These are the 5 things I wish I had known before becoming a landlord, and why learning these NOW can make you a better real estate investor in the long run. Enjoy! Add me on Instagram/Snapchat: GPStephan

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First, I wished I had treated it more like a business rather than a hobby.
When I first started, I was 21 years old. At this point, I had been working as a real estate agent for a little over 3.5 years and even though I had been doing a lot of rentals for OTHER PEOPLE, I had never done it for myself. All of a sudden you have a hard time thinking objectively, you throw your own emotions into the mix, you have self doubt, you worry if what you’re doing is right, and there’s a blurred line between running this like a business vs a hobby…and when I started, I ran it like a hobby. Don’t do that.

This brings me to my second point…keep things professional, and STICK TO THE CONTRACT.
In the beginning, I treated the contract more like a guide…as long as you roughly followed it, that was fine. No, NO, NO. Do NOT do this. Enforce the contract word for word. The contract is written for a reason - there should be no misinterpretation from what’s allowed and what’s agreed on. This clarifies everyone’s expectations for not only the tenant, but also for the landlord. When that contract is signed, all parties must abide by it.

The third thing I wish I knew was that I’d need to be on call 24/7.
If there’s ever an emergency, I have my phone on me to handle anything as it comes up. Most situations that come up, even though I’m technically “on call 24/7,” just aren’t that urgent; usually little minor things that are usually sent over email and you can handle them when you have the time.

The fourth thing I wish I knew is that anything that can possibly break, will break.
As a landlord, you walk into the brutal reality that most people simply don’t care about how they live or how delicate something is. Just like you baby proof a house, you will need to renter-proof your house. This means making things indestructible. If something is likely to break, make sure you don’t spend too much money on it. Just buy good quality DURABLE, not high end BREAKABLE. This will prevent you from fixing and buying new things after every tenant.

The fifth thing is that the biggest learning experience of all of them is simply dealing with people.
On a bigger picture, deeper down, you really have to learn to communicate effectively, be ok with saying no, be okay with standing your ground, while still being able to hear the other person out. You need to learn how to explain yourself in a way that makes sense to the other person, without coming off as insensitive or inattentive. The other person needs to be heard and their thoughts validated before you can say what you want. Just like anything else, people skills are incredibly important and can make a huge difference in whatever business your in.

For business inquiries or one-on-one real estate investing/real estate agent consulting or coaching, you can reach me at [email protected]

Suggested reading:
The Millionaire Real Estate Agent: http://goo.gl/TPTSVC
Your money or your life: https://goo.gl/fmlaJR
The Millionaire Real Estate Investor: https://goo.gl/sV9xtl
How to Win Friends and Influence People: https://goo.gl/1f3Meq
Think and grow rich: https://goo.gl/SSKlyu
Awaken the giant within: https://goo.gl/niIAEI
The Book on Rental Property Investing: https://goo.gl/qtJqFq

Favorite Credit Cards:
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American Express Platinum - https://goo.gl/C9n4e3