Those who can't succeed... teach?

Real Estate Agent · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2017 · 523 posts · 362 votes

Hey Guys I was on another forum and Tim Gordon posted something that really struck me. He said " At this stage of the market, those who can't succeed teach." This is something that I wholeheartedly agree with and something that really fires me up. I think it is morally wrong for these gurus to take advantage of newbies and people interested in real estate when they themselves are not truly masters or successful. Usually they know just enough to sound smart, and make it appear as though they are a master or real estate mogul. I remember I attended a real estate weekend boot camp and the guru showed us his 1099 to brag and show how he made 2 million the previous year. While others were gasping and drooling over this I was examining it and saw that he made over 1.3 million from his company that sold courses and offered coaching. This was my first encounter with a "guru" and really just opened my eyes because I had been ignorant up until that point. I don't want to start throwing out names but the first person that comes to my mind is Tai Lopez. These are the people who have literally become famous from these corny, sleezy ads where they rent nice cars and houses to impress and trick people. I was wanting you guys input/opinion on why you think they are so prevalent in today's world/market? It seems like there aren't any good guys fighting the good fight? What really upsets me the most about this, is that these gurus are the reason why REI have a bad name and are seen as con man and people trying to rob you blind. This has been something that has been on my mind lately and I'm wondering if I am the only crazy person that doesn't like them?

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Jay HinrichsBusiness Member

Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes

well i am going to take the contrarian stand here on your post.

I agree with some of those that sell wholesaling i see as bottom barrel guys simply because the way they teach it is illegal in many states..

but others that teach basic. flipping techniques they are all real its legal and just because 400 people sign up and only about 20 will do anything with the data .. but that's all things real estate.

1.. Just look at a 3 year old thread on BP you will not recognize hardly any names.. they all came and went and did nothing.. ( granted it was free or near free)

2. 50 to 70% those that try licensed real estate sales burn out in 1 to 3 years.. that's a fact.

3. 95% of those that take wholesaling how to course burn out and never do anything.. and probably 80% of those that buy direct mail and launch those themselves never do anything and that could be a low number.. I see it all the time on BP HELP i got a lead.. they do the mailing and have no clue as to how to close.

4. there are those that teach how to buy notes performing or non performing.. Those are are for profit teachers as well.

Advanced training cost money.. whether its worth it to an individual is up to them.

Also keep in mind most of the BP audience is buying rentals.. as cash flow is all they want and they think being a landlord will get them to the promised land ( whatever that is) and buying rentals is about as easy as anything in real estate anyone who can fog a mirror can understand the concepts.. anyone with 20k in their pocket and a decent fico can get a loan now a days.. so yes that takes no special brain power or advanced training.

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Michael Guzik
OP
Real Estate Agent · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2017 · 523 posts · 362 votes
8y
@Vaughn Smith Very well said brother I couldn't agree more. I just think it's hard in today's society for people to realize that just because you don't see the results right now doesn't mean that what you are doing is not working!
@Jerryll Noorden I appreciate your comment brother. I don't know if you read through the other comments and my replies but I already said what you said lol. Good points though and you are right. I am speaking to those teachers that take advantage of others ignorance and don't provide any real value.
@Joseph M. I agree my friend! The reason why it upsets me so much is that many people define one industry, class, or profession by the worst they have. I believe this is part of the reason why REI have such a bad rep in the public eye. These are the kind of people they see involved in real estate. They don't see the hard working, honest, ethical investors out their solving problems, improving communities and providing real value.
1 Reply
Michael Guzik
OP
Real Estate Agent · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2017 · 523 posts · 362 votes
8y
@Rachel H. I agree! Kind of reminds me of the 4 hour work week. Time is our most valuable resource not money. Once you realize that your whole world will change!
@Chris Cliff I love the analogy brother and couldn't agree more. Sad thing is that it can be applied to many more things besides just real estate investing.
@Ola Dantis I can see where you are coming from brother. My problem is that their are too many spectators not saying or doing anything and because of that the good guys are losing the game. We should be a community that helps one another, not one that selfishly stands by and watch a newbie do something foolish because "that's not my problem".
1 Reply
Tim G.
Rental Property Investor · San Diego, CA · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
8y
Originally posted by @David Song:

