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How to Start a Real Estate Business

Whether you want to buy, sell, develop, or rent out real estate, there are plenty of opportunities in the residential and commercial sectors.

Starting a Real Estate Business

The world of real estate investing is an exciting one to get into. Whether you want to buy, sell, develop, or rent out real estate, there are plenty of opportunities in the residential and commercial sectors. You can make great money, love your job and provide a home for individuals, families and businesses. What’s not to love?

Real Estate Business Formation Guide

In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to do to set up your real estate investment business and maximize your chances for success. We’ll cover:

  • Understanding the world of real estate

  • Information on taxes and finances for your real estate investing business

  • Questions you should ask to see if you’re ready to start a real estate investing business

  • Hiring employees, marketing and administration

  • Choosing the best legal structure for your new organization

  • Resources for your real estate business

  • Basic rules and regulations you may need to follow

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... and much more


By the time you’ve read through our complete real estate investing business guide, you'll have all the information you need to set up and manage a thriving real estate business. Let’s get into it.

Understand the World of Real Estate Investing


Let’s start by exploring the world of real estate and understanding what the opportunities are.


Background Data & Stats about the Real Estate Industry

$220T

Estimated value of all property globally. This is nearly three times the yearly U.S. GDP. Around three-quarters of this property is residential.

96%

Percentage of investors in real estate who believe the investment gave them financial success

82%

Percentage of investors who believe real estate is important in diversifying investments

10.6%

Average yearly return from residential and diversified property investments

Statistics about Real Estate businesses
  • The real estate industry has been growing by 9 percent year on year over the last five years.

  • The sale and rental of residential property accounts for around 72 percent of real estate business income in the U.S.

  • High corporate profits are increasing opportunities in commercial and industrial real estate.

  • Revenues in the real estate business market are expected to continue to grow over the next few years.

This all points to the real estate investment world being ripe with new opportunities for focused entrepreneurs, so now might be the perfect time to dive into starting your real estate investment business. Bizee is here to help you form your business and understand the ins and outs of owning a real estate company.


There are two main ways you can take advantage of real estate business opportunities.

How to Invest in Real Estate


There are several ways to create a real estate investing business, depending on your focus. This might be through buying a property, renovating it and making improvements, then selling it on at a profit. Alternatively, you might buy up a number of units and rent them out or make money in some other way such as vacation accommodation or Airbnb.

Understand Your Real Estate Market


If you want to get into the real estate investing business yourself, you need to decide the specific part of the industry where your business could be most successful.

Real estate property development

Building or upgrading existing residential or commercial property to resell at a profit.

Leasing and rental of commercial or industrial property

Developing or enhancing residential property and arranging for rental as a rental agency or individual landlord.

Sale and purchase of commercial or industrial property

Working with other businesses to locate and arrange for transactions on property for profit-making purposes

Leasing and rental of commercial or industrial property

Developing or enhancing business property and arranging for rental as a rental agency or individual landlord.

Real estate development for resale

Investing in commercial or residential property and making income when you sell the property.

Real estate property management services


Real estate property management services

Once you know the type of real estate business you want to run, you need to identify the size of the market and number of customers in your local area. Explore how successful and volatile the property market is and establish the likely number of individuals or businesses buying, renting, developing or selling real estate on a yearly basis.


See how many competitors there are in your local real estate markets. A lot of competitors isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it could mean there’s plenty of demand. Get involved in local real estate discussion groups and ask questions about your regional market. You can even offer to take other real estate investors or business owners out to coffee to ask them questions about what it's like to run a real estate investment business in your region.


This initial time spent fact-finding will make sure you're pursuing a viable business opportunity.

What Your Real Estate Clients are Looking For


When it comes to real estate, your customers will have different needs depending on the type of investment business you run.

Provide a complete package

Keep everything as simple as possible for your clients, whether they are buying a developed property, renting from you or something else.

Be proactive in your communications

Buying and renting property is very stressful for most people, so active communication from you will give them peace of mind.

Deliver exceptional value

Clients are looking for quality, accuracy, speed and reassurance when it comes to dealing with property.

Show additional benefits

Clients will likely have plenty of choices when it comes to deciding where to buy or rent. Make sure you clearly explain the benefits of the property and the services you provide.

If you can get these in place and explain your unique selling points, you'll have a good chance to stand out from the crowd.

Questions to Ask Before You Get into Real Estate


Is Real Estate Entrepreneurship for You?


Running a real estate investment business isn't for everyone — it can be a stressful experience! You will need a combination of resilience, project management and deal-making skills, as well as the ability to manage clients, contractors and high-pressure deadlines. You will often be working long hours or on weekends, especially as you're starting your new business. You need patience, chutzpah and the ability to juggle multiple tasks to succeed. Plus, you have to be prepared for your income to arrive all at once, or sometimes not at all.


What Skills Do You Need to Be a Successful Real Estate Investor?


If you want to be successful in the world of real estate, here's what you need.

Excellent interpersonal skills

You will need to deal with contractors, local authorities, clients and buyers all the time. Great interpersonal skills and the ability to handle people well are essential.

Powerful time and task management

You will likely be juggling multiple opportunities together with managing your business. You must have a good way to manage your time, tasks and appointments.

Strong talent for negotiation

Negotiating real estate finances and pricing is an art. You need to have great deal-making and negotiation skills and understand exactly what the client wants to get out of the real estate transaction.

