My Renatus- Downers Grove,IL Experience left me PISSED !!!

My Renatus- Downers Grove,IL Experience left me PISSED !!!

Real Estate Agent/Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2015 · 229 posts · 108 votes

Here is the experience that i had with Renatus. this will be a really long post since i want to make sure i paint the whole picture here based off of MY experience with them i know there will be people defending the company since i have seen it on all of the other threads and the have the right to but this is how it went for me.

Disclaimers:

1.) I have been actively working in for 2 years now. During this time i have also been doing a lot of reading about real estate investing as well.

2.) While there are a lot of BAD Realtors out there that don't know what they are doing i'm not one of them.

3.) Heavy researcher when i am looking to learn about something so while, i do say i can learn that for free or for a much lower cost keep in mind that i take the time to understand it and apply it.

4.) I don't take it lightly when i sense that somebody is trying to take advantage of me other others around me regardless if i know them or not.

5.) I'm not against education at all and it does have its place 

Okay so now into my experience i was invited to a meeting for the one in downers grove from a guy that I had met this week at a local meet up. We had talked for probably a good 30 to 40 minutes and seemed to make a good connection. The guy never told me the name of the company and lead me on to belief that it was his group or company. Probably because if he knew i would have never came. 

Funny enough earlier that day i was on here and saw the name Renatus pop up under the guru section and i clicked on it no reason just did never heard of it before. I started to see the same old story that tend to happen with real estate coaching programs over priced, high pressure sales, preying on the fact that people want to create a better life ETC.... I thought ok they are local so il keep an eye out for them and at least be aware.

So i get there and sign in thinking okay let's see what this is about and network with some like minded people. Keep in mind i don't know that it's a Renatus meeting yet so i go and sit down and wait for things to get started. A guy sets next to me and we start up a quick conversion introducing ourselves come to find out we are both Realtors and made a quick connection. 

Then i see the name pop up and i'm thinking ok there's a red flag that's why he made it sound like it was his own company and never said the real name of the company since he knew i was an active member on BP. I gave him the benefit of since he did seem like his heart was in the right place when he invited me so i stayed for a while and it may have been the whole time. 

But here is where things started to get me a little irritated while i may be young i have joined a MLM company in the past while i tried it just didn't work out for me. I even tried the rich dad coaching program before but didn't get to finish since it was either pay rent or the monthly payment for the class well i think you know how that went. The information in the rich dad coaching program seemed good just didn't get to finish and they did the same GURU sales crap like i stated before and that time it worked when i should've paid for the class since i didn't really have the spare money for the class in the first place.

Okay back on track so they start the meeting and its the mans wife that had invited me started the meeting and asking everybody there after a few mins of small talk. How many of you worked today, some of us didn't work today since we have our own business( sitting there thinking okay here we go with this GURU crap again) How many want to make more money? people respond like always feeding into the hype and not paying attention to what is really going on here. after a few more of these questions she starts talking about an upcoming event regarding tax planning and strategies HMMMM... perfect timing to hook people in since it's tax season. very good and smart salesman.

They bring up cash flow which is a great game to understand investing and that they will be meeting up to play it. after sometime on that the next event is the big one the CONVENTION with the ceo being there and blah blah blah. 

After the flashing some shinny objects in front of people she goes on to introduce the main speaker who just so happens to be the man who invited me. so he starts talking a little about what tonight is about and made it a point to look at what's happening here all of these people are here. Another plot trick of a GURU. He then goes on to explain that the main leaders aren't there since they are working on some kinda investment deal in utah or something along those lines. Next he starts to introduce the people that are there that are part the team there ok cool lets get to know some of the people who work here. after the first guy talks about what he teaches another person started to talk but before, the next speaker can start the main speaker( man who personally invited me and knows i am a working Realtor) asks everybody who would like to know more than their realtor fair question. Goes on to say after you go through the basics class you will know more then 90% of the realtors out there. 

Not really a smart move when you know they're people who does this for a living that you invited and while you are trying to sell them something. Remember the other guy setting next to me that was also a realtor well we both looked at each other and then looked at the speaker grabbed our stuff and headed towards the door. As i'm grabbing my stuff the speaker noticed that i'm leaving and notices that he has at least lost two sales goes into right away i'm not trying to sell you anything "TONIGHT" as he is practically standing right in front of me to make me sit back down and not make a fool of him. 

