5 Books To Get You Started in Real Estate in 2023
Cover The Basics of RE Investing With These 5 Books
Happy new year, Hybrids!
I hope your holiday was happy & healthy.
In today’s newsletter, I’ll share my 5 book recommendations to get you started strong in Real Estate Investing in 2023.
These books contain useful information for investors of all experience levels.
(Today’s issue takes ~3.5 minutes to read)
It’s not news to anybody at this point that we live in an age of information abundance.
There are over 6 million new blog posts every day across 1.9 billion global websites.
YouTube averages 3.7 million new videos every day at an average length of 4.4 minutes!
This has been both a blessing and a curse to the curious mind, especially when it comes to where & how you invest your money.
The good:
You can discern the equivalent of a college degree’s worth of information for FREE on sites like YouTube
The world’s most influential creators often publish high-value content for free on their websites or newsletters
The bad:
Deciding where to spend your precious minutes of free time is exhausting
There is a lot of snake oil out there, ESPECIALLY in real estate investing
With all the content on the internet, it’s easy to forget about good old-fashioned books. But we didn’t forget, did we?
Thankfully, there are some incredible (and timeless) books to help you get started in real estate investing, all of which are less than $20.
Here are my top 5 book recommendations to start strong in 2023:
#1 The Book on Rental Property Investing by Brandon Turner
Brandon spent 10 years turning the BiggerPockets podcast into the #1 real estate show in the world. This book provides a comprehensive overview of ALL the high-level components of what it takes to be a Real Estate Investor.
If you only have time for one real estate investing book this year, this is the one I recommend.
Buy it on Amazon here or directly through the BiggerPockets store here.
The BP version comes with bonus video interviews and deal analysis tutorials.
#2 Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
This book has single-handedly inspired more people to dive into real estate investing than any other source. Through the power of storytelling, Kiyosaki illustrates just how powerful cash-flow investing can be.
You will walk away with an evolved mindset on how to make your assets work for you. There’s a reason this is the #1 cited real estate investing book in the world.
Buy on Amazon here or at the BiggerPockets Store here.
#3 Long-Distance Real Estate Investing by David Greene
Most people look at their local real estate prices and say, "There's no way I can afford to invest here."
Greene gives you the full playbook in this book to buy, rehab, and manage properties long-distance so you can access more affordable markets.
Buy it on Amazon here or at the BigerPockets Store here.
The book is cheaper on the BP store and comes with valuable bonus content.
#4 Real Estate: By The Numbers by J. Scott & Dave Meyer
This book came out in October 2022 and immediately became one of my favorites.
If your eyes glaze over when you think about financial statements and deal analysis, this book will help you break the spell.
You will get a thorough rundown of the basics of real estate finance, as well as practical examples of how to use them in your daily life as an investor.
Buy it on Amazon here or at the BiggerPockets Store here.
The bonus content at BP is particularly valuable with this book. Excel templates, video walkthroughs, and property analysis deep-dives. Worth it.
#5 The Book on Negotiating Real Estate by J. Scott, Mark Ferguson & Carol Scott
Yes…another dry topic...but I promise you this book is anything but dry.
There are hundreds of books on negotiation out there, but this is by far the most practical real estate negotiation book on the market. Every single negotiation principle is underscored with a real-life example.
You’ll learn that an offer is so much more than just a DocuSign envelope with a number on it. There is a real human element to negotiating real estate.
Learn to negotiate, and you will gain a much-needed competitive edge over the crowded field of RE investors.
Buy it on Amazon here or at the BiggerPockets Store here.
As with the others, the BP version comes with bonus content.
I hope this list provides you with some tools to cut through the noise and build your baseline knowledge in real estate investing.
It’s important to note that reading real estate investing books is not a prerequisite to investing in real estate.
I hadn’t read a single one of these books until after I owned 4 rental properties.
With that said, I would’ve had a stronger foundation and prevented some avoidable mistakes if I had.
Here’s to building & sharing our knowledge together in 2023!
See you next week.
-Aaron