If those mentors are really good at REI, I can not believe they are willing to share their secrets with students.
They should disclose there RE holding and transaction history to prospective students.
They sell old information, that is no longer relevant to their success.
0 Reply
Michael Guzik
OP
Real Estate Agent · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2017 · 523 posts · 362 votes
8y
@Doug Leedy I agree brother and I'm glad to hear you are in a community like that. I feel that is what we all should be, a large community helping each other succeed. If we had more of that instead of people with a selfish, scarcity or greedy mindset, I believe this world and definitely this thing we call real estate would be a much better place.
@Account Closed Well said brother. Patience is a virtue. Of course not all of them are bad, but are a good size portion of them bad? I think so. I'm just glad their are places like BP and others willing to help guide newbies and provide value to those who need it. We need more people and communities like that in real estate.
0 Reply
Sebastian E.
Flipper/Rehabber · Berkeley Springs, WV · Member since 2017 · 164 posts · 103 votes
8y
Thanks all for taking the time to response. @Michael Guzik @Tim G. clearly you have both struck a nerve with your posts, which is a sign to me that there is merit in examining the question. I didn't get through all of the responses but from what I gather there are a variety of subjective views on what is true for each individual. Understanding that opposite each truth is another truth is a useful orientation in this instance. Enough has been said about the merits of the different sides of guru game, so I will offer broader thoughts in case they resonate with anyone on the thread.

What it comes down to in my opinion is what your goals and values are and operating your business accordingly. For me that means speaking truth with my words and being at peace with myself. This is sometimes referred to as being able to sleep at night but has even deeper significance in my life because I have found it to be the best way to go through this life feeling well, strong, healthy, and with peace of mind. For me this is more important than anything else (granted I am single so I don't have a family to look after). I believe there is a way to operate any real estate business with truth and ethic, even though it can be tempting at times to try to bend standards in favor of one deal or the next. That takes patience and discernment.

As for the folks operating in the darkness and illusion: they can either know they are producing suffering for themselves and others and come to a rationalization as to why it is ok, or they can delude themselves in the same way they delude others into thinking that they are offering actual value. These are not new questions that are unique to this time in history or unique to real estate (although they are of particular relevance to real estate because of the asymmetries of information). From my experience and what I have learned, either what these things will eventually catch up with people in a pretty tough way that can lead to a great deal of suffering. Just look at how many "wealthy" folks there are out there who live there lives in paranoia that someone is constantly trying to screw them on a deal, take their money, or questioning who really cares about them and who is just interested in their material wealth. Or how many "wealthy" people amass a great deal of material wealth, while ignoring their physical health only to die at a young age or not be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor because they have ignored other aspects of their life.

To conclude, I think the reason that this thread struck a chord with me and seemingly with others is that it revealed some common themes that are greater than just the topic of gurus and real estate. I also want to make clear that I am not trying advocate for one way of thinking over another. I am just offering the way that has worked for me.

But if you act now, you can get my course on Real Estate Ethics for 3 easy payments of 199.99 and I will throw in a Japanese knife set ;)
1 Reply
Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
8y
Originally posted by @Sebastian E.:

Thanks all for taking the time to response. @Michael Guzik @Tim G. clearly you have both struck a nerve with your posts, which is a sign to me that there is merit in examining the question. I didn't get through all of the responses but from what I gather there are a variety of subjective views on what is true for each individual. Understanding that opposite each truth is another truth is a useful orientation in this instance. Enough has been said about the merits of the different sides of guru game, so I will offer broader thoughts in case they resonate with anyone on the thread.

