Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa December / Jan 2016 | Page 20

MENTORSHIP Getting the Right Information and Partners Opening your mind to new investment possibilities BY NEALE PETERSEN T he new economy demands more of investors today than ever before. Investing in any type of real estate category is generally forgiving provided you don’t over leverage yourself and you don’t get the timing wrong. Today we are now moving into a more competitive and sluggish market where investors must think, do and create far more as well as create more value on their investments and not just aim at acquiring and leveraging for pure windfall gains for themselves. Selling investment education At Real Estate Investor Magazine we have taken an aversion to most real estate education gurus. Many have taken a dislike to the fact that we publish a magazine for investors, getting between them and the people who sign up with them. We discovered that many were not selling much value other than old recycled ideas disguised as new. The old ‘get rich quick’ methods promoted and dominated by them over the last decade are dated. Instead they have become property agents earning commission on property sales and the imminent property sale they offer you becomes more important than the investment and education process itself. The hype and promise of making you into an overnight millionaire is distasteful when in 18 DEC/JAN 2016 SA Real Estate Investor fact it is about practically learning to invest hands on, understanding the fundamentals using checklists with simple executable steps. Also you have to ask how accessible they are. Google your education sources and partners to verify their credentials and to see if they are acting in your interests. Many investors and professionals in the real estate industry that I engage with say they should not invest in the current market or even if they want to, say it is not possible to get finance. I am not talking about buying a house to live in using traditional methods but rather investing in cash flow positive real estate. Psychology has a lot to do with the success of long-term investors. You have to take 100% control over your investment ˜[