Here they are.
My two secret weapons.
Ellie and Luna –
Wait. What? How do they help you succeed in Real Estate?
Stick with me. I’ll explain.
Obviously, my two dogs don’t directly help me with my Real Estate Investing and being a Landlord. The reality is they aren’t very good at meetings with bankers, their strategic planning skills are sub-par and the last time I took them into an empty apartment one of them pooped on the floor. So, their direct contributions are minimal. However they do need one thing that has indirectly helped me succeed at Real Estate.
What’s the one thing?
Daily Walks
Really? Walks? That’s part of your secret? Sure is.
Here’s why.
Daily walks give me three benefits:
1) Regular physical activity
Regular physical activity makes me more productive, more focused, and more pleasant to be around. Real Estate Investing and being a landlord is stressful, but my regular walks help me manage and control that stress. Someone once told me, “Everything looks better after a walk.” I’m hit or miss with regular exercise routines at the gym. However with two furry faces that go stir crazy after one day without a walk, I’ve stuck with my daily walks
2) Different perspective on neighborhoods
Yes, driving through a neighborhood provides a glimpse into the area. However, walking past a house allows the time and perspective to notice the small details you don’t get from driving by – the heaving front walk, the crack in the foundation, the rotting fascia board, or the new flower bed. Walking lets you savor the houses as you go. You have time to count how many windows were replaced. You can look to see where all the entrances and exits are. You can spend time envisioning what a renovated house could look like.
For me, walking also provides the space to think about and process a house or neighborhood that I’m interested in. A lot of time as I’m walking I will go by a house I am interested in and then play the ‘what if’ or ‘how would I make this work’ game? By the time I’m home I’ve dedicated 15-20 minutes thinking about that property, and after that I can decide if it’s worthwhile to pursue the property anymore.
3) Podcast Time
I’ve been on the podcast bandwagon since 2008 when we were living in Japan. For those of you who aren’t familiar, podcasts are like radio shows that you can stream on your computer or download and listen to on your phone. They are free and produced by a variety of people on countless subjects. I listen to business, sports, news, entertainment, productivity and real estate podcasts and can’t recommend podcasts enough. Some of the podcasts I highly recommend are:
On all things Real Estate
An entertaining podcast all about marketing from Terry O’Reilly
All about online business. His podcast is what led to me launch this website
Rob and Sandy interview Canadian Real Estate investors and professionals and offer specific tips and tricks to carry on in your real estate business
These are just a few of the podcasts I listen to regularly.
Are you recommending a get a dog?
No. I’m definitely not. I mean, if you want to get a dog, I will encourage you, but that’s not the point.
What I recommend for you is to start a regular physical activity plan. It will make you feel better and help contribute to your success. Second get out of the car and walk the neighborhoods and properties you are potentially interested in. You will come back with new observations that you wouldn’t have made from your car. Finally, download some of these podcasts and make sure you are continuously learning.