What's the best career path to becoming a full time REI?

[Isaac Kuehn]

I'm going to college within the next year and a priority of my is going into college with a plan of what my career will look like. My goal is to be a full time real estate investor but I couldn't be a full time investor right out of school because of the lack of money. I'll need to build up my portfolio of properties over the years to eventually go full time. I was either thinking about becoming an real estate agent or working in the financial industry until I could quit and be a full time investor. Being an agent seems to have its benefits such as the MLS and other reasons but i'm afraid I won't be able to make enough money to get investment properties fast enough. That's why i'm thinking about the financial industry because I could try my best to land a job at a investment bank or private equity company, make around $60-80k a year, pay off student loans then buy investment properties. So the overall question is: what's the best career path to eventually becoming a real estate investor full time? Is being an agent the best or working in another industry better? 

Any full time investors have advice for me? I appreciate any advice or guidance!  

[David Dachtera]

@Isaac Kuehn,

Well, some folks find the fastest to being a full-time REI is to have a job and get laid off from it. :-)

Seriously, your statement about lack of money points out your need for education, but not about becoming a real estate agent or broker. Rather about business and finance.

Many successful RE investors use none of their own money or credit. You need to learn how to attract and engage private lenders. They have retirement accounts, etc. from which they want better, safer, less volatile returns. It's up to you learn how to help them improve their returns and secure their savings, and then teach them about those options.

Remember that school guarantees you nothing, especially these days when the schools and the corporations are in cahoots to determine who gets hired and who gets promoted.

There are REI classes you can take for about 1/6th the cost of a graduate degree. That's about all I can say in a forum post, however.