What it comes down to in my opinion is what your goals and values are and operating your business accordingly. For me that means speaking truth with my words and being at peace with myself. This is sometimes referred to as being able to sleep at night but has even deeper significance in my life because I have found it to be the best way to go through this life feeling well, strong, healthy, and with peace of mind. For me this is more important than anything else (granted I am single so I don't have a family to look after). I believe there is a way to operate any real estate business with truth and ethic, even though it can be tempting at times to try to bend standards in favor of one deal or the next. That takes patience and discernment.

As for the folks operating in the darkness and illusion: they can either know they are producing suffering for themselves and others and come to a rationalization as to why it is ok, or they can delude themselves in the same way they delude others into thinking that they are offering actual value. These are not new questions that are unique to this time in history or unique to real estate (although they are of particular relevance to real estate because of the asymmetries of information). From my experience and what I have learned, either what these things will eventually catch up with people in a pretty tough way that can lead to a great deal of suffering. Just look at how many "wealthy" folks there are out there who live there lives in paranoia that someone is constantly trying to screw them on a deal, take their money, or questioning who really cares about them and who is just interested in their material wealth. Or how many "wealthy" people amass a great deal of material wealth, while ignoring their physical health only to die at a young age or not be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor because they have ignored other aspects of their life.

To conclude, I think the reason that this thread struck a chord with me and seemingly with others is that it revealed some common themes that are greater than just the topic of gurus and real estate. I also want to make clear that I am not trying advocate for one way of thinking over another. I am just offering the way that has worked for me.

But if you act now, you can get my course on Real Estate Ethics for 3 easy payments of 199.99 and I will throw in a Japanese knife set ;)
When your talking about ethics in real estate I think the folks that wholesale have the biggest personal look within issue. I mean there whole motivation is buy property from a seller who is many times in distress and buy the property for far less than true market value so they can resell it at market value and pocket the delta..
And many times do it in violation of the real estate brokerage laws.. ( now that aside)
I know I have struggled with this over the years.. although I have never ever wholesaled anything I have closed on 100% of what I aim at but like everyone else we are trying to make a good deal for ourselves..
Its one of the reasons I liked buying court house steps I did not have to deal with this ethics issue its open to the public high bidder wins.. same with auction .com or any of the other sites.
but I get a ton of direct mail and for fun I will call on some of them. its kind of comical listening to most of the folks try to explain to me why I should sell my 200k property to them for 110k.. :)
Other wise licensed agents have ethics they must follow.. wholeslers don't its wild west and let your conscience be your guide.. so for me its a little bit the kettle calling the pot black when wholesalers take pot shots at Pay for guru's LOL..
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2 Reply
Tim Wilderbeeste
Longwood, FL · Member since 2015 · 15 posts · 3 votes
8y
Not sure if I necessarily agree with the sentiment. My wife worked as a course content writer for one of the biggest Real Estate seminar companies in the USA (I daresay a number of people on this site took the company's courses) and I went along to a couple simply because they were freebies thanks to my wife being on board. I could see that they might be useful for people starting from scratch, but as I grew up around real estate via my father there wasn't much I didn't already know. Other kids used to go to watch or play sports on Saturdays - I was always trailing after my father to real estate auctions! :)
But having to got know a lot of the people involved at this company, and also hearing my wife talking about various people, it was always a pretty mixed bag. Sure you have some people who aren't as good as they let on business-wise but can really talk the talk (that's half the people in the USA these days) but on the other hand there were also people involved who were great investors, whether buying and holding, flipping, buying tax lien certificates, etc and yet still went the seminar route as instructors because they simply enjoyed sharing their knowledge and the money could be damned good - some of the instructors were making serious money.
Just one final point with regard to all the back and forth about the ethics and morality of the business, either as an investor or as an agent/broker. The problem with agents is that real estate is one of only a handful of industries (car sales is another) in which just about anyone with next to no education can hop on board and try to make money - big money if they're good. The lack of any real high standard of education means that many who get into the industry tend to be from the lower pecking order but with high ambition - and often with few scruples. And before people get indignant and start jumping down my throat I'm more than happy to point out that my father was exactly like that - he had next to no ethics when it came to the business. I'm certain there are some decent people involved, but by and large I haven't come across many people in the industry here in the USA who I'd put much faith in - a lot are just damned lazy and virtually expect the money to fall into their lap. We end up doing 90% of the leg work on each property we buy and begrudge every cent that goes to the agents for doing SFA.
Investors to my mind are of a higher standard, but which way you go depends largely on how you feel about things. Neither my wife or I would ever feel comfortable buying a house from under someone through foreclosure, especially a family, then having to go through some kind of eviction process to put them out on the street - others can. Fine, each person's different. Our investments have tended to be either of dealing with foreclosures that have gone back to the bank - love them, because we all love screwing banks as much as we can and don't need to have a conscience over it - or short sales, which a lot of people steer clear of but which we've had some pretty good success - just requires patience at times. On the flip side we've really had to toughen up as landlords because we've been taken for a ride so often through our good intentions and by trying to treat people as we'd like to be treated ourselves. Being a landlord tests your faith in humanity like nothing else, and we know loads of people who've sold off rental properties because they got so sick all the angst. We're a lot better at it now, but it's come at the cost of really toughening up, asking for first, last and a full deposit with no exceptions, not allowing pets anymore even though we love dogs ourselves, etc, etc. It's the only way you can manage.
1 Reply
Tim G.
Rental Property Investor · San Diego, CA · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
8y
Originally posted by @Jay Hinrichs:

