Anyone can become a real estate investor. But if you want to avoid a lot of trial and error that costs you time and money, consider enrolling in a real estate investing class.
Of course, not all real estate investing classes are created equal. Knowing how to find a real estate investing class that provides the knowledge you need to succeed will help you reach your financial goals sooner.
Use this guide to help you choose a real estate investing course or bootcamp that teaches you what you need to know.
Why Take a Real Estate Investing Class?
There are many great reasons to take a real estate investing class. Not only can you get mentorship and advice from people who have done what you’re trying to do, but you can also gain allies who will help guide you through the learning process. Whether you’re new to real estate investing or looking to expand and grow your portfolio, you can always benefit from gaining knowledge and networking with like-minded people.
An investing course that focuses on real estate can teach you how to find the best deals, where to get financing, and what to expect when it comes to taxes, insurance, and other expenses. You’ll also learn how to analyze an investment objectively, limiting your chances of encountering major pitfalls.
Another benefit of taking a real estate investing class is you can learn investing strategies that help you stay competitive.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Real Estate Investing Class
Choosing the right real estate investing class requires some thought. Consider the following factors when deciding on a course that’s right for you.
Your strategy and real estate investing goals
Within real estate investing, there are many avenues available to you. For example, you might be a first-time investor looking to build a single-family home rental empire, or you could be interested in investing in multifamily properties to expand your portfolio. Someone who wants to invest in real estate to earn steady passive income will want to sign up for a different course than someone who wants to fix and flip houses for larger gains.
Regardless of your strategy, you can find a class that provides you with the knowledge you need to take your business to the next level. Finding a real estate course that fits your strategy and goals ensures you gain information that helps you get where you want to be.
Your experience and knowledge level
New real estate investors should start simply, while those with more experience can delve deeper. Because there’s so much to learn about real estate investing, seek out an investing course that meets your knowledge and experience level. This means that someone with significant investing experience won’t want to enroll in a rookie bootcamp. However, this would be the ideal place for a new investor to start.
Before you sign up for a course, make sure you’re likely to learn new information that relates to your real estate investing goals. For example, an experienced investor may want to take a class that teaches them how to invest in commercial real estate. Or if you know how to invest in REITs, you may want to expand your knowledge by taking a course that teaches you about wholesaling real estate. Research classes to find one that helps you grow as an investor.
Your curriculum and class content needs
Knowing what you want to get out of a real estate investing class can help you find one that offers the curriculum and content that will help you most.
Some classes are only available online, with all materials digital. Others may offer a hybrid option, where you do some coursework online and then meet in a classroom to discuss what you learned or further add to your knowledge. And some classes take place only in a classroom.
Decide what you want to learn and the type of course that works best for you. Once you know how you want to learn, you can determine the curriculum and class content you need to succeed. If you’re a hands-on learner, a class that requires a lot of worksheets may not suit you. On the same note, if you do best with reading books, choosing a class that requires reading is probably going to suit you well.
Your investing education budget
While you may find real estate investing classes for free online or through local sources, these aren’t usually the most informative or helpful. In most cases, you’ll have to pay for real estate classes if you truly want to learn.
So before you start looking for courses, decide what your real estate education budget is. Real estate classes can range in price based on the type of education they provide, what materials they require, and whether you meet in person or online.
It can be tricky to justify paying for education when you’re just getting started, but the right class can help you make up for the cost and more in the long run. Failure is a much more expensive way to learn than taking a course from someone who’s been there.
The real estate investing class you take should offer a good value. So don’t necessarily look for the least expensive option. You may want to find a class that offers some sort of mentorship program or free materials that help you continue learning even after you finish the program.
Instructor’s experience and knowledge level
An investing class for real estate is only as good as the instructor who teaches it. Make sure to look into who will be teaching the real estate course you want to take. Although we can all learn from one another, taking a class from someone with less experience than you is unlikely to prove beneficial. Find out what types of real estate the instructor owns and how long they’ve been an investor before signing up for their class.
When you have the right teacher, you’ll learn so much more. An instructor without real-world experience may not be able to answer your questions or provide guidance. This can lead to frustration and leave you dissatisfied with your educational experience.
Investing class reviews and testimonials
Checking out reviews and testimonials from people who have taken the class you’re interested in can be a great way to learn more about it. You can search for reviews on the website for the course you want to take, but this may be misleading.
Instead, try looking on real estate investing forums. You can even post your own question on a forum to find out what people thought of a specific class.
A real estate course with many positive reviews may be a good option, but make sure reviews are coming from real people who have actually gotten results based on what they learned.
Final Thoughts
By choosing the right real estate investing course, you can get results. The bootcamps offered through BiggerPockets are an ideal way to learn everything you want to know about investing in real estate. Our bootcamps feature Q&A sessions with industry experts and lessons that can guide you to success in today’s real estate market. Check out these bootcamps if you want to get the best value on a real estate investing course with proven results.
Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.