Private Money411 Magazine - The Source for Real Estate Finance Private Money411 Featuring Sarah Montes | Page 16

EDUCATION
Choose the RIGHT
Coach & Mentor
By Dennis Henson, President of AREA
Arlington Real Estate Association of Investors
H
ave you noticed that sports teams and
individuals that have the best winning
records are the ones with the best coach-
es? If a professional team does not have a winning
record who do they replace fi rst? Of course, it’s the
coach! Real estate investing is a business where
a single mistake can cost you thousands of dol-
lars and for that reason alone, the most important
member of your investment team is your coach and
mentor.
Another value your coach will bring to the table
that is essential to your success is the element of
accountability. In order to become really success-
ful in real estate investing, it is imperative that you
form successful habits quickly. Legendary football
coach, Vince Lombardi said, “Winning is a habit.
Unfortunately, so is losing.”
A good coach will help you put together a busi-
ness plan and give you a list of things to do to help
ensure your success. But you can only become
successful if you stay on the right track and make
doing the right things a habit. A good coach will
hold your feet to the fi re so to speak.
Nothing can keep you moving like a good coach
and mentor! He or she will help you through the
rough times, answer questions and give encourage-
ment, support, motivation, and help you keep your
focused. Here are some things that you should
consider when choosing a coach and mentor. He or
Realty411Guide.com
she should be…
• The real thing —
someone who really invests in real estate
and not someone trained to help you
learn to invest
• A successful investor with many verifi able
properties
• Local — Local is better because you can get
face to face time, training & answers
AND THEY SHOULD
• Have time to spend with just you
• Have been a real estate investor for years
• Have the respect of their peers in the real
estate industry
• Be sincerely interested in your success
• Be someone you can trust and with whom you
have a good rapport
Also, the price for their coaching/mentoring pro-
gram should be reasonable, and they should have a
good guarantee for their program.
While searching for the right coach you need to be
aware that you may encounter a number of unscrupu-
lous programs. Some of these will off er you the moon
and stars, and they will gladly take your money. After
a short time, you will quickly fi nd that all you re-
ceived was the moon and stars, but not much here on
PAGE 16 • 2017
Private Money411