The Journey from Single family Investor to Commercial Investor!

[Ikemefuna Enemkpali]

My Journey from Residential to Commercial Real Estate

How I Got Started in Residential

I got started in residential real estate after I was released on waivers from the Oakland Raiders. I suffered an injury that I knew will take time for me to heal so to fill time I decided to begin my real estate journey. I started by getting licensed and hanging my license with a brokerage, but due to background issues my license was on hold for 4 months. My pivot from this situation was to start wholesaling real estate, wholesaling taught me the terminology, marketing, tenacity, stamina, and sales skills needed to make it in this industry. After wholesaling for a while I switched to buying fixing and flipping which taught me the money raising aspect. I used my wholesale business to bring me the Fix and flip opportunity while simultaneously nurturing my money raising skills.

The Turn

I was having success in the single family world but there was a huge issue with what I was doing. I was not creating wealth. My whole reason for entering real estate was to go into commercial real estate, own income producing properties that kick off cash flow each month and create a lifestyle of pure abundance for my lineage. To create that kind of wealth in SFR will require a ton of energy, marketing, and TRANSACTIONS! I did this particular deal in Taylor Texas that I worked for several months. I was wholesaling this risky deal with horrible foundation issues and had a tough time selling it to a buyer as well as convincing my lenders to lend on the deal. I knew I had to perform so I ended up having to do the deal for free, not making JACK SQUAT! My time is definitely worth more than what I came out of that deal with so I decided to start looking into commercials and really see what is so scary about it? I did research and stumbled across Tim Bratz, and Michael Blank and I realized that I have self limiting beliefs that are holding me back. After in depth studying, outreach to others in the industry, and calculation on how I will make this slight pivot, I did like Uncle G says and made the decision.

My Defensive Line Coach for the New York Jets Karl Dunbar always used to tell me in film study, “Son, Make a decision and live with it.” Anything I do, I do just that.

First Step

The first step I took to take AFTER making the decision was to actually figure out and understand who I am actually bringing value to. In any business there is a value proposition that creates a transaction to actually take place. I studied different entry levels, different asset classes, in order to find a niche in the marketplace. Niche equals rich, “Tim Bratz always said that. The goal was to get real targeted so I can have a buttoned up sharp direct pitch that I can set deep hooks with whenever I'm raising money. My goal was to have conviction just oozing out of my body so investors can feel how focused I am on my Niche asset class.

Second Step

Study! Study! Study! Studying the language of CRE is part of the journey and process. I am now in the league of professionals. To be taken seriously I will have to be able to compete. Studying market trends, underwriting, demographics, job growth, and economics are vital to provide value for the investors. I will take the skills of marketing and sales I learned in single family and transfer them over to CRE. This article is my first of many that I hope inspires, educates, and motivates others to make a decision.

Thank you.