Originally posted by @Sebastian E.:
Thanks all for taking the time to response. @Michael Guzik @Tim G. clearly you have both struck a nerve with your posts, which is a sign to me that there is merit in examining the question. I didn't get through all of the responses but from what I gather there are a variety of subjective views on what is true for each individual. Understanding that opposite each truth is another truth is a useful orientation in this instance. Enough has been said about the merits of the different sides of guru game, so I will offer broader thoughts in case they resonate with anyone on the thread.

What it comes down to in my opinion is what your goals and values are and operating your business accordingly. For me that means speaking truth with my words and being at peace with myself. This is sometimes referred to as being able to sleep at night but has even deeper significance in my life because I have found it to be the best way to go through this life feeling well, strong, healthy, and with peace of mind. For me this is more important than anything else (granted I am single so I don't have a family to look after). I believe there is a way to operate any real estate business with truth and ethic, even though it can be tempting at times to try to bend standards in favor of one deal or the next. That takes patience and discernment.

As for the folks operating in the darkness and illusion: they can either know they are producing suffering for themselves and others and come to a rationalization as to why it is ok, or they can delude themselves in the same way they delude others into thinking that they are offering actual value. These are not new questions that are unique to this time in history or unique to real estate (although they are of particular relevance to real estate because of the asymmetries of information). From my experience and what I have learned, either what these things will eventually catch up with people in a pretty tough way that can lead to a great deal of suffering. Just look at how many "wealthy" folks there are out there who live there lives in paranoia that someone is constantly trying to screw them on a deal, take their money, or questioning who really cares about them and who is just interested in their material wealth. Or how many "wealthy" people amass a great deal of material wealth, while ignoring their physical health only to die at a young age or not be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor because they have ignored other aspects of their life.

To conclude, I think the reason that this thread struck a chord with me and seemingly with others is that it revealed some common themes that are greater than just the topic of gurus and real estate. I also want to make clear that I am not trying advocate for one way of thinking over another. I am just offering the way that has worked for me.