Since while yes most realtors don't know much about investing and i know this to be true that wasn't the issue with what he said. It was about how he said it which was very cocky and there is a lot to being a realtor that can't be taught you just have to learn from experience like most jobs when you work with people. 

So now me and the other realtor thought about staying after the pitch to at least be able to network and see what would come out of this but it was a 2 1/2 hour presentation so we weren't so sure if we would stay yet . As we are talking in the hallway the speaker's wife walks up to us interrupts our conversation and said you can network afterwards let's just go back inside the meeting. the other guy i was speaking with said ok we will be back in there in a few minutes . she walks away and about one minute later she comes back and this time tries harder and almost forcefully to get us to come back in the room. Since im sure us leaving in front of a packed room must of really hurt all the hype they had going on. Again we told her we will go back in a few minutes and to let us finish what we were talking about. 

I looked at the guy i was talking with and said "Ok now that pissed me off i'm leaving he agreed" we talked for a few minutes outside finishing what we were talking about before and left. 

Now by no means am I saying the the programs is bad because I wasn't there long enough to hear about and I didn't sign up and take any classes. The one thing i can say though from the little i did hear did sound like solid information but for me personally none of what they said was insider info or hard to find. all of the things can be found on here and in some books for 1000 times less money while you may spend more time finding the info i would rather spend more time than money when first starting out. $2000-$15,000 from what others on here have said i have no where near that much money spent and have a solid foundation that i'm know taking action on. 

So buyers beware trust but always verify everything in real estate because they are always people looking to take advantage of new investors that just don't know any better.

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Rental Property Investor · Phoenix/Lima, Arizona/OH · Member since 2012 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
10y

@Nick Doria - the cost is not an issue. The value received in exchange for the money spent, and the manner in which the education was sold to you are at the crux of the matter.

As most people here know, I sell education. CFFU costs $295. I could sell it for far more, but I don't for several reasons:

a. People have been making money in RE for as long as there's been dirt. Everything that can be done, has been done. There's no magic to any of this, just appropriate skill-set and mid-set. All I aim to do is shorten people's learning curve, not sell them on a magical potion. I did not and cannot invent anything new...

b. If someone is looking to spend money on education, it is not because they have too much money - it's because they don't have enough, and are looking to improve their circumstance. I just have never been able to wrap my head around the premise of $20,000 - $30,000 education. Doesn't seem Godly to me.

In short, sorry you've experienced the bad side of Guru. But, I'd like to think, that some gurus are good...

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  • Rental Property Investor · Phoenix/Lima, Arizona/OH · Member since 2012 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    10y

    @Nick Doria - the cost is not an issue. The value received in exchange for the money spent, and the manner in which the education was sold to you are at the crux of the matter.

    As most people here know, I sell education. CFFU costs $295. I could sell it for far more, but I don't for several reasons:

    a. People have been making money in RE for as long as there's been dirt. Everything that can be done, has been done. There's no magic to any of this, just appropriate skill-set and mid-set. All I aim to do is shorten people's learning curve, not sell them on a magical potion. I did not and cannot invent anything new...

    b. If someone is looking to spend money on education, it is not because they have too much money - it's because they don't have enough, and are looking to improve their circumstance. I just have never been able to wrap my head around the premise of $20,000 - $30,000 education. Doesn't seem Godly to me.

    In short, sorry you've experienced the bad side of Guru. But, I'd like to think, that some gurus are good...

  • Schaumburg, IL · Member since 2014 · 3 posts · 0 votes
    10y

    I am disappointed that you didn't stay in the meeting long enough to hear them out in full. I would have benefitted a lot from your experience if you provided very details of their education services that you found inappropriate. I am trying to decide on joining their program for all the benefits they discuss in their meetings. Other than the emotionally uncomfortable experience you told us that you encountered during their entire process, you don't seem to have nailed down real specific ssues that you can caution someone to beware of. I attended their entire meetings and I would love to hear from someone with specific issues about their education program that we need to beware of.

  • Real Estate Broker · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2014 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    10y

    My issue with Renatus is that 90% of the people you read about singing their praises haven't actually done a ton of deals. There's kind of a BP resident Renatus guy on here who will die defending them but if you click on his profile his goals are things like "to get started doing....". 

