Your Elevator Pitch? You're NOT just a Real Estate Investor,Dude!

Your Elevator Pitch? You're NOT just a Real Estate Investor,Dude!

Dan HandfordPro Member
Investor · Lexington, SC · Member since 2018 · 779 posts · 501 votes

Whenever someone asks you: "What do you do?" - you typically say "I'm a real estate investor" and then continue to qualify that with how you locate and acquire / syndicate multifamily properties with outside investor money. 

You need to start thinking about yourself as a business person/entrepreneur and not just a "real estate investor". 

When you acquire these apartment investment properties, you are actually buying a business and not just an asset. You must be watching your P&L and Balance Sheets constantly in order to make sure your new business does not fail. You cannot just buy the asset and then let it coast. You must be an active participant in the asset management of the property. 

So let's change things up a bit...what's you're "elevator pitch" when talking to other people about what you do? 

Would love to hear from these real estate entrepreneurs?

@Gino Barbaro, @Jake Stenziano, @Joe Fairless, @Todd Dexheimer

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Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
8y
Originally posted by @Dave Foster:

@Jay Hinrichs, But I've already secured the rights to www.thelazyboylandlord.com!  Don't burst my bubble!!!  I still think the holy grail is out there.  and it's full of ice tea and tethered to the TV remote.

 I suspect barcolounger went right over the kids on this sites head.. just like my rolodex.. which I still use.

See this reply in the discussion

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  • Gino BarbaroPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · St Augustine, FL · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    8y

    @Dan Handford

    Hi Dan

    I tell investors we are a vertically integrated real estate company that contains property management, syndication, an education company and a soon to be brokerage company. We feel that controlling as many aspects of the business in house will allow us to generate larger profits, and have all the separate arms of the business work together, feeding each other and creating a synergy.

    Trying to figure out how to explain that to my wife and small children (LOL). They just see dad on the phone a lot. It used to be easier to describe what I did when I owned the restaurant.

    Hope that helps

    Gino

  • Rental Property Investor · Glen Rock, NJ · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    8y

    @Dan Handford I think a lot depends of what your goals and beliefs are! You're in people business, so are you trying to help yourself or others?! Do you want to change your life or impact others as well?! 

    Think about the business from this perspective and think about the people that are your customers. What would you want to hear if you were potentially your own customer/client/investor. Which elevator pitch would make you want to join the business as an investor?! 

    I hope this helps! If you'd like to chat more, feel free to text. I believe you have my number. 

  • Rental Property Investor · Dallas, TX · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    8y

    @Dan Handford Depends who you're pitching. An MD at an investment bank will chuckle with the typical elevator pitch done by most real estate "investors" but a private individual with whom one has a pre-existing relationship (and limited real estate knowledge) might be intrigued. 

    Also most folks don't consider this a business. Just a means to park their money. 

    @Gino Barbaro is a different beast. They have a business, hence, his articulate response.

  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Dan Handford:

    Whenever someone asks you: "What do you do?" - you typically say "I'm a real estate investor" and then continue to qualify that with how you locate and acquire / syndicate multifamily properties with outside investor money. 

    You need to start thinking about yourself as a business person/entrepreneur and not just a "real estate investor". 

    When you acquire these apartment investment properties, you are actually buying a business and not just an asset. You must be watching your P&L and Balance Sheets constantly in order to make sure your new business does not fail. You cannot just buy the asset and then let it coast. You must be an active participant in the asset management of the property. 

    So let's change things up a bit...what's you're "elevator pitch" when talking to other people about what you do? 

    Would love to hear from these real estate entrepreneurs?

    Wait a minute are you saying that owning rentals is not a passive investment and you can just pitch it to management sit back on your barcolounger and collect mail box money ????

  • Gino BarbaroPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · St Augustine, FL · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    8y

    @Jay Hinrichs

    I am probably the unslickest guy you'll ever meet. There is virtually nothing in life that is passive, and apartments are surely not one of them. You can still sub out management, but you will be managing the manager!!

  • Gino BarbaroPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · St Augustine, FL · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    8y

    @Omar Khan

    Every investor should look at real estate as a business, whether you are a flipper, syndicator, or apartment guy.  Don't get lost in the weeds with painting and fixing toilets. Control the process and create systems, something it took us a long time to figure out.

