Don't Shy Away From Confrontation

[Bryan Beal]

Before I go on a little rant here, let me tell you a little about myself -

I started investing in real estate December 2017.  We bought out first home in Pittsburgh, PA and since then, we've purchased 10 more properties (really between March 2018 and October 2018, but who's counting?) in multiple markets with more, larger multi-family deals in the pipeline right now.  I wanted to be aggressive so I went for it.  Let me tell you right now - it's been an unbelievable experience and I wish I had started this sooner (a message to all those younger investors on the fence about jumping in - the water is warm, grab your deep sea diving gear).  

Anyways, whether you're a newbie looking to get started or a veteran who has a ton of experience, one thing (among about 1,458,927 others) I've learned is to not shy away from confrontation.  Now listen, before you take this too far, I'm not saying go out and be combative or angry or rude or flat out mean or any other negative adjective you can come up with.  What I am saying is don't be afraid to fight for what you want and what's in your best interest.  In the world of real estate if you're scared, timid or afraid to go get what you want you'll be gobbled up, chewed up and spit out before you even know what hit you.  If you allow them to, people will take advantage of you.  Not all the time but it will happen eventually and it might be subtle... or sometimes not so subtle.

Again, don't be some @$$ hole demanding you get everything you want at the expense of everyone else - that's no way to do business.  But don't shy away from standing up for yourself when you know what you want and believe in what you're doing.  And let me be clear about one other thing - this isn't just while you're making deals with buyers, sellers or other investors - this also applies to tenants.  For those buy and hold investors out there, you know all too well that if you give (some) tenants an inch, they'll take a mile.  Don't let them leverage you because you're scared they'll move out or leave you a bad review - you set the tone because it's your asset and they should be grateful you gave them the opportunity to live there.  

Just some food for thought on a Thursday morning.  I'd love to hear some other experiences out there and see how this relates to your real estate investments.