    There was a MASSIVE thread on here that I'm pretty sure BP closed where they pretty much got called to the carpet. Several of us offered to take their classes and post honest reviews and they wouldn't do it. We didn't think the info was worth 30k+/- and they ignored the offer. Since that thread they have a very negative connotation among the BP crowd. I have no issues with Guru's. 

    I've taken @Ben Leybovich's course and thought it was idea for someone getting their feet wet. 

    They'll clamor all day long that it's not a MLM its an insurance payscale... If it walks like a duck... 

    ***Disclaimer*** I at one point spoke with a Renatus "salesman" who was an "investor". Yet I was doing 10x as many deals as he was... Decided I was better off without it.

  • Fort Collins, CO · Member since 2013 · 134 posts · 74 votes
    10y

    If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it most likely a DUCK.

    I have gone to my fair share of these gotcha meetings.  I have been sucked into several where it sounded really good only to find out that their system was nothing more than you can learn or figure out yourself.  

    There are seminars out there that teach people how to do seminars and ratchet up the ante on each succeeding one.  Once you have paid for one you feel that you might as well and go to the next level.  Ouch!!!

    I admire you for walking out.  Good thinking on your part.  

  • Rental Property Investor · Phoenix/Lima, Arizona/OH · Member since 2012 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    10y

    @Ryan Dossey - thanks indeed, sir.

    By the way - those who want to know - CFFU has been retailing on my site for 4 years at $295. Part and parcel, every staudent has access to me via my cell phone number, as you, Ryan, can attest to...

    Well, while this was a non issue with 50 students, now days being on call like this is impacting my life in ways that are not sustainable at $295.

    That said, the price is going up as of July 1st. CFFU will still cost 1-2% of what Rentus, and all the rest of the gurus charge you. But, I can't do $295 if I am going to continue giving out my direct number...

    Ryan - thoughts?

  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    10y

    @Nick Doria  this is classic  MLM  and TV real estate evangelism ...

    usually starts with someone up there showing pictures of their kids.. Or just some kids or hubby or wife.. the audience oohs and awe's and who would not like more time for the family... this is all about spending more time with the kiddoes' etc etc.

    and as stated its just a well tested and honed series of presentations to lead you to the final goal of spending the big bucks... and make no mistake about it.. the guys at the top of these deals make Millions.. and Millions...

  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    10y

    @Ben Leybovich  seems like a few grand would be appropriate if your going to take phone calls at all.

  • Rental Property Investor · Phoenix/Lima, Arizona/OH · Member since 2012 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    10y

    @Ryan Dossey - thanks indeed, sir.

    By the way - those who want to know - CFFU has been retailing on my site for 4 years at $295. Part and parcel, every staudent has access to me via my cell phone number, as you, Ryan, can attest to...

    Well, while this was a non issue with 50 students, now days being on call like this is impacting my life in ways that are not sustainable at $295.

    That said, the price is going up as of July 1st. CFFU will still cost 1-2% of what Rentus, and all the rest of the gurus charge you. But, I can't do $295 if I am going to continue giving out my direct number...

  • Rental Property Investor · Phoenix/Lima, Arizona/OH · Member since 2012 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    10y
    Originally posted by @Jay Hinrichs:

    @Ben Leybovich  seems like a few grand would be appropriate if your going to take phone calls at all.

     More than a few grand would be appropriate. But, I like people, Jay :)

    Those who need answers and are likely to do something with those answers, don't usually have few grand to spend. I didn't...

  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    10y

    @Ben Leybovich  well then they should save it up... nothing wrong with saving a few dollars to buy something you really want or need.

  • Real Estate Agent/Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2015 · 229 posts · 108 votes
    10y

    @Ben Leybovich wow, this took a while for anybody to notice haha. 

    @Patrick Kingori the whole meeting was being based on "hype" and "Selling the dream" as said in the review I can't speak for the education since I had never taken any classes . The main issue I have with them is for the fact of playing into people's weakness. Read a little closer and you will see that when I wrote about them i keyed in on the Typical GURU like things they all do. If you have to play into people's fears and build up fake hype more than likely what you have to offer isn't that good. If you are providing good information people will look to pursue you and not the other way around.

