How do you market yourself without an LLC?

Question

So I’m still a newbie but I am searching for my first property.... don’t have a website, LLC, business cards, cause I don’t need to wait for all that to be in place to actually get started. Right?

Many ppl debate if you need to create an LLC. And typical response is it's not necessary unless you own many properties. You can get the same personal protection by adding an umbrella policy to your homeowners insurance to make sure you have adequate coverage, so you should never have to pay out of pocket if you get sued.... obviously tax questions in play as well, for which is better for any particular person. But I'm not here to go over tax strategies

So my question is: If you are an individual investing in real estate without an LLC, how do you market yourself? Do you buy business cards that just say “my name, real estate investor. I want to buy your house” etc.

Do those without an LLC have a website without a company name? If so, don’t you want your website to be associated with something besides your personal name?

What do you guys to, to brand yourself or what you call a company, without an LLC in place registered with your state.

I’m a newbie so let me know if there’s ways around this dilemma. Is it not a big deal? You tell me....

Rick Pozos · Answer

When you are starting all you need is someone to say that they want to sell. You dont need an LLC. BUT how do you find those people. THAT is the hard part.

When I started in 2002, there was no Facebook, instagram, twitter, etc. It cost $1000s to set up a website. I was NEVER going to have a website. Well, times change and you adapt to them. I eventually set up a Facebook page and what did I put as my occupation REAL ESTATE INVESTOR. Now all my friends know what I do. As websites became easier to use and cheaper, I got one. Evolution.

Now I have a personal Facebook, business, FrugalRealEstateGuy, and one for sellers. I have a website for investors and one for sellers. I have a small group that meets once a month to help other real estate investors. As you have more time or people to help you things change and so does your business.

Also, I incorporated after 15 years in doing business. Before that, everything was in my name. I always had builders risk, umbrella, and/or landlord policies to mitigate any potential issues.

After you do some deals and realize that is what you like to do, THEN you should start thinking if you want to use an LLC or Scorp or Ccorp or whatever.

BUT to answer your question, I still market MYSELF as the buyer of properties. I just put them in my company name, but I, Rick Pozos, is the one buying from you Mister Seller.

Peter M. · Answer

@Neil Adams Register for a DBA and do all the stuff you listed. They're like 50-100 bucks in most places. Later on you can even name a LLC that as long as it's not already taken

Neil Adams · Answer

I’ve started off learning an focusing on wholesaling, but that’s just to learn the ropes and practice with acquisitions and gain some capital. My end goal is to focus on marketing to get inbound leads, and let the deal decide what the exit strategy. Primarily building up a portfolio of buy and holds with rehab. Hopefully implementing the BRRRR strategy. I imagine if I need more capitol I can’t get from investors, I will sell a rehabbed property rather than hold. And those that don’t fit my portfolio I will wholesale to other contacts i have made.

So I’m starting with wholesaling but my long terms goal is to have wholesaling just be a back burner strategy because if I find a good deal, but maybe have too many things on my plate, I still want to be able to act on it, and just make less profit than the full flip.

Peter M. · Answer

@Neil Adams Yup pretty much. I wouldn't be in a rush to form an LLC though. Besides you could always keep using your DBA and any real property can just be titled into your LLC.

Neil Adams · Answer

I’ve never actually heard that acronym before. But read up on it a bit. That’s the perfect solution I think to get started. So I can give myself a name without yet knowing the best tax strategy between setting up separate LLC’s with different private lender partners, one for myself, or whatever my future CPA advises.

So, I should think about my company name, and check my state registry to see if there is an LLC with that name? Then create the DBA and just hope I can still claim it in another 6 months or two years when I decide to incorporate?

Aigo Pyles · Answer

In what area of real estate investing are you going to dive in?

How do you market yourself without an LLC?

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