    If everyone knew how amazing of an opportunity real estate if for wealth creation, tax benefits and lifestyle, everyone would be doing it.

  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Gino Barbaro:

    @Jay Hinrichs

    I am probably the unslickest guy you'll ever meet. There is virtually nothing in life that is passive, and apartments are surely not one of them. You can still sub out management, but you will be managing the manager!!

     I was of course being facetious  any business that makes or has the potential to make larger dollars or really any dollars takes time skill and devotion..  just because its real estate does not mean you don't have a business enterprise going.

    Investing in the right notes  is about as passive as I have seen in all the things I either do or have done... 

    Timber is pretty cool .   Large profits very quick... But a specially niche  for sure. 

  • Dave FosterBusiness Member
    Qualified Intermediary for 1031 Exchanges · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2013 · 9k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    8y

    @Jay Hinrichs, But I've already secured the rights to www.thelazyboylandlord.com!  Don't burst my bubble!!!  I still think the holy grail is out there.  and it's full of ice tea and tethered to the TV remote.

    The 1031 Investor5140 Reviews
  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Dave Foster:

    @Jay Hinrichs, But I've already secured the rights to www.thelazyboylandlord.com!  Don't burst my bubble!!!  I still think the holy grail is out there.  and it's full of ice tea and tethered to the TV remote.

     I suspect barcolounger went right over the kids on this sites head.. just like my rolodex.. which I still use.

  • Dave FosterBusiness Member
    Qualified Intermediary for 1031 Exchanges · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2013 · 9k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    8y

    @Jay Hinrichs, Whenever I feel old I just track down one of your posts!  I may not feel younger but I smile!   Whats that - Rolex you say?  And I do have a barcolounger.  But my border collie still leaves it to growl at the mailman!

    We were so cool when we could point our Palm 7s at people and infra red contacts to each other weren't we!

    The 1031 Investor5140 Reviews
  • Flipper/Rehabber · San Diego, CA · Member since 2018 · 36 posts · 22 votes
    8y
    @Dan Handford Whenever someone asks me what i do? I tell tem, whatever it takes!!!
  • Shiloh LundahlPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Gilbert, AZ · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    8y

    My 3 word elevator pitch to the question “what do you do?”

    My response, “I help people.”

    The follow up question, “How?” Or “What do you mean?”

    My response, “I help people emotionally, mentally, financially, spiritually, socially, and physically. I help people with wherever they are at in life if they want help.”

  • Ian WalshBusiness Member
    Lender · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    8y

    I just tell people I am in finance.  Less explaining.

  • Rental Property Investor · St. Paul, MN · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    8y

    I don't really have an elevator pitch - maybe I should. When people ask what I do, I tell them that I own a company that purchases apartment complexes. If they ask more questions, then I talk about the company as a whole. 

    I used to say I am a real estate investor or that I owned a real estate investment company, but people either thought that I was a flipper or real estate broker. 

  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    8y
    Originally posted by @Todd Dexheimer:

    I don't really have an elevator pitch - maybe I should. When people ask what I do, I tell them that I own a company that purchases apartment complexes. If they ask more questions, then I talk about the company as a whole. 

    I used to say I am a real estate investor or that I owned a real estate investment company, but people either thought that I was a flipper or real estate broker. 

    years back in ulta liberal Portlandia I could not tell people what I did.

    I was logging ( raping the forests)  I was building subdivisions ( big bad developer ) and I had a courthouse steps buying division ( kicking poor people out of their houses)  so I just said I was in real estate  LOL>  

  • Investor · Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    8y

    @Dan Handford I don't have an elevator pitch. If someone at a non-real estate event asks me what I do I tell them I'm a real estate investor. They then usually tell me about someone they know how is a residential real estate agent. I then mention that I'm not an agent but actually an investor who buys apt buildings. Then, I ask them questions about their self. I very rarely talk about my business - for better or worse. The only way I would do that is if they are asking me questions. Otherwise, I just have a natural conversation with them and learn more about them. 

    I then stay in touch and if things work out where they invest, great, if not, that's fine too. I'm in this for the long run. 

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