In our constantly changing market, new or modified strategies of real estate investing must be implemented. New or inexperienced realtors should be very careful when entering the world of real estate investing. It is highly recommended that one begin investing with a mentor who is also a partner; real estate partnerships reduce one’s liability risk and financial investment. A good mentor knows how to avoid the common pitfalls many new real estate investors fall into. Begin your real estate career with education; join a real estate investors association and surround yourself by others who are already successful in the field.

What should you look for in a real estate partner or mentor?

Meet as many people as you can; network with and learn from others who have been successful in real estate investing. As you get to know people, you will find someone who you will be able to work well with. Look for someone who shares your goals and interests, for example, if you’re very conservative, then you will not want to try working with someone who takes great risks. Remember, you are looking for a mentor as well as a partner. A lot of experienced real estate investors like to work with partners; many are looking for new investors to mentor.

Take your time and find a partner or mentor who is open and honest; one you can trust to steer you in the right direction. Finding real estate investors to work with is the easy part. Once you get started, you will find that there are a lot of people you need to know, including investors, brokers, property managers, rehab contractors, title companies, mortgage lenders, insurance providers and anyone who services real estate investors. A successful investor has all the necessary connections.

A partner or mentor with years of active experience will know how to structure each individual deal. He should be able to show you previous deals he has worked where he consistently showed profits. He should be able to show his experience using different exit strategies, for example, short term transactions, like wholesaling; and long term transactions, like land contracts and lease purchases. He will be one who knows where we stand in today’s real estate market and how to take advantage of the current market conditions.

What do you expect out of a real estate partnership?

Find a good mentor and discuss the possibility of a partnership. Be sure to discuss issues like your degree of involvement in management, the amount of your investment and your responsibilities. Are you looking for a partnership where you simply invest money and the partner does the work? Are you looking at commercial, residential, vacation resorts or any certain type of property to invest in? Do you want to hold property for cash flow or is wholesaling your preference? Maybe there is a new niche in the market that you are interested in.

You are no-doubt thinking about financial gain; you must make a good profit form the partnership, no matter what type of transactions you’re working or what your degree of involvement is. Does the anticipated profit match the degree of risk in the deal? How safe is the investment?

Be sure to discuss liability exposure and how your will protect your personal assets. How is the partnership to be set up? Some investors recommend that each real estate transaction be conducted using a different limited liability company.

A good mentor will make sure you understand all the important issues before you begin investing. He will explain how the partnership will be set up, what your financial investment will be and your degree of involvement. He will also cover the profit split and explain the financial risks and liability risk of each deal.

A lot of people would be afraid to begin investing in real estate today; however, the experienced real estate investor understands that this is an opportune time to buy real estate. The increase in foreclosures and houses for sale, coupled with a decline in sales, means the prices will be very low. Values are declining; sellers are motivated; this is a recipe for negotiating a great buy on foreclosed homes, pre-foreclosures and occupied homes.

Join a real estate investors association and meet real estate investors and property managers. See what everyone is doing and if it is working for them. Decide what you think will work for you and meet the people who have been successful doing it. If you do what the successful people are doing and begin working with a mentor, you will be on your way to financial success in real estate investing.