Your First Meeting

I just had the honor of meeting a couple who are thinking of making their first real estate investment.  And they are going about it in the right way, if you ask me.  They have met with at least one other real estate agent, I believe. And they’ve met with a property manager.  And they are asking me about attorneys and tax men and financial planners. 

That is all said to say that I’m proud of them.  Questions were pre-determined and on a sheet of paper.  Of course, both sides were also trying to decide whether they liked each other and would want to work with each other.

For my part I was impressed with their due diligence to this point.  Realistic and attainable goals were discussed and capacity to perform (on their part) seemed more than acceptable.  So they passed my test.  Did I pass theirs? 

Whether I did or not I enjoy those first meetings.  It’s a chance for me to measure the possible client’s interest and knowledge of real estate investing along with understanding their parameters for risk.  I like to lay out on the table how I work, how I’m paid, what I expect of them and in turn what they should expect from me.

Don’t skip this part of the process if you are thinking about real estate investing.  It’s more important than you might imagine.