Break Your Real Estate Business | BestEverCRE

I conducted an investor analysis after closing on a 296-unit apartment 5 months ago and came away with some interesting findings.

This was the 4th purchase in a 12-month period. You can read about my lessons learned on the other ones here:

Closed on 155-units in Houston, TX … 3 Lessons Learned

Closed on 250-units in Houston, TX … 2 Lessons Learned

Closed on 320-units … 6 Ways to Creatively Get into the Multifamily Syndication Business

For this analysis, I looked at the investors who invested. Most specifically, I looked at if they were new or returning investors, as well as how much each (new vs. returning) investor contributed to the total money raise.

Here were the findings on this apartment deal:

• 69% were new investors
• 31% were returning investors

However, the interesting thing I found was that the percentage of capital contributed to total money raise was almost split 50/50 between new and returning investors.

• % contribution to total raise for new investors: 49.6%
• % contribution to total raise for existing investors: 50.4%

So, here are a couple takeaways for anyone in the biz of raising money for their apartment syndication projects.

• New investors likely won’t invest as much per person as returning investors.On this deal 31% of my returning investors invested 50% of the total equity raise. However, after the 1st deal, the new investors were no longer new investors! So as long as you deliver and/or exceed expectations, it’s likely the amount invested will increase over time.
• Always have 3 ways to bring in new investors. Then convert them to returning investors.

My 3 largest lead generation sources for new investors are:

1. Referrals from current network

I don’t ask for referrals from my current investors or clients, but I do get them. One suggestion is to provide your investors (or potential investors if you don’t have them yet) with content that they can and want to share with their friends. For example, I wrote a book (Best Real Estate Investing Advice Ever: Volume 1) and mailed out TWO copies to each of my investors. I wrote a personal note to the investor on one of the books and told them the other book is for a friend of theirs that they’d like to give it to.

2. My podcast – Best Real Estate Investing Advice Ever Show

My podcast is the world’s longest running daily real estate podcast. The daily show has provided me with a consistent presence via iTunes and Google searches. Most importantly, it helps people get to know me even though we’re not having a one-on-one conversation.

3. BiggerPockets

Since joining BiggerPockets, I’ve posted over 2,500 times and have been rewarded 10x over via the new friendships and relationships I have formed

I hope this is helpful for your money-raise efforts as well!

Want to learn more multifamily and apartment syndication tips, as well as learn more about a wide-range of other real estate niches? Attend the 1^st Annual Best Ever Conference February 24-25 in Denver, CO. It’s the only real estate investing conference whose content and speakers are curated based on the expressed needs of the audience. Visit www.besteverconference.com to learn more!

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as an offer to buy or sell any securities or to make or consider any investment or course of action.