Real Estate investing can be intimidating. There are a lot of unknowns and, as with any investment, there are risks involved. Luckily, there have been several investors that have shortened the learning curve by writing books on real estate investing. You should never invest in what you don’t understand. Gaining knowledge before you jump into investing will help you avoid mistakes and mitigate your risks.

I wrote my book, Strategic Real Estate Investing, to help people do just that. I’ve been a real estate entrepreneur for over thirty years, and now it’s my joy to teach people how to start a real estate business. However, throughout my journey, I referenced several other books on real estate investing. There was a time where I tried to read one business-oriented book per week! I hope that this list of 10 books on real estate investing helps you the same way it helped me.

 

 

10 Books on Real Estate Investing

 

1. Real Estate Investing from A-Z: The Most Comprehensive, Practical, and Readable Guide to Investing Profitably in Real Estate by William H. Pivar

 

This book is what the title denotes: a comprehensive guide. It’s very ‘how-to’ oriented and is a good reference tool for people who are looking to understand how to begin real estate investing.

 

2. Real Estate Loopholes by Diane Kennedy, Robert T. Kiyosaki, and Gary Sutton

 

This book from Rich Dad Advisors is about how to build wealth from real estate—and how to retain it. The authors focus on three major tenants: selection, taxation, and protection.

 

3. From 0 to 130 Properties in 3.5 Years by Steve McKnight

 

This book is full of strategies for real estate investing. It chronicles McKnight’s own journey from going from 0 to 130 properties in just 3.5 years, and he teaches in such a way that the reader feels like it is an accessible goal for them, too.

 

4. The Business of Flipping Homes by Bill Bronchick

 

I love this book on how to build wealth from real estate investing by my friend and real estate lawyer Bill Bronchick (he’s also a speaker at the upcoming WealthBuilders Real Estate Workshop!) The Business of Flipping Homes goes in depth about the right way to flip a home regardless of market conditions. It’s perfect for buy and hold investors, as well as fix and flippers who want to make a quick sale.

 

5. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Making Money with Rental Properties by Brian Edwards, Casey Edwards, and Susannah Craig-Edwards

 

This guidebook is great for learning how to build wealth from real estate in commercial and residential properties. It is very hands-on and resourceful, as it includes sample documents from every stage of the rental process and a list of rental regulations by state.

 

6. 7 Seconds by Karen Conrad

 

One of the strongest strategies for real estate investing is one you may not think of—home staging. Statistics prove that a homebuyer’s decision is made within 7-10 seconds of walking through the door. Karen Conrad), former real estate agent and active investor, shares her home staging secrets in 7 Seconds, and it’s full of stunning before-after images, tips, and templates you can apply to your properties. (Karen is another one of our speakers at the October WealthBuilders Real Estate Workshop!)

 

7. How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner by Christine Hrib-Karpinski

 

If you want to begin real estate investing with vacation properties, this is the book for you. The author takes readers through the steps necessary to purchase and rent out a vacation home. You’ll learn how to maintain vacation properties without a property management company, as well as how to have renters pay of your mortgage while still reserving several weeks out of the year for your own vacation!

 

8. The Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down: Real Life Strategies for Investing in Real Estate Using Other People’s Money by Brandon Turner

 

This book offers plenty of information on how to build wealth from real estate without putting a lot of your own money on the table. It affirms the truth that real estate investing isn’t just for rich people! You have to start somewhere.

 

[Related: Why You Don’t Have to Be Rich to Invest in Real Estate]

 

9. The E-Myth by Michael Gerber

 

Gerber’s book is one of the best business books that I’ve ever read. To be honest, it doesn’t take all that long to understand how to begin real estate investing. What most people don’t understand is that they are essentially starting a business when they become an investor. So, I recommend this book in order to get a great holistic picture of how to start a real estate business.

 

10. Strategic Real Estate Investing by Billy Epperhart

Okay, forgive me, but in a blog post about books on real estate investing, I had to talk about my own! Strategic Real Estate Investing begins with a 30,000-foot view of wealth. Then, it explains why real estate investing is the most efficient way to build wealth. After that, you’ll learn strategies for real estate investing such as finding bargain properties, 10 secrets to financing, fix and flips, legal matters, and much more. I’m vulnerable about the mistakes I’ve made in the business so that you don’t have to make the same ones! If you’re interested, you can purchase it here.