10 Must-Read Real Estate Investing Books to Read Before Year-End 2022
Reading real estate investing books can make you a better real estate investor. Whether you’re a seasoned investor or just testing the waters, real estate books can teach you about the best practices, strategies and tactics that have been successful for many investors before.
Why invest in real estate?
Real estate investing is one of the most popular forms of investing because for many investors it can result in a high return on investment, an increase in cash flow and an almost guaranteed appreciation of value. Planned strategically, owning investment real estate can result in tax advantages and certain long-term security. According to Yahoo! Finance, owning real estate provides a tangible asset of property that will always be worth something unlike the uncertainty of a piece of paper provided by the stock market.
When it comes to investing in real estate, there are many ways of doing it. Investing in either residential, commercial or rental properties comes with its own advantages and challenges. You can take out a loan to purchase a property, buy in cash or invest for capital appreciation. Buying stock in a REIT (real estate investment trust) is also an option.
Although some may consider investing in real estate as a form of passive income, it’s far from it. Real estate investors have an active role in their properties, which ensures they continue to increase the value and improve return on investment.
It’s important to note that real estate investing is not a way to get rich quickly. It requires patience, research and knowledge of the market. Staying successful as a real estate investor means you should always be on your toes and stay updated with the latest trends. A good way to become familiar with and stay ahead of the market is to read and learn about the industry whenever possible.
Below we’ve curated the top 10 real estate books you should put on your “need-to-read” list. If you can, read them before the end of the calendar year to improve your overall knowledge and set yourself apart competitively as a real estate investor in 2023:
1. “The Only Woman in the Room: Knowledge and Inspiration from 20 Women Real EstateInvestors” by Ashley L. Wilson.
2. “How I turned $1,000 into Five Million in Real Estate in My Spare Time” by William Nickerson.
“How I turned $1,000 into Five Million in Real Estate in My Spare Time” provides simple advice and strategies that will guide you and your real estate decisions – but you will have to put in the work to see real success. This is one of the best real estate books that contains proven techniques of real estate investing designed to provide positive and measurable results.
3. “Harvard Can’t Teach What You Learn from the Streets: The Street Success Guide to Building Wealth through Multi-Family Real Estate” by Sam Liebman.
Sam Liebman has proven once again his in-depth knowledge of the real estate industry with his book, “Harvard Can’t Teach What You Learn from the Streets: The Street Success Guide to Building Wealth through Multi-Family Real Estate.” Perfect for beginners, Liebman makes the real estate investing industry approachable for anyone with practical advice in a language that’s captivating and easy to understand. Even the most complicated topics can become subjects any reader can digest and understand.
4. “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kyosaki.
“Rich Dad Poor Dad “is an excellent investor book for beginner investors as it has the capability of changing one’s thinking and ability to influence their own fortune. Since it was published 20 years ago, the book has sold around 44 million copies worldwide, remaining a best seller in personal finance. In this book, Kiyosaki depicts the lives of two types of parents, the hard-working parent who lives in the everyday “rat race” (the book elaborates on this term in detail), and the smart-working parent who invests and is able to build lasting wealth and gain financial freedom.
5. “How to be a Real Estate Investor” by Phil Pustejovsky.
It doesn’t matter how much experience you have – or even how much money. Real estate investing is simpler when you have trusted investor and mentor Phil Pustejovsky in your corner. Using his own experience after quitting his 9-5 p.m. job to become an investor, failing, and ending up homeless, this guide to becoming a real estate investor uses real-life examples to help even the most inexperienced investor climb over any barrier and successfully purchase their first rental property.
6. “Retire Early With Real Estate: How Smart Investing Can Help You Escape the 9-5 Grind and Do More of What Matters” by Chad Carson.
Chad Carson provides readers with the ins and outs of building wealth and retiring early with rental property investing. Having retired at 37 years old himself, Carson offers his trusted strategies while profiling other esteemed investors to cultivate one book full of valuable knowledge for anyone in the industry.
