Don’t Sleep on Your Local Real Estate Investor Association (REIA)

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In this day of competition for attention, it’s important to go back to the basics. With the constant bombardment of social media ads, the simple concept of authentic engagement gets overlooked.

I would like to reintroduce you to your local real estate investors association (REIA). There are plenty of benefits of being a part of your local REIA that often get overlooked. They may not always do the best job with marketing and promotions, but the education you can find is still on point.

I was recently reminded of my introduction to real estate in the Phoenix market, and it was through my local REIA—a staple of the real estate market in any city. So why have so many overlooked the REIA and fallen victim to high-priced courses and mentorship programs? Maybe it’s simply because many are blinded by the bling of advertisement and forget the benefits of the local REIA.

As a reminder, here are four simple benefits of your local REIA.

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Authentic education

Most REIAs offer a similar policy to BiggerPockets, with no egregious or excessive sales pitches.

The teachers and education are authentic, without an ulterior motive. There is no hidden agenda or sales funnel to be concerned with. The teacher is actually an active investor that enjoys teaching. You can learn from real-life experiences and analyze actual deals in your home market.

Local market connections

Not only are your teachers experts in their field, but they are experts in your local market. During your education, you will learn what is occurring in your market. You will be able to analyze and evaluate deals in your city.

I re-engaged with my REIA to learn more about what is happening in my market. With the fluctuation of the real estate market and the speed of changes, it’s important to have a local perspective.

Many influencers are encouraging diversification in outside markets right now, which is not a bad thing, but it’s important to have a local approach. The market updates I receive from our local REIA are amazing. The trends and projections really aid in positioning my company for the future.

Relationship building

What better opportunity to meet other real estate professionals who are serious about their education and their investments? This is the hub of where to find money, deals, partners, and whatever else you need that’s real-estate-related.

Affordability

You don’t have to pay $5,000 for coaching or $30,000 for a mastermind. Some REIAs are even not-for-profit to reinforce the principle that it’s not about the money.

If you’re looking for affordable education that’s market-specific, the REIA is a great place to start.

There are options for rock-solid education without the guru pitch. Plus, one of the first things gurus tell you to do is be a part of your local REIA because nearly everything you need is under one roof.

Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.