    @Ben Leybovich is a great example of this he doesn't go out there and recruit or force some BS story on to people to be interested in his course. He lets people see the value of the course for themselves and then THEY make their own mind up IF they want it. 

    Anytime somebody is giving you a sales pitch stop and think for a moment "hmm if they have to try and sell me on something is this even worth it." Now, I can't answer this question for anyone other than myself, but is a good point.  

    Another thing, I see that you are brand new to the site welcome to biggerpockets. i have also noticed that you have only commented on this topic and haven't done an introduction yet. Nothing against you but, after everybody is on the site long enough as @Ryan Dossey yes, I know this is the kinda BS that makes my blood boil. Not going to let it slide if I know people are getting taken advantage of. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't say something. 

  • Real Estate Agent/Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2015 · 229 posts · 108 votes
    10y

    @Duke Marquiss sadly a few years ago i didn't think so smartly and fell into the trap. while I didn't spend some crazy 30k amount it was well more than what the information was really worth. When you don't get into the emotions of the room and see things as they really are there normally aren't too many time when you can't figure their intentions quickly.

    also one last thing, why would you pay somebody 30k which very well could be the money to really get started investing where you will really learn on the fly and then be in the game. Learn as you Earn. If you're thinking that I just need to know that next thing before making the jump you never will. 

  • Real Estate Broker · Downers Grove, IL · Member since 2012 · 25 posts · 14 votes
    10y

    I had a renatus "student" recruiting me, I knew him through a mutual friend.  Mind you I already figured in my head it was a scam so I didn't go.  I told him if he ever actually started investing in real estate to call me since he'd likely need a realtor.  So one day he calls me that he wants to go see a property to buy and then rent out. (I'm thinking great, maybe I was wrong)

    So I get to the property he wanted to see, and this couple shows up saying they we were there to meet my client, let's call him Al.  I'm confused so I have the couple wait outside til Al gets there.   When Al arrives he starts talk to the couple and I find out that he randomly picked this property and started advertising it as a rental.  The plan is that if they find someone to rent it his group of "investors" will buy it.   Once I realize what's going on I immediately ask everyone to leave.  I explain to Al, that I was uncomfortable with it and he can't be advertising listings on the internet that aren't even his.

    Couple days later Al calls me with his mentor on the line asking me if I'll show him another property but this time they want to host an Open House at this property.  At this point I start to get mad.  They couldn't understand that me hosting an open house at a property that isn't even my listing is entirely unethical.  They kept begging me to which I finally responded "if this is such a good deal then why are you unable to find a realtor willing to do it?"  After that I told both of them not to call me anymore as I had no interest in representing them or their business practices.  They were literally picking random listings off zillow and advertising them as rental properties even though they didn't own the property or even have the listing. (they weren't even realtors)

    I can't speak to what they specifically teach over there, but that was my experience and it's more than enough to keep me away.

    • Real Estate Consultant · Evergreen, CO · Member since 2018 · 1k+ posts · 729 votes
      1y
      Quote from @Robert Brannigan:

      I had a renatus "student" recruiting me, I knew him through a mutual friend.  Mind you I already figured in my head it was a scam so I didn't go.  I told him if he ever actually started investing in real estate to call me since he'd likely need a realtor.  So one day he calls me that he wants to go see a property to buy and then rent out. (I'm thinking great, maybe I was wrong)

      So I get to the property he wanted to see, and this couple shows up saying they we were there to meet my client, let's call him Al.  I'm confused so I have the couple wait outside til Al gets there.   When Al arrives he starts talk to the couple and I find out that he randomly picked this property and started advertising it as a rental.  The plan is that if they find someone to rent it his group of "investors" will buy it.   Once I realize what's going on I immediately ask everyone to leave.  I explain to Al, that I was uncomfortable with it and he can't be advertising listings on the internet that aren't even his.

      Couple days later Al calls me with his mentor on the line asking me if I'll show him another property but this time they want to host an Open House at this property.  At this point I start to get mad.  They couldn't understand that me hosting an open house at a property that isn't even my listing is entirely unethical.  They kept begging me to which I finally responded "if this is such a good deal then why are you unable to find a realtor willing to do it?"  After that I told both of them not to call me anymore as I had no interest in representing them or their business practices.  They were literally picking random listings off zillow and advertising them as rental properties even though they didn't own the property or even have the listing. (they weren't even realtors)

      I can't speak to what they specifically teach over there, but that was my experience and it's more than enough to keep me away.


