How Many RE Investors are Engineers?

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How Many RE Investors are Engineers?

Adam Zach
Rental Property Investor · Fargo, ND · Member since 2016 · 136 posts · 112 votes

Is it just me or are about 25% of all real estate investors, also engineers? As an Engineer myself I could be biased but curious if anyone has insight. I know folks usually have professional background like IT, accounting, dr but would be going out on a limb to say engineers cover the majority of all real estate investors?

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Pat L.
Rental Property Investor · Upstate, NY · Member since 2012 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
6y

I did the eng gig until REI proved to be way more profitable. It's paid off in so many ways allowing me to do 'permitted' electrical (took that minor in elect.), opening & replacing walls with LVL beams, HVAC installs, on-demand HW (elect & NG) etc etc. It's a discipline that opened so many cost saving opportunities & you don't get snowed by contractors, home or building inspectors. Biggest job 'permitted' by my town was the complete design, install & wiring/flow rate monitoring of complete fire sprinkler system for a 6 unit. They allowed me 6 months & did it all myself.

But then again I remember our final exams forbade the use of calculators, slide rules were the only device allowed as were card punched software solutions in our lab finals.

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  • Russell Wong
    New to Real Estate · Boston · Member since 2020 · 1 post · 1 vote
    6y

    Manufacturing Engineer! 

    1Reply
  • Wendell Fong
    Investor · Vancouver BC · Member since 2020 · 88 posts · 60 votes
    6y

    BSc Civil.  35 years ago, when I did not know what to study, my dad told me to study Engineering.  (he was an Electrical Engineer in business) He told me engineering is really hard and whatever you do after will be easier... and if you fail at whatever you want to do, you can always be an engineer!

    1Reply
  • Jeff Shumway
    Member since 2020 · 2 posts · 1 vote
    6y

    I am a Cyber Security Engineer, but just getting into the field of Real Estate. So far it seems like a great fit. 

    1Reply
  • Jim Paige
    Investor · Member since 2020 · 1 post · 2 votes
    6y

    Computer Science Engineering and Database Architect

    2Reply
  • Rashonda James
    Wholesaler · Dallas, TX · Member since 2020 · 3 posts · 1 vote
    6y

    Electronics Engineer

    1Reply
  • Bryce DeCora
    Investor · Snohomish, WA · Member since 2017 · 110 posts · 60 votes
    6y

    Mechanical Engineering grad. Left Boeing this February to pursue REI full time! Currently doing wholesale, some rentals, flips and building a Real Estate Investor CRM

    2Reply
  • Josue Vargas
    Real Estate Agent · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2017 · 814 posts · 466 votes
    6y

    @Adam Zach

    Please stop this insanity!

    Yeah, everybody here missed the point of conversation.  We all know you, me, and most people here posting are "engineers", thought only PE's could be called engineers.  The question is how many engineers are investor, the question was not "post here your ramification in engineering and, HEY, I'm and engineer in BP..."  

    Like I said before, not even close to 5% investors are engineers.  

    1Reply
  • Christopher Catano
    Rental Property Investor · Rensselaer, NY · Member since 2019 · 3 posts · 3 votes
    6y

    I am a semiconductor process engineer in Albany NY. I just bought my first property - two single bedroom units (up and down) and I am owner occupying one of them. I have learned a lot in regards to home improvement/renovation and overall functionality of a home. This was the primary reason for me buying this particular property, it is smaller and was cheaper to get into than other multi families in the area. I have always been interested in real estate as an investment vehicle to accelerate me to early retirement. This property will serve as my guinea pig, I don't expect tremendous returns on this one but certainly higher expectations for the next property I get into. Even if I don't see crazy returns on this property the knowledge and opportunity cost of renting a similar apartment to the unit I am in elsewhere made my decision a no-brainier even though I had no idea what I was doing when I first bought the place.

    1Reply
  • Alysia McDonald
    New to Real Estate · Grand Rapids, MN · Member since 2020 · 11 posts · 7 votes
    6y

    My husband is trained as an Electrical Engineer, now remotely working as a Data Scientist!

    1Reply
  • Giancarlo Rodrigues
    New to Real Estate · NJ · Member since 2020 · 13 posts · 6 votes
    6y

    Civil Engineer here working as a field engineer.  Thought when i was going to school i would end up in land development but ended up going a completely different direction after i did my internship.  I guess i always had some kind of RE bug and am now rediscovering that.  Not complaining though when i run a job site I've learned to talk to people, i create estimates, i create schedules, run meetings, oversee the budget and have improved my biggest weakness in my communication skills.  Sounds like i just applied for a job but i'm glad that my life went this way and now i feel like as i move into the world as an investor (an extreme rookie, my only property is a house hack at the moment) my past will help me in my future.

