TR Mar-Apr 2024-lr

OPERATIONS: MENTORING

The Power of a Good Mentor WORKING WITH A GOOD MENTOR NOT ONLY HELPS YOU SUCCEED BUT ALSO RAISES THE ENTIRE REAL ESTATE INVESTING INDUSTRY.

JEFF ROTH

W hen I started my real estate investing career, there were no YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok videos, much less the internet’s easy access to on-demand real estate news and education.

I would look for an investor-friendly realtor who also invests in themselves. Finding this person likely will lead to investor-friendly lenders, property managers, and the contractor relations you need—saving you valuable time and money. They will know about off-market deals and which areas are up and coming and best for cash flow. Some of the people I trust as virtual mentors are Ken McElroy, The Real Estate Guys Robert Helms and Russell Gray, Bigger Pockets, and Jason Hartman. Anything put out by them is great and credible. There are others you can follow, but I recommend this group readily.

Sometimes you have to pay for mentorship (e.g., books, courses, and conferences). When you do, you should make that investment in mentors you have come to know, like, and trust. One of my rules is to buy a book written or recommended by a mentor I trust as soon as I hear about it. Another place I would look for a mentor is in the pages of Think Realty magazine or the other content the organization delivers. I appreciate that Think Realty includes the writer’s contact information at the end of each article. When I first started writing for Think Realty, I reached out to some of the writers. One of those was Bruce Kellogg, whom I’ll refer to often in this article.

I know that dates me!

Anyway, having easy access to real estate information, news, and potential mentors is both good and bad. We have to be more careful about the mentors we choose, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. If I were starting over today, the first place I would look for a mentor is in my own backyard.

38 | think realty magazine :: march – april 2024

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