The Marcus Effect: Relationships Create Opportunity

[Lionel Church]

If you're not building new and deeper relationships, you're not investing. 

Building knowledge and doing research and analysis is necessary but it's not enough. You need to talk with people who are real estate investors in order to build the psychological and emotional courage to take the steps. 

I'm still not a great guitar player but when I was starting to learn, a professional musician and close friend said, "practice but don't wait too long before you play with other people." She'd seen people who spent too much time practicing all alone and they became poor musicians compared with those who regularly played with other people.

The people you build relationships with are also who you will turn to for advice when big questions come up. There is no such thing as solo success. We succeed or fail based on the quality of our relationships.

Today I talked with successful real estate investor Marcus Maloney, who is proactive about relationship building and finding mutual benefit in relationships. He told his story on the BP podcast so before our conversation, I knew he's the kind of person who goes out of his way to be a responsible landlord and protects the human interests of the people he comes into contact with.

I was able to get ahold of Marcus easily through his website. He asked me thoughtful questions and then really listened to what I had to say, what I care about, and offered his perspective on how best to accomplish it.

Then I turned the questions around to Marcus and learned about what he's pursuing. It turns out that from the first $19K check Marcus brought in for his family (told in detail on the podcast) to the present, his success is built upon strong relationships with other people. Through human connections and the information Marcus generously shares online, he's able to find deals, sell properties, and build win-win scenarios.

What Marcus is doing improves the lives of everyone involved and it's built upon strong relationships. That greater-than-the-sum-of-it's-parts quality is what I'm calling "The Marcus Effect".

Wherever you are in your real estate investing journey, you'll benefit from building new and deeper relationships with other investors and real estate professionals. We are instinctually social creatures so relationships are not an option. When you extend yourself to others, it gives you new opportunities and improves your own level of motivation.

If what I've shared makes sense to you, ask yourself this question: "Who do I need to reach out to today?" Just taking that small step will take you further in your real estate investing journey.