       Renatus would be good at recruiting for Hamas and the cartels! 

    • Real Estate Consultant · Evergreen, CO · Member since 2018 · 1k+ posts · 729 votes
      1y
      Quote from @Robert Brannigan:

      I had a renatus "student" recruiting me, I knew him through a mutual friend.  Mind you I already figured in my head it was a scam so I didn't go.  I told him if he ever actually started investing in real estate to call me since he'd likely need a realtor.  So one day he calls me that he wants to go see a property to buy and then rent out. (I'm thinking great, maybe I was wrong)

      So I get to the property he wanted to see, and this couple shows up saying they we were there to meet my client, let's call him Al.  I'm confused so I have the couple wait outside til Al gets there.   When Al arrives he starts talk to the couple and I find out that he randomly picked this property and started advertising it as a rental.  The plan is that if they find someone to rent it his group of "investors" will buy it.   Once I realize what's going on I immediately ask everyone to leave.  I explain to Al, that I was uncomfortable with it and he can't be advertising listings on the internet that aren't even his.

      Couple days later Al calls me with his mentor on the line asking me if I'll show him another property but this time they want to host an Open House at this property.  At this point I start to get mad.  They couldn't understand that me hosting an open house at a property that isn't even my listing is entirely unethical.  They kept begging me to which I finally responded "if this is such a good deal then why are you unable to find a realtor willing to do it?"  After that I told both of them not to call me anymore as I had no interest in representing them or their business practices.  They were literally picking random listings off zillow and advertising them as rental properties even though they didn't own the property or even have the listing. (they weren't even realtors)

      I can't speak to what they specifically teach over there, but that was my experience and it's more than enough to keep me away.


       I went to a meeting knowing it was Renatus and I felt like the ghosts of Jim Jones and David Koresh were lurking nearby. 

  • Killeen, TX · Member since 2018 · 1 post · 1 vote
    8y

    I came to this thread because I was really looking for something to say that Renatus is not really providing what they say you will get. I went to one meeting after speaking with someone for several weeks. I told them I wanted to think about it and that was cool with no pressure. Since then they have invited me to several active flips that are in the construction phase to explain different aspects of flipping, they gave lots of information on a co-op that a group of them got together on.

    I have been seeing things as if what they said was true. Now I am more uncertain that when I came to this thread. I really only picked up that it was all fluff with no real examples.

  • Homeowner · Oak Park, IL · Member since 2013 · 1 post · 1 vote
    8y

    Have been listening to podcasts and reading up on real estate, so I decided to start attending some local REIA meetings. Checking out Meet up, there are many in my general area, so I saw a meet up from a woman who looked like she was in my suburb, touting a "Real Estate Moms" meeting. Imagine my surprise last night, when the REIA meeting had both genders, wasn't really a local REIA meeting and instead was a MLM meeting. Years ago, someone told me that the way to tell when someone doesn't really have the experience and work behind them, is that they're so busy defending the value and importance of their work rather than talking about the content of the work itself. That was what struck me immediately - the speaker wasn't talking about content within an area of real estate, rather was talking all about the "community" and showcasing members experience. A sales meeting looks like a sales meeting and not a REIA.

    There is definitely a place for paid real estate education, but when the company isn't clear what you're signing up for when you are trying to attend a REIA meeting, it makes you wonder what the other hidden factors are, how ethical they can be about the other aspects of what they're giving you. When you step out of the meeting and see around 15-20 folks waiting and doing nothing. Why? Are they waiting outside to just sell folks on the next $ class? Felt super cultish.

    I hear some folks on various podcasts, doing things that I might find a bit beyond what I might consider fair pricing or tactics - but they are being honest about it. Whether or not I or you would do it isn't the point - these folks are being completely up front and honest about it. Once you get folks to come to your meeting by not being honest - not saying who you are, using fake group names to make it look like a REIA, not saying that the meeting is to discuss Renatus courses, you lose credibility and make those folks wonder what else you're willing to be less than honest about. Whether it is Renatus or Clayton Morris - once you start suspecting that they are being less than honest, it's time to cut bait.

  • Member since 2024 · 5 posts · 0 votes
    1y

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