All Forum Posts by: Fabian Petersen

Thanks for answering everyone.

@Andrew Postell Yes it's true that in the Netherlands the REI landscape is a bit different. Hard money lenders and rehab loans do not exist here, though you can get some renovation funds together with your mortgage.

REI meetups are more rare too, and mostly focused on investing abroad.

I can still find ways to connect with RE investors, for example through LinkedIn, but I want to make sure I can provide value first. Sometimes I contact people with a question about their experience, and often they are happy to answer, but this doesn't create any momentum to build a relationship in the long run.

I'm actually considering moving somewhere else where there are more opportunities (e.g. more REI meetups), but I'm not sure this will automatically solve the issue I described for the LinkedIn approach.

Hello BiggerPockets Community,
I've been consuming a lot of content from the BiggerPockets books and website recently, especially about networking and building your team, but until now I feel like I am stuck with a chicken-or-egg problem: How do you start building your REI network if you have limited experience and resources?

For example two groups that are often mentioned as the first part of your team are real estate agents and other RE investors.

But if I start contacting real estate agents about investment properties when I do not have the funds ready, what value do I provide to the real estate agent.

Conversely if I start building relationships with other investors who might have funds available (but not the time to look for deals), what value do I provide if I do not already have a ready stream of possible deals.

Even if I start networking with both groups at the same time (and all the other members of a REI team), it doesn't solve the problem right away, since there needs to be some rapport already, which needs time.

In other words, how do I start networking without wasting anyone's time? 

Thanks for any answers :)