But if you act now, you can get my course on Real Estate Ethics for 3 easy payments of 199.99 and I will throw in a Japanese knife set ;)
When your talking about ethics in real estate I think the folks that wholesale have the biggest personal look within issue. I mean there whole motivation is buy property from a seller who is many times in distress and buy the property for far less than true market value so they can resell it at market value and pocket the delta..
And many times do it in violation of the real estate brokerage laws.. ( now that aside)
I know I have struggled with this over the years.. although I have never ever wholesaled anything I have closed on 100% of what I aim at but like everyone else we are trying to make a good deal for ourselves..
Its one of the reasons I liked buying court house steps I did not have to deal with this ethics issue its open to the public high bidder wins.. same with auction .com or any of the other sites.
but I get a ton of direct mail and for fun I will call on some of them. its kind of comical listening to most of the folks try to explain to me why I should sell my 200k property to them for 110k.. :)
Other wise licensed agents have ethics they must follow.. wholeslers don't its wild west and let your conscience be your guide.. so for me its a little bit the kettle calling the pot black when wholesalers take pot shots at Pay for guru's LOL..
I agree, I'm a former wholesaler, if the seller was mislead on my intent then I lied. There's no justification or excuse, its being dishonest. I don't wholesale anymore and I'm not sure I can. It doesn't feel right anymore. I do think this realization was only possible due to what I call "meeting my hero's". I've spent time with the guru's, the big dogs, those who we all aspire to be like. I was shocked to find out most were miserable, unhappy and unfulfilled. I'm not listening to that type of person for career or lifestyle advice.
1 Reply
Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
8y
Originally posted by @Tim G.:

Originally posted by @Jay Hinrichs:
Originally posted by @Sebastian E.:

Thanks all for taking the time to response. @Michael Guzik @Tim G. clearly you have both struck a nerve with your posts, which is a sign to me that there is merit in examining the question. I didn't get through all of the responses but from what I gather there are a variety of subjective views on what is true for each individual. Understanding that opposite each truth is another truth is a useful orientation in this instance. Enough has been said about the merits of the different sides of guru game, so I will offer broader thoughts in case they resonate with anyone on the thread.

What it comes down to in my opinion is what your goals and values are and operating your business accordingly. For me that means speaking truth with my words and being at peace with myself. This is sometimes referred to as being able to sleep at night but has even deeper significance in my life because I have found it to be the best way to go through this life feeling well, strong, healthy, and with peace of mind. For me this is more important than anything else (granted I am single so I don't have a family to look after). I believe there is a way to operate any real estate business with truth and ethic, even though it can be tempting at times to try to bend standards in favor of one deal or the next. That takes patience and discernment.

As for the folks operating in the darkness and illusion: they can either know they are producing suffering for themselves and others and come to a rationalization as to why it is ok, or they can delude themselves in the same way they delude others into thinking that they are offering actual value. These are not new questions that are unique to this time in history or unique to real estate (although they are of particular relevance to real estate because of the asymmetries of information). From my experience and what I have learned, either what these things will eventually catch up with people in a pretty tough way that can lead to a great deal of suffering. Just look at how many "wealthy" folks there are out there who live there lives in paranoia that someone is constantly trying to screw them on a deal, take their money, or questioning who really cares about them and who is just interested in their material wealth. Or how many "wealthy" people amass a great deal of material wealth, while ignoring their physical health only to die at a young age or not be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor because they have ignored other aspects of their life.

To conclude, I think the reason that this thread struck a chord with me and seemingly with others is that it revealed some common themes that are greater than just the topic of gurus and real estate. I also want to make clear that I am not trying advocate for one way of thinking over another. I am just offering the way that has worked for me.

