Real estate investing is a great way to generate extra income, whether you want to earn money on the side or eventually quit your day job. Investing in real estate can vary in cost and commitment level, with some pathways being more passive than others. You can invest in commercial real estate, residential properties, flip houses, become a landlord, invest in REITs, or try your hand at crowdfunding sites.
One of the best ways to learn about real estate investing is to find experts on the topic, especially in the type of investing you want to do. A quick online search will reveal a flood of real estate investing books that can help jumpstart your entrance into the real estate game. Below are our picks for the best real estate investing books. Keep reading to learn more about each book so you can find the best ones to add to your shopping cart or wish list.
1. The Millionaire Real Estate Investor
Author: Gary Keller
The Millionaire Real Estate Investor is a handbook of practical real estate investing advice from one of the best to do it. Gary Keller is the founder of Keller Williams Realty, one of the U.S's largest and fastest-growing real estate franchises.
The book walks through proven real estate investing strategies to help you build a network, find and invest in profitable properties, develop a team, make the best deals, and grow into a confident real estate investor. While the book is full of practical tips, it also touches on developing a mindset to become a millionaire investor. Between this book and our 'How Long to Save $1 Million' Calculator, you'll be on your way to becoming a millionaire in no time.
2. What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow...And 36 Other Key Financial Measures
Author: Frank Gallineli
This book gives readers the scoop on every financial measure involved in real estate investing. Considering the author, Frank Gallinelli, runs one of the leading real estate investment software firms, he's just the guy to share secrets about what numbers to focus on when investing in real estate.
Throughout the book, you'll learn about valuable real estate investing measurables like:
Discounted Cash Flow
Net Present Value
Capitalization Rate
Cash-on-Cash Return
Net Operating Income
Internal Rate of Return
Profitability Index
Return on Equity
Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned real estate investor, What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow offers more than enough substantial information for any reader.
3. The Book On Rental Property Investing
Author: Brandon Turner
Owning rental properties has always been a popular way to invest in real estate, perhaps never more than right now. Brandon Turner, co-host of the BiggerPockets Podcast, authors several books on our list. His unique writing style, combined with his vast knowledge of the real estate market, makes him just the person to listen to when it comes to owning rental properties.
This particular book is full of in-depth, practical investment strategies to jumpstart your rental property portfolio. You'll learn how to build up your cash flow through rental properties. The 400+ page book will guide you on how to analyze properties, find deals, finance your investments, and more.
4. Build a Rental Property Empire
Author: Mark Ferguson and Lynda Pelissier
Build a Rental Property Empire is another top choice to consider if you want to jump into the rental property game. The 300+ page book touches on just about every detail of rental property investing, answering questions like:
What type of rental property should I buy?
How do I find good deals on properties?
How do I invest with less cash?
What are the risks of rental property investing?
What to do if the market is too expensive?
How do I maintain my properties?
Do I need a property manager?
Author Mark Ferguson is an active investor and owner of Blue Steel Real Estate. His experience speaks for itself, personally brokering over 1,000 home sales and flipping 200 more properties.
5. The Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down
Author: Brandon Turner
Another entry from Real Estate Expert Brandon Turner, this book is perfect for individuals who want to jump into real estate investing but may not have the cash flow required.
In the book, you'll learn creative strategies used by the best real estate investors to finance deals. You'll also learn how to leverage other people's money to earn incredible returns on your initial investment.
This book is the epitome of working smarter, not harder, to get ahead in real estate investing. If you're sitting on the fence because of a lack of starter money, this book is for you. Brandon shares the best strategies for attracting partners, lenders and other sources of cash flow to finance property deals. It's also full of schemes to avoid and cons to creative investing strategies and how to overcome them.
6. The Book on Flipping Houses
Author: J Scott
For those interested in learning how to flip houses, J Scott's revised and updated book lays out the blueprint to be a successful house flipper. The BiggerPockets Podcast co-host shares concepts and strategies to buy and sell homes for a profit.
In this book, you'll learn how to perform due diligence on any property, find deals, evaluate the profitability of a home, create a budget and work schedule for house flipping, finding and hiring contractors and more.
7. Building Wealth One House at a Time
Author: John Schaub
Already in its second edition, Building Wealth One House at a Time provides an ethical pathway to wealth through real estate investing. The book walks through Author John W. Schaub's nine-step program for buying and managing properties.
By reading the book, you'll learn investing concepts, including how to make purchases without relying on banks, how to capitalize on real estate cycles, mistakes to avoid, and how to create cash flow long term. The expanded book features six new chapters to cover even more aspects of real estate investing.
8. Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat
Author: David Greene
The latest book from Author and Real Estate Expert David Greene is a guide to the BRRRR real estate investing strategy. BRRRR stands for Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat. This five-part strategy is geared towards new and experienced real estate investors who want to grow wealth quickly despite a lack of cash.
The BRRRR method isn't complicated. The steps are straightforward — buy a property under market value, renovate to add value, rent it out, secure a cash-out refinance, and use the cash-out money to start the process over again.
9. Landlording on AutoPilot
Author: Mike Butler
If you've ever thought about owning rental properties or being a landlord, Landlording on Autopilot is a must-read. This book is a complete guide on setting up a system for managing hundreds of rental properties with little stress.
