How Many RE Investors are Engineers?

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

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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Becca Summers
Real Estate Agent · Highland, UT · Member since 2015 · 407 posts · 272 votes
6y
A lot of my investors are Doctors, Business owners, and engineers. My husband was an engineer before he came to work with me but I got him into investing first.
1 Reply
Stephen KeigheryBusiness Member
Rental Property Investor · New Orleans, LA · Member since 2018 · 716 posts · 555 votes
6y
There are definitely lots of engineers. I am not one myself but used to run a tech company so worked with lots of engineers. They are generally very intelligent and have a methodical approach to problem solving that would make them good property investors.
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Michael Beaton
Member since 2018 · 1 post · 2 votes
6y
Yes, engineer (B& MS) with MBA (Management)
2 Reply
Ben StoodleyBusiness Member
Lender · San Diego, CA · Member since 2014 · 264 posts · 161 votes
6y
Such a funny thread title! I too am an Engineer by educational training. However, I completed my graduate studies of Structural Engineering 2011 and couldn't get a job to save my life. I fell into real estate due to a distant family connection and my recent move to California. I saw the HUGE opportunities in real estate that spoke in direct contrast to to the LACK of opportunity in civil/structural engineering that I experienced during undergrad internships. Engineering is a fantastic major and I completely agree with those of you who said engineers are PROBLEM SOLVERS. What I experienced in engineering work was that the problems were solvable by following certain standards and procedures, it lacked a lot of creativity - kept us confined to the boundaries of the books. Investment real estate encompassed a lot of what I liked about engineering but without any standard procedures to follow, allowing for much more creativity. I have been in investment real estate for 9 years now and have recently built my 3rd business in it. I now focus purely on lending my own money. The "real estate investment ladder" is a much more exciting adventure than climbing the "corporate ladder", in my opinion!
1 Reply
Kristian Conway
Contractor · New Orleans, LA · Member since 2018 · 36 posts · 42 votes
6y
Civil Engineer here! I agree, I think engineers gravitate to REI not only because of the love for numbers but also the problem solving aspects . I would definitely say that my engineering background has helped a lot especially through major renovations.
However, an engineering background does come with some downside. For one, I'm a perfectionist. Two, being an engineer can sometimes allow you to have just enough false confidence to create headaches for yourself. "Trust me, I'm an engineer" as I tackle a project that I would be better off hiring out lol.
4 Reply
Alessandro C.
Rental Property Investor · Montreal · Member since 2018 · 24 posts · 8 votes
6y
not me....anyone with any background can do this!
1 Reply
Andreas Schneider
Rental Property Investor · Boca Raton, FL · Member since 2018 · 24 posts · 5 votes
6y
@Adam Zach
I got a degree in civil engineering from
Switzerland where i am from. I relocated to the US 7 years ago and worked for a GC for the most part and its definitely good knowledge to have in REI but not necessary.
I cant tell you how much i can figure out and if it's right or not from just pictures on the MLS or getting from a contractor during a rehab. But as with everything, that is a skill you get to learn as more as you do it.
I think you could say the same about realtors. I wish i had the knowledge of a realtor being an investor in real estate.
Grass is always greener...
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Thad MillerPro Member
Engineer · Santa Ynez, CA · Member since 2013 · 72 posts · 23 votes
6y
I was an NPI Engineer, then a Process Development Engineer, then Design Engineer, and now I'm a Manufacturing Engineer making thermal imaging cameras. And, my favorite and most promising endeavor is being a buy and hold investor!
2 Reply
Patrick Owens
Rental Property Investor · Charleston, SC · Member since 2018 · 29 posts · 13 votes
6y
@Adam Zach
As a follow-up, I would be interested to know how many people have had the DISC personality assessment.
What separates the engineers who try (and succeed) in REI from the ones who can't/will not get started. Are the engineers who are stuck in Analysis Paralysis also high "S"? Are the ones who dive in high "D"?
Personally, I am “the investigator”.
1 Reply
Mike MalyyPro Member
Investor · Sacramento, CA · Member since 2019 · 44 posts · 38 votes
6y
Licensed civil engineer here, with background in project management. Granted I’m a new RE investor, but I have not met a lot of other engineers/investors in my area. Most of my colleagues tend to overthink and invest in other things.
0 Reply
Ryan Hall
Rental Property Investor · Tampa, FL · Member since 2019 · 74 posts · 27 votes
6y
@Adam Zach
Civil engineer by education and W2. Looks like a fair amount of us are engineers of various specialty and likely explains a lot of the analysis paralysis we experience. Give us some number to analyze and pour over and we’ll create 8 different spreadsheets to show that given the right economy and rents and tenant leases and appliances and roof and vacancies and location analysis and and and, etc etc a deal quite possibly might work!
We do love the numbers part of REI :)
0 Reply
Timothy W.
Attorney · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
6y
I just remembered Dolf de Roos is an engineer.
0 Reply
John BrittPro Member
Real Estate Consultant · Chattanoooga, TN · Member since 2008 · 194 posts · 52 votes
6y
Electrical and computer engineer by education, but I am working in real estate.
1 Reply
Conn G.
Rental Property Investor · Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2019 · 120 posts · 68 votes
6y
Newly graduate in electrical engineering. Looking forward to progress in both areas!
0 Reply
Joseph Eiwuley
Houston · Member since 2018 · 8 posts · 2 votes
6y
Retired software engineering with project management background. Plus I am also a scrum Master. Just started with one rental property. Just lying low to see where the market trends. I will like to get into rsingle/multi family real estate development within the next couple of years.
0 Reply
Anthony Angotti
Real Estate Agent · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 846 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?

