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Posted about 7 years ago

Why Commercial Real Estate?

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I am often approached by people in residential real estate, by people in different professions such as medicine and law, and others who are not too informed on commercial real estate and am asked what it is really about.  When they discover that I invest in commercial real estate, they always ask me, “Why?”  Of course they acknowledge the most obvious reason, the amount of money that can be made.  However, I am quick to inform them that there are so many other wonderful reasons why ANYONE should be involved in commercial real estate.

Here I have compiled the top six reasons why I am involved in commercial real estate, and why you should too.

# 1 – Synergy

The first is really my favorite, the concept of synergy.  Synergy is the idea that you put in the same amount of effort, but yield a larger result. 1 + 1 = 3. This is definitely present in commercial real estate.  any of the deals you might be involved in require the same exact process and amount of work, regardless of how large the property is, how much the property is worth, what its best use is, and how much of a return you can make from it.

A $15,000,000 deal can literally require the same amount of work as a $300,000 deal! Because of this reason, I always urge my colleagues to think big, and always go for the gusto!  Why exert the same amount of time and energy on a low yielding deal, when you can put the same amount of time and energy, and yield 10 times what that single deal would?  I am not a rocket scientist; however, this seems pretty clear to me.

#2 – Leverage

The second reason is leverage, and how it can maximize your return on properties.  In commercial real estate, you always want to examine how you can decrease your invested capital while returning the most money.  A good way is to borrow part of the initial investment and pay a certain percentage on the borrowed money.  The total cost of initial investment can be much lower when you use other people’s money (OPM), and it, therefore, increases your overall return.  There are not too many businesses that function is this fashion, and you can definitely use it to your advantage.

#3 – Positively Impacting Communities

The third reason why I chose commercial real estate is the impact I can have on communities.  Creating more affordable housing, renovating old, large apartment complexes so that people actually want to live there, finding places for companies to establish a customer base and employ jobs, and increasing the economic welfare of cities are all fantastic reasons to get involved in commercial real estate!  You can really have an effect on multiple communities, and everyone will benefit.

#4 – Abundance

The fourth reason is abundance.  There is an abundance of properties, types of properties, ways to create wealth, professionals to work with, other people’s money to borrow, and money to be made.  There is enough for everyone in this constantly changing industry.  It makes it an exciting place to work, as there is always a new and different opportunity for you to pursue!

#5 – Creativity

The fifth reason includes all the various skills you get to use in commercial real estate.  It is not like an accountant’s job where you primarily deal with the same math and the same clients day in and day out, with little varying tasks.  In commercial real estate you must problem solve, be creative in constructing offers and what to do with properties.  It requires negotiation, which is fun, building relationships with other professionals that can lead to friendships and lifelong business partners, and, of course, the ability to create massive wealth and happiness that many others never experience!

#6 – Giving Back

I am a strong believer in “giving back” — as you are blessed, to bless others.  You have the privilege of using your profits to help others.  Whether it is a family member, a person in need, a local charity or your favorite mission, you can use your profits to positively changes lives and impact the world.

There are many more reasons why I enjoy commercial real estate, but I don’t want to spoil it for you.  You will develop your own reasons to love the business of commercial real estate.

Commercial real estate can be rewarding personally and financially, and it is a benefit to the community.  Think about all the reasons why you want to do commercial real estate and how you can use your success to make a difference!  You can make it happen!



Comments (2)

  1. Mark,

    Thanks so very much for sharing and for listening to the Old Dawg's REI network.  It's people like you that inspire and encourage me.

    I'd like to know more about your investing journey.  If you have the time, could you give me a brief overview of your investing experience?  Would love to know when you got started, how you turned that C-class property around and some details about your approach and goals. Oh, also, how old are you? The reason I'm asking is I think you could make for a great potential guest for the show.  

    My personal email is: [email protected].

    Thanks again for taking the time to share.

    Best,

    bill


  2. Thank you Bill! I'm an avid listener of The Old Dawg's podcast also.  I can’t understand why more people aren’t investing in commercial properties but that lessens the competition for me! I’m a newbie investor who still works full time in IT for a very prominant Fortune 100 company. I also have a 6 year old and am working on completing my MBA so I require something very passive yet I want to learn the in and outs of Property Managment. Because of my time constraints and the competition for residential properties in DFW, I elected to enter REI via a C-Class commercial property in an area that is in the middle of regentrification. It’s been one of the best experiences of my life despite a few inherited tenants that fell behind. After writing off those losses I did replace those tenants with more suitable ones and I expect this year to be much better. I’ve bought a second property now (retail duplex) which has proven even better with 2 national tenants that pay via EFT on the 1st of every month. Commercial will be in my future for some time.