Every day I am reminded that of the benefits of networking and building relationships. Even though this story isn’t related to real estate investing it has everything to do with real estate investing.
The other day I was coming home from the park with my son. My wife was working and it was getting late so I decided to stop by Boston Market to pick up some food. This Boston Market has a drive through which was great because I didn’t have to take my 2 year old son out of the car. For those that know…it’s possible I’ll never get him back in.
I order my food and pull up to the window to pay. I’m looking down as I pull out the money and hear…
“Hey Scott….How’s it going?”
I was not expecting anyone to know me. I picked my head up and saw Max!
A little back story… I work 45 minutes away in Oradell. Probably at least once a week for the past 10 years I’ve gone to the Boston Market near work for lunch. For most of that time a Manager by the name of Max has worked there. He was always friendly and would give me discounts and free cookies every time he was there when I walked in. About 2 years ago though Max was transferred out of that location.
Apparently this past winter he was transferred again to the Boston Market right near my house! I’m amazed at how small the world is and that you never know when you will run into someone you’ve built a relationship with. And Yes…He gave me a free cookie and also said if my family ever needed food to call up ahead and ask for him.
What does this have to do with Real Estate Investing?
Everything!!! The people you meet…The people you treat with respect…are the same people who will help you out.
They will be the buyers of your deals…
They will refer wholesale deals to you that they can’t handle…
They will recommend their lawyer, title company or a buyer from their list…
They will drive past a house for you because you can’t…
They will give you advice because they want to help not because it will benefit them.
Relationships are How I get Things Done
I have barely any free time. I’m writing this blog post on Saturday night at 10:00 pm. My son is sleeping and my wife is working. This is when I get free time. Anything that I need to get done during normal business hours I need a friend to do for me. I have my partner who handles much of that and a growing network of wholesalers to help me as well.
I’ve met a coach of mine at an REIA meeting…
I’ve met my partner through a meetup meeting…
I’ve met people on through my blog that I can honestly call my friends and who I can ask advice and get help…
I’ve met people on BiggerPockets.com who recommend services and other people to me…
I’ve met Realtors by going to open houses…
Where ever you go there is a chance you can meet someone and make a friend. You don’t have to be best friends with these people. But you do have to be willing to give them your respect, your time and your help….With No Expectation of Getting Anything Back.
Places and Ways You Can Start Growing Your Relationships
Bigger Pockets. This is the place to go to find other real estate investors. Every state and area is represented which makes it dead simple to find other local investors you can network with. New Jersey has a great group of people and even a monthly meetup run by Darren Sager. You basically post a message saying you are from This City and you’ll get many responses from others in your area.
Meetups. Sure you can go to a large REIA group but I find those to be full of GURU pitches. It got so bad in the groups that I used to go to that I stopped. Where I did find great meetings was at Meetup.com. They tend to be smaller which gives you a real chance to make connections. I love groups from 10 to 20 people in size.
Offer Up Some of Your Warm Leads. I’ve recently found this to be a WONDERFUL way to build relationships. Now don’t do this for leads in your target area, but with leads you get that don’t match your criteria. There are so many benefits to this strategy for all parties that it’s almost impossible to avoid building a strong relationship.
Help Another Investor. Everyone has different knowledge and skill sets. Keep your ear to the tracks and look for opportunities to help out a fellow investor. I got free coaching because I helped an investor build up their websites. This guy is now a friend for life and I’d do anything for him and he for me.
I am always looking to network and meet other investors. If you are having trouble meeting investors or just want to expand your network send me an email (scott@strugglinginvestor.com), post a comment or give me a call (973-910-1001).
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