1.35M Net Worth, 200K+ Social Following, No Real Estate Yet — What's My Best Move?

Hi BiggerPockets,

Looking for advice from investors who have successfully built wealth through real estate.

My current situation:

33 years old

Located in North Jersey

~$1.35M net worth

Majority invested in VTSAX/index funds

No debt

~$8K cash currently

Recently unemployed with severance

No real estate holdings

Built social media pages with 200K+ followers

My long-term goal is to build significant wealth through a combination of real estate, business ownership, and investing.

My original plan was to rebuild liquidity, then buy a 2-4 unit property and house hack before expanding into additional rentals.

However, I'm wondering if I'm underutilizing my position.

While I don't have much cash available right now, I do have:

A seven-figure investment portfolio

Time available

A large social media audience

Strong savings and investing habits

I'm considering a few different paths:

Stay focused on rebuilding cash and eventually house hack a duplex/triplex/fourplex in North Jersey.

Start a real estate-related business (lead generation, marketing, transaction coordination, content creation, etc.) to generate income, build relationships, and create deal flow before buying property.

Invest outside of New Jersey if the numbers make more sense.

My questions:

What would you do if you were in my position?

Is North Jersey still a good market for a first house hack or rental property?

Would you focus on acquiring real estate first or building a real estate-related business first?

How would you leverage a 200K+ social media audience to accelerate your real estate goals?

What's the most efficient path from where I am today to building a meaningful rental portfolio over the next 5-10 years?

Appreciate any feedback from investors who have faced a similar decision. Thanks!