Regardless of how many properties you own or if you're just beginning, "Landlording on Autopilot" will help you lay the foundation for a successful rental property business. Throughout the book Author, Mike Butler shares how to use technology, including your smartphone or tablet, to manage your entire business. The book even comes with additional free gifts, including a 159-point Rent Ready Checklist.
10. Real Estate Investing QuickStart Guide
Author: Simon He
This best-selling book is a beginner's guide to the world of real estate investing. The book is full of straightforward advice and tips written in a way that beginners can quickly grasp. Through the book, real estate expert Symon Ye shows readers how to invest in real estate without the time and money that most people think it requires.
The Real Estate Investing QuickStart Guide is full of practical ways to generate passive income through rental properties. The book also dives into commercial real estate investing if that's your interest.
In addition to the information in the book, it also comes with access to digital content, including eight hours of online training and a free rental property analyzer.
11. How To Invest in Real Estate
Author: Joshua Dorkin and Brandon Turner
Real estate investing is overwhelming for many. This book from Joshua Dorkin and Brandon Turner of the BiggerPockets Podcast shortens the learning curve and provides an easy-to-understand look at the business of real estate investing.
The book walks through the various markets and niches within real estate investing. It also dives into several strategies for investing in real estate. Instead of focusing on one path to successful investing, the authors discuss how different methods work for different people and provide a framework for readers to determine the right course of action. The book is full of real-life stories of successful real estate investors for motivation and proving that real estate investing is possible for everyone.
12. The Book on Tax Strategies for the Savvy Real Estate Investor
Author: Amanda Han
Amanda Han is a CPA specializing in tax-saving strategies for real estate investors. In this book, Han tackles the overwhelming topic of taxes and how it relates to real estate investing. The book's goal is to teach money-saving tax strategies to help investors keep more of what they earn.
The book touches on strategies like entity structuring, self-directed investing, income-offset opportunities, and more. You'll learn how to find more tax deductions and invest smarter to save money. If you travel or have kids, you'll learn how to take advantage of both come tax time.
13. Mastering the Art of Commercial Real Estate Investing
Author: Doug Marshall
Commercial real estate investing is an entirely different beast than residential property investing. Those interested in learning more about commercial real estate investing would be wise to pick up this comprehensive guide written by a real pro. Author Doug Marshall has 35+ years of experience investing in commercial properties. He also founded a successful commercial mortgage brokerage in 2003.
The book provides practical, easy-to-understand advice on how to break into the commercial real estate business. Shared within its pages are Doug's six immutable laws of commercial real estate investing to build wealth and grow income fast. It also speaks about finding the right loan, when to buy or not buy a property and other helpful information.
14. The Intelligent REIT Investor Guide
Author: Brad Thomas
A real estate investment strategy that's gained ground in recent years is investing in REITs. A Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) allows individuals to invest in large-scale commercial properties like shopping malls, hotels, office buildings, and more. This guide from author Brad Thomas tackles basic and advanced strategies for investing in REITs.
You'll learn more about what REITs are, how they work, and why they provide some of the best historical returns in the industry. This book is great for anyone interested in learning more about REITs, including beginner and professional investors.
15. ABCs of Real Estate Investing
Author: Ken McElroy
If anyone can break down the ABCs of real estate investing, it would be Author Ken McElroy. He has over 26 years of senior-level experience in multifamily asset and property management. He's also purchased over $400 million in real estate over the past two years.
Another comprehensive guide, this book shares various ways to jump into real estate investing, how to build wealth and create cash flow through real estate, how to find the perfect properties, how to negotiate effectively, and the best tools for managing your properties.
16. Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing
Author: Michael Blank
One of the biggest reasons people decide to try real estate investing is to provide financial freedom to quit their day jobs and live the life they want. This book seeks to lay the groundwork for people to do precisely that.
The book dives into creating long-lasting financial freedom, specifically through investing in apartment buildings. As you read it, you'll learn how to become a successful apartment building investor, how to raise money for your first deal and successfully analyze and land deals even without experience or cash. Throughout Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing, Author Michael Blank shares his "Financial Freedom Blueprint" to success as a real estate investor.
17. One Rental At A Time
Author: Michael Zuber
Author Michael Zuber never intended for One Rental at a Time to become a book, but those interested in pursuing financial freedom through real estate are glad it did. The book is a simple guide to buying and holding properties to earn a secondary income. Zuber shares his story and experiences on how he was able to build up his investment portfolio enough to quit his day job.
Michael's experiences have been so helpful that he ended up launching a YouTube channel to share his stories and advice with an even larger audience. His channel currently has over 24,000 subscribers.
SUMMARY
If you're interested in real estate investing, consider picking up a book or two from the list above and start your journey. It may seem like a daunting task, but it's one of the most popular and profitable forms of investing. Use our book picks as a springboard to an education in the art of real estate investing. If you're looking for a low-risk entry into real estate investing, real estate crowdfunding sites provide an easy way to start investing with less money and commitment.
References:
https://guides.loc.gov/real-estate-industry-sources/investment-trusts
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/real-estate-and-investment-scams
https://www.biggerpockets.com/
