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?
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.
Civil Engineer. Engineering requires same intelligence and ability as other highly paid fields of study like Medicine, Law, Finance etc. but only pays middle class wages. Most of us being problem solvers, solve this problem by real estate investing, stock markets investing etc. In many countries, Engineering is the highest paid profession, and this trend is not as common.
I've been an I.C. Layout Design Engineer (Semiconductor) for close to 25 years. I've also met countless engineers who are skilled musicains like myself. Analyzing numbers is a big part of understanding music theory and chord progessions etc. It's critical in analyzing potential real estate deals as well.
Mechanical engineer in the defense sector. Been in industry for 7 years and am trying to get out. New real estate investor looking for my first multi-family deal.
Civil Engineer! My experience working on land management projects has helped me understand all the terminology. RE investing gives me a lot more flexibility with my future than engineering does.
BS in Computer and Electrical Engineer with an MBA on the side. Real Estate is all about the numbers and that's one thing all Engineers love. It makes sense that a lot of us would eventually find our way to Real Estate.
Recently graduated in Civil Engineering with a focus in Structural Engineering. I am now absorbing as much info as I can as I get ready to dive into REI. I grew interest in engineering with my love for numbers and problem-solving. Almost a year into my career now, and I'm quickly realizing that engineers need to wear many hats to be successful.
Communication, optimization, and the ability/desire to learn are all required traits to grow in the engineering field. These same traits are what seem to make up a successful investor.
BSEE and MSIT here. REI is appealing because it takes you back to the basic engineering principles. Problem solving and crunching the numbers to justify your decisions.