Too Many Gurus

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Too Many Gurus

Arcinio Arauz
Wholesaler · Atwater, CA · Member since 2013 · 161 posts · 27 votes

I just want to straight forward ask why do so many RE gurus spend so much time trying to sell their material, DVDs, training courses, VIP guides, kits and so on. Every webinar ends with "buy now, only 20 spots left". They are professional salemen to the T! Statements like "this will change your life" and "sit at home and never talk to a seller, never talk a buyer, never even see the house and make 12K!" YEA RIGHT! All the deals I've done cost me my time and my effort. Was it worth it...yes but I just don't believe you can make it big in REI by sitting at home all day behind a computer. I get tons of spam and even phone calls of them trying to sucker me to buy their "state of the art software".

I guess I'm just old school but I believe in personally driving around, personally talking to owners and personally making the deal happen. This is stuff that fewer and fewer people are doing. They're getting caught up in all this REI web/internet hype.

Thanks for hearing my rant.

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Aaron Mazzrillo
Investor · Riverside, CA · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
13y
Originally posted by Arcinio Arauz:
I just want to straight forward ask why do so many RE gurus spend so much time trying to sell their material, DVDs, training courses, VIP guides, kits and so on.

Because that is typically their only source of income. Lots of them claim to have flipped 18 million houses in their first 3 years of business, but most of them are just liars. I used to work in that business. They are liars.

Originally posted by Arcinio Arauz:
I just don't believe you can make it big in REI by sitting at home all day behind a computer.

I don't ever drive around to look at houses or meet sellers. I have found it to be a huge waste of time. If they are not receptive to my verbal offer over the phone, going out to their cat pee stinking house is probably not going to change their mind. And I've wholesaled no less than 100 houses that I have never seen.

Originally posted by Arcinio Arauz:
I guess I'm just old school but I believe in personally driving around, personally talking to owners and personally making the deal happen. This is stuff that fewer and fewer people are doing. They're getting caught up in all this REI web/internet hype.

You can make a good salad by plowing a field, growing and tending to the vegetables, and harvesting them, but I'd rather just pick them up at the local grocery store.

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  • Aaron Mazzrillo
    Investor · Riverside, CA · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    13y
    Originally posted by Arcinio Arauz:
    I just want to straight forward ask why do so many RE gurus spend so much time trying to sell their material, DVDs, training courses, VIP guides, kits and so on.

    Because that is typically their only source of income. Lots of them claim to have flipped 18 million houses in their first 3 years of business, but most of them are just liars. I used to work in that business. They are liars.

    Originally posted by Arcinio Arauz:
    I just don't believe you can make it big in REI by sitting at home all day behind a computer.

    I don't ever drive around to look at houses or meet sellers. I have found it to be a huge waste of time. If they are not receptive to my verbal offer over the phone, going out to their cat pee stinking house is probably not going to change their mind. And I've wholesaled no less than 100 houses that I have never seen.

    Originally posted by Arcinio Arauz:
    I guess I'm just old school but I believe in personally driving around, personally talking to owners and personally making the deal happen. This is stuff that fewer and fewer people are doing. They're getting caught up in all this REI web/internet hype.

    You can make a good salad by plowing a field, growing and tending to the vegetables, and harvesting them, but I'd rather just pick them up at the local grocery store.

    2Reply
  • Kirk R.
    Peoria, IL · Member since 2013 · 967 posts · 383 votes
    13y

    Aaron Mazzrillo

    LOL at the cat pee house. Would be more funny if it wasn't true.

    1Reply
  • David Morrow
    Real Estate Investor · Springfield, IL · Member since 2013 · 35 posts · 7 votes
    13y

    Gurus keep selling cuz people keep buying. Mostly, members of BP are a different breed, but there are all those others out there. . .

    I have a coworker buddy with whom I've been talking real estate for over a year. It was a mutual interest we discussed many times.

    I read books, watched DVDs and listened to audio programs. I learned about landlording, tax planning, financing, and market analysis. I bought a multi family property, joined BP, and starting buying more properties.

    He fell in love with a guru who (for thousands of dollars) will coach him through borrowing a quarter millions dollars that he couldn't honestly qualify for to buy a distressed hotel business that he has no idea how to run. I've attempted to delicately caution him about such a risky venture, but he's already drunk the kool-aid, and my words fall on deaf ears.

    I wish him the best, but I fear the worst. I'm afraid he's just the next sucker.