But if you act now, you can get my course on Real Estate Ethics for 3 easy payments of 199.99 and I will throw in a Japanese knife set ;)
When your talking about ethics in real estate I think the folks that wholesale have the biggest personal look within issue. I mean there whole motivation is buy property from a seller who is many times in distress and buy the property for far less than true market value so they can resell it at market value and pocket the delta..
And many times do it in violation of the real estate brokerage laws.. ( now that aside)
I know I have struggled with this over the years.. although I have never ever wholesaled anything I have closed on 100% of what I aim at but like everyone else we are trying to make a good deal for ourselves..
Its one of the reasons I liked buying court house steps I did not have to deal with this ethics issue its open to the public high bidder wins.. same with auction .com or any of the other sites.
but I get a ton of direct mail and for fun I will call on some of them. its kind of comical listening to most of the folks try to explain to me why I should sell my 200k property to them for 110k.. :)
Other wise licensed agents have ethics they must follow.. wholeslers don't its wild west and let your conscience be your guide.. so for me its a little bit the kettle calling the pot black when wholesalers take pot shots at Pay for guru's LOL..
I agree, I'm a former wholesaler, if the seller was mislead on my intent then I lied. There's no justification or excuse, its being dishonest. I don't wholesale anymore and I'm not sure I can. It doesn't feel right anymore. I do think this realization was only possible due to what I call "meeting my hero's". I've spent time with the guru's, the big dogs, those who we all aspire to be like. I was shocked to find out most were miserable, unhappy and unfulfilled. I'm not listening to that type of person for career or lifestyle advice.
You may have read a few of the books by Gino Wickman.. they are pretty neat ... you may not know Gino's dad Floyd was one of the biggest real estate trainers in the day.. he trained agents how to be better agents.
My wife was a trainer for Floyd for a few years and also owned her owned C 21 franchise.. She enjoyed working for Floyd and believed in his message and his training materials..
So many of the flip guru's I am sure believe in their message as well.. what its worth to the public is a matter of what the market will bare.. and it looks like 10 to 50k Is what it will bare.
Now granted in my wifes situation she was instructing existing agents who wanted to move up to the next level.
the modern day guru is taking folks that have ZERO real estate expeirnce and trying to train them .
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Justin Stamper
Investor · Orlando, FL · Member since 2012 · 822 posts · 303 votes
8y
If BP started a seminar program on how to go from zero to hero for 10k, I am curious as to how many people on this site would sign up. It would be a very interesting case study.
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Shiloh LundahlPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Gilbert, AZ · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
8y
This became just another anti-guru thread (and yes I read through the whole thread). It is interesting to see the differing opinions on whether it is ethical or not ethical to charge people 10s of thousands of dollars for real estate trainings. From what I could tell, those who are not against it as a group are wealthier than those who are against it. I don’t know if anyone else noticed the same pattern. But when you have been around BiggerPockets for a while you notice those who have become pretty successful an wealthy from their real estate investments. Now I am referring to the two group’s average not the individual person. It would be interesting to see and compare the difference in wealth of the two groups. In no way for bragging rights but for insight into the differences in the mindsets of the two groups.
When I was struggling financially when I was going to college and I had to learn how to live off of $500 - $700 a month, and when my wife and I got married at age 23 and we had to live off 1-2 thousand a month, I looked at people who charged a lot or at items that cost a lot I felt resentment. A lot of that resentment came from the fact that I didn’t have enough money to get the things I wanted and we were just barely scraping by. It wasn’t until I became more financially well off that I started being willing to pay for things that I found of value to me. And a lot of this came by way of mindset change.
I am one of those who paid for the education at one of those guru training programs. All in all it cost somewhere around 75K. I have shared about this before on the forums a couple of times already and I don’t feel shame about the amount I spent. My first year trying to flip houses I earned 17k from three houses (13k, -5k, 9k) and this was before I did the education program. The next year during the program I flipped 6 and kept 8 (the gain on the year was about 95 for my partner and I each). The next year we flipped 6 and kept 17 (total gain about 300k each). Do I believe that had to do with my training absolutely. Do I throw out numbers to brag? No. Rather to prove a point that for me, the education program was worth it and fit my personality. Also, as people move along in the trainings, they start to associate with people who have the money to be there which was great for networking. During the trainings I got to eat lunch and dinner with some of the guru instructors who were teaching the seminars and I got to know them. They gave me referrals to banks that worked well with investors in my area and told me to use their name when contacting them. By doing so we got a bank that gave us around 2 million in real estate loans last year.
