I'm a founder currently struggling with the classic cold start problem and would love some advice from others who have successfully built businesses in the real estate space.

I feel like I've reached the point where I know my biggest challenge isn't the product itself. It's getting in front of the right people and building enough trust, credibility, and relationships to create momentum.

Every successful brokerage, investment company, lending business, coaching company, software platform, or real estate brand had a point where nobody knew who they were. That's the stage I'm trying to navigate right now.

For those of you who have built successful businesses:

• How did you grow in the early days?

• Was it networking events, BiggerPockets, content creation, partnerships, referrals, direct outreach, social media, or something else?

• Looking back, what was the highest-ROI activity for building your brand and network when you were starting from zero?

• If you had to start over from zero tomorrow, what would you focus on first?

• What advice would you give to a founder who has a product but no audience?

• What marketing or networking activities turned out to be a waste of time?
  

I'd love to learn from those who have already been through this stage and hear what made the biggest difference for you!