    There's one born every minute.

    1Reply
  • James Vermillion
    Lexington, KY · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    13y

    Too many people cannot get past the idea of making the quick and easy buck. It has always been that way, it will always be that way, and because of that we will always have people making money by offering that exact thing. There are people out there who have spent enough money to have amassed a nice chunk of wealth had they only invested it, instead they have bought into many guru programs offering easy money (real estate and other industries).

    Not all "gurus" are bad, but if people would put as much time, effort and excitement into investing and learning as they do guru programs, many more people would be successful.

    0Reply
  • Chris Feltus
    Residential Real Estate Agent · Fort Worth , TX · Member since 2012 · 211 posts · 152 votes
    13y

    Quick word to the wise. For anyone considering purchasing mentoring, products or services. Make sure the person you are purchasing from is actively practicing what they claim to be teaching.

    Its easier to teach than to close deals, and some people have taken advantage of this and made it their full time source of income by exploiting others. Too many "experts" have spent a pretty penny on marketing and hype to separate you from your cash.

    0Reply
  • Bryan L.
    Residential Real Estate Agent · Cookeville, TN · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 948 votes
    13y

    I think there are some good gurus. But this one got me - I recently saw a guru advertising a workshop for gurus. He's going to teach them to be better gurus and to get more people to actually buy their stuff. He's now a guru guru. I couldn't help but chuckle. But I still think he's one of the better ones.

    0Reply
  • Jon Klaus
    Developer · Garland, TX · Member since 2008 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    13y

    As Aaron has answered, it's simple; they make money. Some have content of real value, but that content is also available without the hype here at BP, and other sources.

    1Reply
  • Bryan L.
    Residential Real Estate Agent · Cookeville, TN · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 948 votes
    13y

    Actually, I've thought about doing some teaching myself. I've turned over almost all of my property management to a professional PM company, and I hire out all of the labor on my rehabs. And, even with me being a Realtor, I still hire another Realtor to co-list my properties with me. She takes all the pics and puts it into the MLS and stuff. So, I sometimes have a little time available and I've thought about teaching others. And I see nothing wrong with making a little money at it, but I would want to provide a low cost structure to the students. Maybe I could do webinars or conference calls so the cost could be split between 10 or so people and keep it affordable. But I really have no desire to sit down and write out a "system" or "program" or whatever.

    1Reply
  • Account Closed
    Real Estate Agent · Orem, UT · Member since 2012 · 164 posts · 49 votes
    13y

    Right on

    0Reply
  • Keith Boley
    Rental Property Investor · Lompoc, CA · Member since 2010 · 197 posts · 183 votes
    13y

    As a mentor I hear what you are saying and agree but. There are good ones and it is your duty to hunt the web and see if the person you are talking to is for real or a fake. I posted a blog on this topic in the market place a few days ago so that people knew what to do to find the right person. If they don't do deals them self then run. How the heck can you teach it if you don't do it or stay up to date with the market. All i am saying is look, do your home work and make the call..

    0Reply
  • Arktavious Sally
    Real Estate Investor · Upper Marlboro, MD · Member since 2008 · 289 posts · 80 votes
    13y

    Easyness sells. However, not all gurus are bad. Some are actually in the trenches closing deals. Do your homework. A wise man once said, trust but verify.

    0Reply
  • Jack Bobeck
    SFR Investor · Jacksonville, FL · Member since 2012 · 285 posts · 83 votes
    13y

    The only good guru is the one who is in the trenches with you 50/50 doing a deal with you. The rest are carpetbaggers traveling around with colored snake oil. By the time you go through your cash, you could have spent the time to learn here at BP or REI or Connected Investors or other online sites and learned what to do and not to do.

    I used to be on the board at a local REIA, and I think they are just there to feed off the people who are members. The bring in gurus, get a cut of the business from the guru to feed their always increasing appetite. The days of a REIA are numbered, sadly though, people think they are the key to the guru who has the magic Blue or Red pill to ail their thirst for real estate knowledge.

    Yeah, I've had some run-ins with them.

    #JackBobeck

    0Reply
  • David Doyle
    Investor · Monrovia, CA · Member since 2012 · 219 posts · 79 votes
    13y

    Jack

    What are the specific reasons you think the days of the REIA's are numbered

    There are some good ones ,,,though few,,,

    Dave Doyle

    Los Angeles

    0Reply
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