Are there people who bought the program who didn’t do anything with it? Probably. But who am I to tell someone what they should spend their money on or go into debt for. How would this sound if we went out to lunch and as you were ordering your food I started to tell you that I thought the option you were picking was too expensive or that it wasn’t healthy enough in my opinion and that you should get something else, or better yet, wait until you got home to eat. That would probably come across as rude or condescending, don’t you think.
What you are saying is you don’t like it when people are manipulated out of their money. I get it. There should be personal accountability for what we do with our money though and we shouldn’t blame that on other people.
Just an FYI, I am a guru and I charge between 10k and 40k to people who want to learn.
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Will F.
Investor · Los Angeles County, CA · Member since 2012 · 962 posts · 279 votes
8y
I agree with OP. I also think individuals should be accountable. They think 'get rich quick' is the way and will chase these gurus down a rabbit hole with their wallets held open.
Then they think that all they have to do is become a buy and hold investor and it will solve all their problems. If anything becoming a landlord will initially multiply your problems in the short run... lol
You see a lot of wide-eyed people come on BiggerPockets who think they're going to get rich quick. But don't realize it takes years and years to truly succeed. For example actually, build up enough real estate that they buy and hold for long term through ups and downs in the real estate cycle.
These same new people, po st about their dreams and goals of grandeur, and don't put in the blood sweat and grit that it really takes to do this. I am a huge proponent of big goals and dreams, but you have to spend time, money, stress, and ample amounts of learning by doing to get there.
The ones who succeed are doing it ALL... tey're out there grinding in the real world, living under their means, or are on BP.com reading everything, learning by actually walking apartments and analyzing deals (not 2-5 or dozens of deals, but hundreds of deals)..
You'll see them on here posting their dreams, goals and ideas of grandeur and they'll be gone after 2-4 weeks. 2-4 weeks of Real estate OBSESSION. That they soon realize takes a lot of work. It's like running a business, or doing a start up, running a business is not easy. Nor does it happen over night. Most successful companies for instance come from someone who has put 10 years grinding to get to that point.
Thinking and living real estate for 10+ years is what makes you successful not taking one or two courses... but if the gurus help you then by all means take the first step... just don't expect it to solve your problems. It's on YOU
1 Reply
Doug Leedy
Investor · Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2013 · 75 posts · 28 votes
8y
Maybe this is too late in the game for this discussion but I'm throwing in my two cents anyway. I am a proud affiliate of Renatus. It is the only model of its kind that I'm aware of and the best concept in real estate that I've seen in my 45-year real estate career. Here's why.
The guru's all have basically the same business model. Get people to a one-day seminar. Firehose them with GOOD information. Pressure them to buy an entry level package of courses, usually limited to flipping. They go home and two days later wake up, have retained about 10% of what they heard and say to themselves "what do I do now"? The vast, vast majority of people just can't or won't take action alone. They call for help and are upsold into a Bus Tour or 3-day seminar or long-distance "Mentoring", all for a small phenomenal fee. This seldom works either and people are left holding the bag.
The Renatus business model is totally different. Ours is a 3-step process. First, we have a 2-hour Business Briefing, which is an overview of the Renatus education and an introduction to our local communities of Renatus investors. We meet several times weekly, local, live and in-person, with multiple trainings. We also have national trainings 4-days a week multiple times daily. Second, we have people come back, if they like what they've seen, for breakout sessions on our proprietary software system for help with finding properties and/or velocity banking (paying off consumer debt in about a third of the time saving the consumer up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Third, we have a follow-up session which is pretty much 1-on-1 answering any remaining questions. At that point the prospect has all the information they need to make a decision. We are an EDUCATION company, not a sales company.
All this leads to a support system and a network of investors, both local an national. We have a very good success history, though those are very hard to quantify. We have people who come in and have their first deal within a matter of weeks. We have people in their late teens and early twenties who have actual deals under their belts. This is VERY different that what the guru's do and I believe its the education and business model of the future, kind of like VoEd on steroids with education available online 24/7, for LIFE (including updates and new courses), practitioner-instructors who actually make their living doing what they teach and a local support system.
Education is always needed. People usually need support. There is safety in numbers. Partnering is encouraged as a learning tool. This model works and I don't know any other company that approaches what Renatus offers. Really, sometimes those who do, teach. It's called paying it forward.
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