Have you ever been so overwhelmed by a project that it felt nearly impossible to start doing it?
It's like you want to climb a mountain but the mountain is SO BIG and you're at the very bottom and can barely see the top; the sheer size of the mountain keeps you from taking that first step. (My sister tells me that the same feeling overcomes her whenever she wants to clean up the living room after my 3 nieces went through it like a hurricane!)
Don't be overwhelmed by the journey. Start with just one step.
It happens in real estate investing, too. I meet a lot of aspiring real estate investors who want to start but don't know where to begin. They know that it's a great opportunity but, at the same time, they feel overwhelmed by the opportunity. Even though I teach virtual wholesaling (which is mostly automated and requires very little on-going hands-on work), it's so new for many people so it FEELS insurmountable. They get excited about the financial freedom available but they wonder "where do I start?"
That’s what I want to share with you today...
Take massive action NOW to achieve your dreams!
I always talk about taking massive action because I believe that taking massive action every single day is the only way for anyone to achieve the things they desire in life. Aspiring real estate investors may agree that massive action is required but then they look at the "mountain" in front of them and aren't sure what to do first.
Well here's the great news. I'm going to give you 8 things you can do right now – today!!! – to get started. So read them, then go do them immediately. Check them off your list and you'll be farther ahead than most people who are still stuck at the foot of the mountain. Note: these activities aren't going to be the complete picture (there are a few other small things you'll probably need to do, too) but these are 8 easy tasks you can do right away.
8 easy to-dos to take massive action right now
Have you ever heard the saying "the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"? I'm going to tell you what the first 8 steps are that you should take immediately. Each of these steps only takes maybe 5 or 10 minutes max, so there's no reason not to do at least one right now! (And as a bonus, here's a free downloadable PDF of these 8 steps that you can print as a guideline to help you. Just check off each one as you go!)
1. Get an autoresponder. An autoresponder is a simple-to-use (but very powerful) email tool that allows you to create and schedule emails to go out to your list of investor-buyers so you can build a relationship with them. To do this simple step, sign up for the autoresponder I use. I really couldn’t imagine anyone getting started and or being in business without this, let me say this I’d not be here unless I had this piece in my business… so I don’t know how to say it any other way GET IT! NOW!
2. Write your first autoresponder message. (You can even do this before you get an autoresponder tool; just copy and paste it once you've got your autoresponder). Introduce yourself and tell your investor-buyers a little more about you. Invite them to hit reply and introduce themselves. It doesn't need to be long; 2 - 3 paragraphs, tops. To do this simple step, open up a word processing document and write! :)
Here's an example you can build on (just be sure to make it accurate to you, of course!)
Hi! My name is Bob and I live in Atlanta. I've been wholesaling for 5 years. I used to wholesale in the Atlanta area only but now I wholesale all over the US. I specialize in residential deals that investors like you can rehab to rent, lease, or sell.
I'm married and have two young children – my family is my whole world! It's my dream to buy a boat and sail around the world with my family!
I'd love to hear about you. Hit 'reply' and tell me how long you've been investing and feel free to tell me a bit more about your goals and dreams.
Sincerely,
Bob The Investor
3. Get a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant is a key part of your team. They can do a ton of work for almost nothing, freeing you up to work on your business instead of in your business. You can find virtual assistants at Guru.com. Just post a project (you can post projects for free) that says you're looking for a virtual assistant. To do this simple step, sign up at Guru.com and post a project requesting a virtual assistant.
For example, you might get your virtual assistant to do the following for you:
- Set up your website
- Add content to your website
- Set up your autoresponder
- Add your messages to your autoresponder
- Schedule email messages
- Answer incoming emails (and, of course, forward to you anything you need to deal with)
- Answer phone calls when prospective sellers or buyers call
- Send forms and paperwork to the right parties
- Perform basic due diligence on any deals you're thinking about doing
- ... and so much more!
4. Gather your forms. You need to have your forms all ready to go before you get started. If you're wholesaling, the bare bones you'll need are: A Letter of Intent (LOI), a contract to buy the property, and a form that assigns the contract to an investor buyer. Here is an awesome resource I think you’ll like. Click here: WwholesalingHouses.com.
5. Get a website. As I've described in the past, smart real estate investors DON'T wait by the phone for investor-buyers to call. They automate their real estate business so they can spend their time doing the things they want to do while the business runs on its own. A website is key, however not all websites are created equal. Here's the site I use.
6. Schedule an appointment with a lawyer. One of the best investments you can make in your real estate investing business is to book an hour with a lawyer who is familiar with real estate investing and ask them a ton of questions. To do this simple step, contact your local real estate club and ask them who they recommend. If they don’t have that info, no biggie; just connect with 3 investors and ask them who they use/recommend and then pick one and go with it.
7. Write down the questions you have for the lawyer. Go to the lawyer's office completely prepared with a big list of questions. Write down as many questions as you can think of then put the list down and come back later and write down more questions. To do this simple step, grab a paper and a pen and start writing!
Here are a few additional thoughts about talking to your lawyer: Many investors have questions about protecting themselves if they mess up. This is a great question to ask your lawyer! Ask the lawyer how to minimize your exposure. Another question is paperwork: Take some of your paperwork in and have them review it. WARNING: Keep in mind don’t take everything they say as "the be-all and end-all". It’s like anything else: If you can ask 10 lawyers the same questions, you'll often get 10 different answers. So ask and listen. And here's another great tip: When they tell you something may not work, say something to the effect of: "Okay, great. I hear what you're saying, Mr./Ms. Lawyer. So what would you recommend to make this work?" And write down the answers! It could be as easy as an extra line the document they're reviewing. Remember: You're paying them so go to their office with a plan and grill them. Lawyers might cost $150-$650 an hour but that education will be worth it… only if you are prepared!
8. Have your virtual assistant post an ad. Create an ad and have your virtual assistant post it on Craigslist.com or on BackPage.com. Make sure the ad is exciting for investor-buyers and invite them to click to your website for more information. (If you haven't got a virtual assistant yet, you can still do this step and get it all ready for when you do have an assistant!) To do this simple step, create an ad and email to your virtual assistant with instructions. You will see what ads to place if you get the resource I mentioned earlier: WholesalingHouses.com
Some strong words from the DM about what to do next
I'm trying to remove all the excuses that some real estate investors might have for why they cannot move forward. This list gives you 8 easy things to do right now.
If you tackle all 8 things on this list (and especially if you do them all ASAP), you'll develop some huge momentum from your massive action that your real estate investing business will just start rolling!
If you look at this list and don't do anything, then you need to figure out what is blocking you from starting… because SOMETHING is keeping you from moving forward. (Is it fear? Do you still have questions that a mentor should answer?)
If you do some of these things but not others, that should be a warning sign to you that you are resisting moving forward. In that case, I'd advise that you do the thing that you fear the most and you'll have a huge breakthrough!
I've taken away any excuses with this list of 8 easy-to-do tasks. They can be done in 5 or 10 minutes and you'll be well on your way to running a successful real estate investing business. Now it's up to you to
take massive action right now!!!
Your massive action friend and mentor,
Mark Evans DM,DN
PS, Is something else "blocking you" from getting these things done? If you're struggling with some of these tasks – or if you just can't take that first step and do the first one – post it as a comment in the comments section. If you're willing to be open about your struggle, I'm happy to help you with some encouragement and even a little advice.