6 Simple Ways to Cut Costs in Your Real Estate Business

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Real estate, like any business, requires low overhead to make high profits. You must, of course, spend money to make money, but your spending shouldn’t be in excess. It’s easy to let your regular costs and expenses get out of hand by justifying them as investments with the potential of greater profits.

However, you may be putting more into it than you should be. As you look for ways to cut spending in your business, consider the following tips.

6 Ways to Easily Costs in Your Real Estate Business

1. Purchase more basic equipment.

You should invest in technology to further your business. Whether you’re investing, managing, or selling real estate, digital and technical access will be a huge benefit. However, you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg on your technology.

For example, rather than purchasing the latest iPhone for your business endeavors, you might look into an older, but high-functioning different phone. Even if it’s an older model, but it will likely have all the capabilities you need for hundreds of dollars less. You could also purchase a standard laptop rather than an expensive MacBook or Surface Pro.

Reducing the initial cost of technology for your real estate office will mean positive growth for your business.

2. Use freebies.

There are a variety of free tools available to supplement your paid tools, including dozens of apps, websites, software, and other resources to promote your business and make your life easier. Here are some of the most popular:

• Social media: Marketing and promotion
• Hubspot.com: CRM
• Google Drive: File sharing and cloud storage
• Trello.com: Project management and organization
• BiggerPockets: Publication and information sharing

Look into all the free options at your disposal to streamline your business and reduce overhead.

Related: Tenant Turnover Can Wreck Your Profits: Here’s the Simple Solution to This Costly Issue

3. Take advantage of tax breaks.

Many new real estate investors are unaware of the real estate tax breaks available to them. There are too many tax breaks to list in one article, but here are the most prominent:

• Deductions: You can deduct nearly all the expenses associated with your real estate investments and business. Your mortgage, loan interest, office expenses, and other real-estate activities fall into this category.
• Capital gains: Any profits made, both short term and long term, can be subtracted from what you owe on your taxes.
• Depreciation: On the other hand, if your property decreases in value, you can subtract your losses. The same goes for expensive office supplies that can be deducted over a few years.

These are the three primary ways that you can reduce your tax burden. Discuss other options with your accountant.

4. Find cheap labor.

For most businesses, real estate included, labor is an expensive cost. Finding cheaper labor doesn’t mean hiring inexperienced workers or doing everything yourself. You’ll need a few experienced people on your team, but there are a few ways you can reduce the labor burden.

• Hire interns: Interns are free or cheap and can do much of the grunt work that would otherwise fall on your shoulders.
• Use automation tools: By automating social media, email marketing, finances, and other practices, you can reduce your responsibility and increase efficiency in the office.
• Do more yourself: You shouldn’t feel overwhelmed with all your responsibilities, but adding a few extras to your daily tasks can help your budget. Just make sure you don’t overwork yourself.

5. Make eco-friendly updates.

Sustainable updates provide an excellent way to cut costs on your regular expenses. Not only are they good for the environment, but they’re typically more affordable to operate in the long run. To cut costs and reduce your carbon footprint, here are some eco-friendly updates you can make:

• Sustainable landscaping: Usually, this involves a yard and garden that needs less watering. Native and water-resistant plants will grow beautifully without the need for excess hydration.
• Smart tech: Research from Inman.com shows that smart technology is one of the most sought-after features in the housing market. Homes that use smart lighting, thermostats, and other tech can reduce utility bills and increase tenant satisfaction. For the sake of money, you shouldn’t replace everything with smart tech all at once; however, you can replace a broken thermostat and make small updates on the way.
• Regular maintenance: Keep your properties well-maintained. Old windows and crumbling siding can reduce efficiency and lead to other serious problems like water damage. You’ll save more in the long run by investing time and money into maintenance and repairs.

Related: 3 Hidden Costs That Can Tank Rental Property Profits

6. Borrow wisely.

In real estate, you’re constantly looking into new properties and updating your existing ones. For that, you’ll need a loan, but you must be careful when borrowing the money. Don’t forget about the interest rates and payments that come with loans. If you’re not careful, you’ll pay thousands extra on your loans.

Go into the loan process with eyes open. Look for reduced interest rates and longer loan repayment periods. This will limit what you pay in the long run.

Just because you’re dealing with some of the most expensive assets in the world doesn’t mean you have to overspend in the process. You can increase your profits and decrease stress by taking advantage of these simple, but powerful tips.

Are there any steps you’ve taken not on this list to decrease costs in your business?

Be sure to leave a comment below!

 

Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.