7. “Set for Life: Dominate Life, Money, and the American Dream” by Scott Trench
“Set for Life: Dominate Life, Money, and the American Dream” provides anyone wanting to build their wealth and become financially independent with successful strategies for gaining the confidence they need to build their financial wealth regardless of their industry. Scott Trench provides a step-by-step guide to double or triple your income in 3 to 5 years by securing “real” assets that provide steady access to wealth with the goal of real estate investing.
8. “Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat: The BRRRR Rental Property Investment Strategy Made Simple” by David M Greene.
In the top 4 real estate investment books on Amazon, The BRRRR strategy is one of the simplest investment strategies to follow. It’s also one of the most profitable. The goal of “Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat: The BRRRR Rental Property Investment Strategy Made Simple” is to take you from owning no real estate to owning multiple properties in just a few years. David Greene provides an overview of the risk factors associated with this investment strategy and how you can minimize them as an investor by following proper due diligence procedures and investing wisely.
9. “Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth: Your Guide to Analyzing, Buying, and Managing Vacation Properties” by Avery Carl.
Published in 2021 and one of Amazon’s top 10 real estate investment books, “Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth: Your Guide to Analyzing, Buying, and Managing Vacation Properties” is organized in an easy-to-follow format that includes step-by-step instructions on how to find, evaluate and buy the right property for you. Avery also offers valuable insights and information on how to manage your property so that it can be rented consistently and generate income for years after you purchase it.
10. “The Book on Investing In Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down: Creative Strategies for Investing in Real Estate Using Other People’s Money” by Brandon Turner.
A lack of money doesn’t need to keep you from getting started in real estate investment. With an engaging title like this, it’s understandable why “The Book on Investing In Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down: Creative Strategies for Investing in Real Estate Using Other People’s Money” has made it to #1 in Crowdfunding books on Amazon – and to the top 10 of real estate investing. Brandon Turner offers strategies for investing in real estate without having to spend any money on it. This real estate book includes strategies for buying property with no (or low) money down, using creative methods of financing and developing the optimal skills necessary to invest in real estate.
If you enjoy Brandon Turner’s writing, you can also read his 2020 book “The Book on Rental Property Investing: How to Create Wealth With Intelligent Buy and Hold Real Estate Investing.”
Honorable Mentions
If you happen to get ahead and want to enjoy even more of the best books on real estate investing, here are a few honorable mentions:
- “How to Buy and Sell Apartment Buildings” by Eugene E. Velucci
- “Think and Grow Rich” by Napolean Hill
- “Richest Man in Babylon” by George S. Clason
- “Multiple Streams of Income” by Robert G. Allen
- “E-Myth Series” by Michael Gerber
- “Investing in Real Estate” by Andrew McLean
Why is it important to keep learning as a real estate investor?
The real estate investing industry is constantly growing and changing. As advancements in technology, such as online listing applications, and demand for residential and commercial properties grow, it’s become essential for investors to keep up with the latest trends and developments in the real estate market. You should also gain footing in your own community, and knowing what neighborhoods are going up (or down) in value and which developments are in the works (and whether they could be lucrative to invest in) is the best way to do so.
Professional development is also a significant reason why it’s important for investors to stay up-to-date on the real estate market. If an investor doesn’t know what they’re doing wrong, they could be losing money on their investments.
Educating yourself, continuing to stay abreast of recent news, trends and insights in the industry, and following the strategies of successful entrepreneurs will only make you a stronger real estate investor. Many of these real estate investor books can change your perspective on how to approach real estate investing and may inspire creative strategies that will put extra cash in your pocket.
More real estate resources from AAOA
American Apartment Owners Association (AAOA) continues to deliver the best in real estate resources available to investors of all experience levels. You can find more information from AAOA through our comprehensive website, including:
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*AAOA has not received any compensation to review any of the books listed and all opinions are our own. AAOA is part of the Amazon Affiliate Partnership Program and clicking on a click and placing a purchase may earn AAOA an affiliate fee. To have your book considered, please contact us.
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