Engineers usually make a good income and many live in high cost of living cities. People with a good income in a high cost of living city look to real estate often as an investment vehicle.
I wouldn't say they are the majority though. Maybe the majority of those on BP, however most of the real estate investors I know find their way to it through some sort of trade work. They just aren't the ones on BP.
2 Reply
John Tapley
San Jose, CA · Member since 2014 · 11 posts · 1 vote
6y
Ex-engineer checking in... still in tech though.
0 Reply
Josh Cook
Rental Property Investor · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2017 · 106 posts · 39 votes
6y
I'm an Engineer and just have one rental, hoping to do more. Both my friends from college are engineers and invest in real estate as well.
0 Reply
Deneuve Brutus
Investor · Woodbridge, VA · Member since 2019 · 162 posts · 64 votes
6y
Computer Engineer here, for me it's because I do like numbers, efficiency and have a knack to fix things through Root Cause Analysis. I see Real Estate the same way, it's the most effective way to grow capital without much reliance on the stock market like most other investments I've been introduced to. When I walk a property I'm automatically shuffling through my toolbelt looking for an avenue to add value through improvements and thinking of possible exit strategies for a worst case scenario. It's another channel that allows us to flex analytically.
0 Reply
Billy Linn
Investor · Green River, WY · Member since 2017 · 122 posts · 59 votes
6y
@Adam Zach people that went to college or invested in an education better understand how investments can pay off and have had to endure delayed gratification. They also typically have higher salaries which makes investing easier.
Other skills picked up on the path to engineering help too. You generally have to work with different teams and be good at researching and solving problems.
I’m a software engineer and I enjoy both my career and my real estate investing.
2 Reply
Lane Kawaoka
Rental Property Investor · Honolulu, HAWAII (HI) · Member since 2011 · 4k+ posts · 2k+ votes
6y
Here! Civil and industrial. Started with turnkey rentals and now 3500 units.
No more day job!
0 Reply
Prabesh Giri
Developer · Columbia, MD · Member since 2020 · 9 posts · 0 votes
6y
Software Engineer from Maryland. Just getting started with REI.
0 Reply
Jason H.Pro Member
Rental Property Investor · Pittsburgh | Chicago · Member since 2016 · 115 posts · 54 votes
6y
The funny ironic thing about this conversation (for me) is that the group of people who should know the most about real estate (note I didn't say real estate 'investing') are architects! But in the end, it's really a testament to the income of architect versus engineers (and the rest of the professions)! As an architect, I am so glad to have found finally found real estate investing, but often wonder why the light bulb didn't go off earlier...when I was helping all my clients design apartment buildings, I was there just taking a paycheck...Still, never too late.
3 Reply
Jason Taliaferro
Real Estate Agent · Baltimore, MD · Member since 2014 · 113 posts · 71 votes
6y
I am an industrial engineer, does that count ;)
0 Reply
Gerald Magtibay
SF Bay Area · Member since 2018 · 6 posts · 5 votes
6y
Information Security Engineer right here, itching to get started in REI.
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