How to find investors to shadow.

[Zachary Schneider]

At the risk of sounding naive, I want to ask your opinion regarding the best way to build up some firsthand experience in real estate investing. I have read about two dozen books on the subject, and have actively followed discussions, podcasts, and message boards as well, so I am familiar with much of the process and feel confident that I could navigate the basics if push came to shove. Just the same, I'm wary of going solo on a deal before having developed any firsthand experience!

Do you reckon that there are investors out there who would be willing to let me shadow them through the purchase and rehab of one of their new investments in exchange for a bit of sweat equity, or even a nominal cash investment to show that I'm serious? I want to see how an experienced investor navigates this process, and most importantly, to see how they deal with some of the unexpected challenges that I am sure to encounter.

If you think this pretty reasonable, then how might you suggest I go about making this kind of pitch, and what would be the best way for me to cold-approach potential "targets," assuming that nobody in my personal SOI is keen on it?