One Small Simple Step To Growing Your Network and Increasing Your Influence

Welcome back,

Everyone has to eat.

One of the best things I did when I started my investing career was ask two active local real estate investors out to lunch to get to know each other and chit-chat.

I did not only ask this from these two investors but continued taking different investors and real estate professionals out throughout my first year investing. By year’s end I closely knew over twenty active investors in my market.

The goal of these lunches is not to simply “pick brains” and ask questions. Professionals do want to have their valuable time and brains’ picked for a hour by some new investor.

Instead go out with the intent to make a friend, learn about them, and ideally help these other investors in some manner.

The end goal that you make a friend.

The reason for this is because you can always call a friend for help or guidance later.

Helpful Tips:

Simple is good. Unless they object a Wendy’s Restaurant, Chili’s Restaurant, or any local favorite of yours will work. Do not aim to impress anyone.
As you are leaving ask if you may call them should you have any questions or concerned moving forward.
Understand what they do and what deals they are looking for.
Understand their family life and how they got into business.
Ask what they would advise you do at this point in your career.

Your challenge: Ask 1 person you admire and respect (or have been wanting to get to know) out for lunch sometime this week when they are free. Set a time, date, and location.

Then come back and leave the story of your experience and the benefits it brought and leave it in the comments.

Love what you do daily,

John Fedro

Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.