they kept going back to their sales pitch. They even had people in the audience ask "questions" that were really just sales tactics. Questions like "Would you say that tip which saved you 60,000 dollars is worth the 15,000 to pay for the education?" Honestly, these kinds sales tactics are a complete turn off to me. Unfortunately they work for so many people which is why they are used.
If this education and coaching environment is what works for you and nothing else will... Well, this might be a good deal for you. It might be the only deal for you. But for most other people there are other, cheaper options.
I would rather a person spend 15k on their first rental property purchase than 15k on education they could have gotten for free. If you don't have 15k cash and were going to buy the renatus education on credit... there is the first problem. Get your finances fixed. Reduce expenses. Increase savings. Pay off personal debts (business debt is fine). You should have 15k just laying around in an account somewhere... it's really not that much money...
"If you did, you would even be able to deduct your children's school supplies and other expenses if you knew how to move the money through your business entity structure. You'd even be able to build your children's IRA, College IRA, etc. tax-free - if you knew how. Kids are grown? No problem. Pay your own offspring and have THEM pay their children (your grand-children) tax-free.
Try finding THAT in "free" on-line information."
.... I just found it, lol. You guys clearly have tons of hidden "secrets". These secrets are worth every penny. (sarcasm) Again, that's another sales pitch. "We have something no one else has and you can't find it other ways." That's a lie that compliance professionals use. It's called scarcity. Example: "this is the last washer/dryer of this type that I have..." and there are 20 just like it in the back room.
@Melissa Szanati That's the part of Renatus I liked. Their information was real and specific. They gave all the pros, cons, and common pitfalls to avoid. A bit too pricey for me and I don't have the time to attend a bunch of seminars. I get more value from reading a book in bed at night, but I can see how this could be of value for some people.
Um, well, since the classes are on-line, on-demand ... access is for life including all additions an updates ... Can you sit up in bed at night with your tablet or laptop? ... and get current information instead of what was current when the book was published?
... and no - I haven't been "sold". I see the value and choose to participate.
As to assumptions, I can only go by what you post. If you say you manage your rentals instead of "touch base with my property managers", why would anyone assume anything else?
... and how am I getting defensive? I'm simply correcting misconceptions and incorrect information (as usual). That's not defense - its education.
I'd be curious to know where you found that information. Not that it's a "secret" or anything, it's just not mainstream. If it was, every poster on BP would know it. There's no "sales pitch" about it, clearly.
Is it worth $15K or more to prevent a mistake which may cost you $1.5M? ... $150K? In Brandon Turner's podcasts and webinars here on BP he even admits to making some very expensive mistakes in his early days - mistakes he could have avoid had he gotten an education first.
Education doesn't cost - lack of education costs. Education is an investment which produces a return.
If stale, outdated information is good enough for you, then my best wishes for your continued success. My colleagues and I prefer to remain current.
It's important to remember, however, that the pre-licensing classes provide almost no preparation for either being an investor or dealing with them. They're meant to help you pass the state licensing test as an agent / broker. Period. They're useful to all aspiring investors, yes. However, they do not prepare you well to invest or to deal with investors.
thank for all your great tips guys. what is frustrating that every seminar I go to it is a sales pitch..................
I want to hear opinion of people who are former student not a current affiliate .
I agree that a book is dozens of seminars all packaged into one. yes, there is incredible value here at Bigger Pockets for free. There are also tons of seminars, podcasts, and other information on youtube. I feel like this training is good for people who don't have ambition to go and do some homework, they want it all ready for them prepared on the plate.
the problem is that these trainings are expensive.. I agree there might be some value in it, but they are too high...
According to BP podcast there is no need to spend money for trainings . maybe when I purchase this package/training, I would succeed sooner... who knows..I did my research and I found many bad reviews and complaints on Renatus and scott Rowe. It seems like Scott is rich and making a tons of money, driving leased Limbo but it doesn't mean that everybody who complete training wild as well as him..
Renatus students have access to their on-line, on-demand education for life, including all updates and additions. So, a "former student" would only be someone who has chosen to stop keeping current with their updated and/or added classes (no additional charge for updates / additions). In that case, the choice for their education to fail is their own, no one else's.
If you think education is expensive, listen to Brandon Turner's podcasts and webcasts where he describes his newbie mistakes and how much money he lost as a result. Education doesn't "cost" - lack of education costs.
My $0.02 ...
(Note that my disclaimer states that I am a student first, an affiliate second and a community volunteer third. I believe in giving back for all I have learned, even to the point of being a participant here on BP.)