Range of background skills and experience

You will want an excellent knowledge of your local market, strong relationships with mortgage providers (and other real estate support professionals) and an understanding of the legal nuances of buying and selling.

What Are the Main Challenges for a Real Estate Business?


Our main challenges will likely involve dealing with real estate property development, handling negotiations, managing a very busy schedule and keeping your clients happy. You will likely have a very full voicemail and email inbox and will need to put aside plenty of time for communications.

You will also need effective marketing, especially if your local real estate investing market is very competitive. Look into partnering with other related businesses for mutual benefit.

What Does a Day in the Life of a Real Estate Entrepreneur Look Like?


Each day is going to be different, but you'll likely be doing the following:

01

Reviewing development work on properties

02

Dealing with contractors and other tradespeople

03

Taking calls from clients

04

Negotiating deals between different parties

05

Arranging for contracts and legal formalities

06

Setting up showings

07

Preparing offers and other related documents

08

Running your business (including taxes, bookkeeping, scheduling, emailing and more)

09

Talking to lawyers and advisers

Check out our additional guidance in understanding if a real estate business is right for you. In this blog post, we'll help you analyze your real estate business idea, conduct market research and build a business plan.

Right Business Structure

Formally Registering Your Real Estate Investment Business


Now that you have all the background information for your real estate business, it's time to choose the right structure or "legal entity" for your business. In the U.S., there are several business structures.


They are:

  • Sole Proprietorship

    This is the "default" business structure and is what your business will be if you decide not to create a more formal structure. We don't recommend this type of business as it doesn't give you the legal protections you need.

  • Limited Liability Company or LLC

    The most common type of business entity. An LLC is fast, simple and inexpensive to setup and maintain. It protects your personal finances and assets and is a great way to start your real estate.

  • Series LLC

    This is a special type of LLC entity that's only available in certain states. It allows you to create "mini" LLCs, each with their own limited liability and separate assets, under the umbrella of a master LLC.

  • S Corporation

    This is a more complex type of business and isn't generally recommended for smaller organization.

  • C Corporation

    These are the largest and most complex types of businesses and are far more than the average entrepreneur or business owner will need.

A Special Note on Series LLCs


Series LLCs are ideal for real estate investors. A series LLC gives you all the same benefits as a regular LLC, but it serves as a sort of “umbrella company” with additional flexibility and protections for multiple companies or lines of business within your overall operation. For instance, a series LLC can give rental property owners a way to separate their real estate investments from one another.


Even though series LLCs were created to simplify investment portfolio management, this type of business structure is still a relatively new approach to LLCs. In addition, series LLCs are currently only available in eight states:


  • Delaware
  • Illinois
  • Iowa
  • Nevada
  • Oklahoma
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah

If you’re in one of these states, see if a series LLC could be right for you.

Special Considerations for Setting up a Real Estate Business Entity


For more information on the advantages and disadvantages of different types of businesses, please see our in-depth guide. If you’ve still got questions, we’ve answered them to help you choose the right business structure for your real estate business.


In most cases our recommendation would be to create an LLC. We have a complete guide to everything you need to do, and we can set one up for your real estate business. LLC formation does vary from state to state, but we’ve got you covered, wherever you are.

Start Your Business with Us, Today!

Set up & Maintain Your Real Estate Investment Business

Once you've legally created your real estate investment business, you’ll need to get some other things in place.

Permits & Licenses

Running a real estate business comes with certain rules, regulations and legalities you need to be aware of. Bizee can conduct a Business License Research package for you, or you can take the time to do the research yourself. Check out our blog post on real estate business legalities to follow for more information.

Marketing

Do you need to build a website? Should you have a logo designed professionally? Will you need business cards? Since real estate is such a networking-based business, you'll probably want to develop strong branding and use it on collateral you can hand out at in-person events.

Business Location

Where are you going to run your business from? Will you work from home, get an office, use a shared working space or something else? Many real estate investors can easily work from home.

Process

What business processes are you going to use to run your business efficiently and effectively? You should come up with good processes for negotiation, managing legal details and more.

Software

Is there software that can help you manage and market your business? Real estate investors should focus specifically on scheduling, customer relationship management, project management, document management and task management.

Equipment

What equipment do you need to manage your real estate investment business? What about transportation or specialized equipment? Make sure you understand exactly what you need to spend so you can write it off against business expenses.

Business Maintenance

Most states require businesses to file an Annual Report report once a year. You will also be expected to pay estimated taxes on what you plan to earn in the current business year. Also, your federal, state, regional and city business licenses and permits may need to be renewed on a regular basis, typically once a year.

Employees

Do you need to hire employees to help you out? Read our guide on what to avoid when hiring.

The Complete "Start Your Business" Checklist

A Clear and Comprehensive Guide to Starting Your Business the Right Way

Social Media Groups for Real Estate Agents & Investors

Connecting with other business owners in your industry can be incredibly helpful. Here are some of the best social media groups for real estate businesses:

Discussion Groups and Forums for Your Real Estate Business

There are plenty of forums and online discussion groups for real estate businesses. Start with these:

Useful Online Tools for Your Franchise Business

Here are some really great online tools for managing your franchise business. They will reduce the time you spend on administration, help you to collaborate with others and free up your time to grow and manage your new venture.

Project Management

Productivity

Marketing Automation

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Customer Support

Human Resources

Website Development

incorporate now

Ready to Get into Real Estate?

Remember, we can help you with creating and maintaining your real estate business.