    1Reply
  • Annie L.
    Member since 2020 · 3 posts · 0 votes
    6y

    Software Engineer :) 

    0Reply
  • Mike Xiao
    San Diego, CA · Member since 2016 · 17 posts · 8 votes
    6y

    BSEE (specialized in RF design) and also worked part time as RE agent.  Now a full time sales engineer in the RF engineering field.  Looking for buy and hold rental properties.  Currently just have 1 rental property in Utah. 

    0Reply
  • Michael Ohara
    Investor · HI · Member since 2017 · 328 posts · 124 votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Adam Zach:

    Is it just me or are about 25% of all real estate investors, also engineers? As an Engineer myself I could be biased but curious if anyone has insight. I know folks usually have professional background like IT, accounting, dr but would be going out on a limb to say engineers cover the majority of all real estate investors?

    All of 'em. 

    😆 

    1Reply
  • Basilio Alcantara
    Rental Property Investor · FL · Member since 2015 · 16 posts · 10 votes
    6y

    Cybersecurity Engineer here...

    0Reply
  • David Featherstone
    Rental Property Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2019 · 23 posts · 9 votes
    6y

    Mechanical Engineer here! New to REI and learning the basics right now so not sure if that makes me an "investor." But I have some goals to become one soon!

    1Reply
  • Michael Noto
    Real Estate Agent · Southington, CT · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    6y

    I thought it was a just a Connecticut thing because we have some large employers with a lot of engineers on staff but 20-30% of the clients I work with have an engineering background. Never really thought about it until this post. 

    0Reply
  • Justin Edwards
    Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2017 · 1 post · 0 votes
    6y

    Manufacturing Engineer in Indianapolis.

    0Reply
  • Aaron SmithPro Member
    Spokane, WA · Member since 2020 · 29 posts · 22 votes
    6y

    Computer Science degree, currently working in embedded software engineering for wireless and wired networking products. Previously worked for a university as a network engineer.

    1Reply
  • Gregory Clauson
    Contractor · Southern NH · Member since 2020 · 3 posts · 0 votes
    6y

    Structural Engineer!

    0Reply
  • Temidayo Babatunde
    Member since 2020 · 1 post · 0 votes
    6y

    Software Engineer 

    0Reply
  • Angie Protexter
    Real Estate Agent · Madison, WI · Member since 2020 · 17 posts · 11 votes
    6y

    Structural Engineer

    0Reply
  • Eric FernwoodBusiness Member
    Realtor · Las Vegas, NV · Member since 2014 · 997 posts · 1k+ votes
    6y

    Hello @Adam Zach,

    Interesting observation. Almost all of our clients are engineers, software developers or in similar fields. Whether engineer (types) are actually a significant percentage of investors nationwide, I can’t say.

    I like dealing with engineers since we (the two founders of our group) are also engineers. Some of the aspects of our engineer clients I like include:

    • Engineers like numbers. This is important to us. We find properties using data mining software we developed and what we send out is analytical information, not MLS data sheets.
    • Engineers tend to be less emotionally involved in properties. They (and financial types) tend to be focused on the bottom line. This is how you make money.
    • We can explain the good and bad parts of a property (all properties have good and bad) and they are not put off, if the numbers work.
    • We can explain how our software and processes work and they very quickly grasp the overall approach. This makes it easier for us and they quickly become an active part of the process.
    • Engineers are a group that are not location centric. They are accustomed to dealing with people in many locations. Almost all of our clients live in other states or countries and that works for them.
    • We get excellent feedback. Our processes and software have improved greatly over the years due to the feedback we’ve received. This is important to us because we always strive to improve our services.

    Anyway, that is my $0.02 on the subject.

    [email protected]702-358-8884
    FERNWOOD Team, KW VIP Realty520 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    1Reply
  • Alex T.
    Flipper/Rehabber · Houston, TX · Member since 2016 · 67 posts · 30 votes
    6y

    Bachelors and Master's in Petroleum Engineering with a minor in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Mathematics. I worked 6 years as a drilling engineer. 4 years in Dubai for the national oil company and 2 years with a major E&P Oil and Gas company here in Houston. Then I quit for a billion reasons.

    1Reply
  • Alex Lade
    Rental Property Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2019 · 7 posts · 3 votes
    6y

    Recent graduate from Texas A&M. Software engineer as a mobile application developer. Currently in market for a house hack. I have a few engineer buddies who are looking to getting in their first deal. 

    1Reply
  • LaRhonda M
    Real Estate Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2011 · 49 posts · 14 votes
    6y

    Electrical Engineering!!

    3Reply
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