The 11 Best Books for Real Estate Investors

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Real estate investing can be a great way for individuals to grow their wealth. But it's not as hands-off as many other types of investments, and if you want to be successful, you need to know what you're doing.

Fortunately, there's plenty of expertise out there to teach you everything you need to know. Here are our favorite books on real estate investing for beginners, flippers, commercial investors, and more.

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Best overall: 'The Book on Rental Property Investing: How to Create Wealth and Passive Income Through Smart Buy & Hold Real Estate Investing' by Brandon Turner

This is one of the most popular books about investing in real estate, and it provides a thorough overview of what you need to do to be successful, from gathering together your team of professionals (including CPAs, lawyers, and contractors) and picking the right locations to effectively managing your properties and having an exit strategy.

This isn't the only Turner book that made this list, but if you're only going to buy one book to start your real estate investing journey, this should be it.

Best for absolute beginners: 'How to Invest in Real Estate: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Getting Started' by Joshua Dorkin and Brandon Turner

If you know next to nothing about real estate but you're thinking about dipping your toe into the world of real estate investing and want to learn more, this is a great place to start.

The book starts off by addressing some common questions (and myths — no, real estate is not a way to "get rich quick") that you might be wondering about. It also provides a helpful overview of the different types of real estate investing that exist and is chock full of great advice to help you get a sense of how this world works and what you'll need to do to be successful in it.

Best for first-time investors: 'Real Estate by the Numbers: A Complete Reference Guide to Deal Analysis' by J Scott and Dave Meyer

If you already have a good grasp of some of the basics of real estate investing and are ready to start putting what you know into practice, "Real Estate by the Numbers" offers a lot of practical and technical information to guide you through the process.

In this book, you'll learn how to analyze investments and get a step-by-step walkthrough of the process that's supported with anecdotes and examples. This makes it easy to understand the "why" behind what you're doing and how to strategize your investments.

Best for flippers: 'The Book on Flipping Houses: How to Buy, Rehab, and Resell Residential Properties' by J Scott

If you're more interested in house flipping than investing in rental property, J Scott's guide will give you all the tools you need to get started.

This book details how to find the right properties, gather your team, and ensure you aren't losing money on your flipped properties. 

Best for scaling your business: 'Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat: The BRRRR Rental Property Investment Strategy Made Simple' by David Greene

Ready to take your investment strategy up a notch? This book on the BRRRR method provides a wealth of knowledge to help get you there.

If you're still newish to the world of real estate investing, the BRRRR method might seem a little intimidating. But Greene's book goes over all the ins and outs in easy to understand language and explains how to supercharge your investing strategy in manageable steps.

Best for multi-family property beginners: 'The Multifamily Millionaire, Volume I: Achieve Financial Freedom by Investing in Small Multifamily Real Estate' by Brandon Turner and Brian Murray

This book is a must-have for investors looking to move beyond single-family housing into small multi-unit investing.

Turner and co-author Murray guide readers through all the important decisions they'll need to make as multi-family property investors. Then, they get into the nitty gritty of managing your finances and ensuring you see adequate returns. It also tells you everything you need to know about managing a multi-family property, which can be different from a single-family unit.

"The ABCs of Real Estate Investing" isn't as much of a step-by-step guide as some of the other books on this list, but its wealth of knowledge and real estate investing advice makes it a great read for those who already have some experience under their belt and are looking to move into investing in larger multi-unit properties.

This book won't just teach you how to succeed at real estate investing; it'll teach you how to excel at it, too, and how to take the next step to grow your business.

Best for commercial real estate investors: 'Mastering the Art of Commercial Real Estate Investing: How to Successfully Build Wealth and Grow Passive Income from Your Rental Properties' by Doug Marshall, CCIM

For those looking to start building their real estate empire, this is the book to read.

Marshall, a commercial real estate veteran and commercial mortgage broker, teaches readers everything they need to know about financing and managing commercial real estate investments in plain language.

Best for out-of-state investors: 'Long-Distance Real Estate Investing: How to Buy, Rehab, and Manage Out-of-State Rental Properties' by David Greene

Wannabe real estate investors who don't live in an ideal area for rental property investing don't need to move across the country to make their investment strategy work. If you want to invest in an out-of-state property, Greene teaches you how to do it.

This book is packed with a ton of great advice and tips around how to leverage the internet when investing from afar and how to build a great on-the-ground team to help make your investment work. 

Best for first-time landlords: 'The Book on Managing Rental Properties: A Proven System for Finding, Screening, and Managing Tenants with Fewer Headaches and Maximum Profits' by Heather Turner and Brandon Turner

Though many of the books on this list include sections on how to manage your investments, the truth is that property management can be a beast of its own. If you want to learn the ins and outs of being a successful landlord, this book provides a great overview.

Advice in this book includes how to find great tenants, handle your responsibilities as a landlord, and ensure you're in compliance with fair housing rules.

Best for Airbnb owners: 'Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth: Your Guide to Analyzing, Buying, and Managing Vacation Properties' by Avery Carl

If you own or are thinking about buying property in a popular vacation destination that you want to earn rental income on, this book will tell you everything you need to know to get started.

Carl offers practical advice on how to make more money with a short-term rental than you would with a long-term rental. Readers can learn how to scope out potential markets and gather data on their money-making potential, manage their property remotely, and grow their portfolio.

Frequently asked questions

You might want to get started by connecting with other investors in your area. Not only can they share advice on how they got started, but they can also give you help navigating the local market and recommend lenders, contractors, and other professionals you'll need to help get your business started.

For hands-off real estate investing, you might consider a real estate investment trust, which lets you invest in real estate without actually having to purchase it yourself. 

If you want to own an investment property, a single-family rental is typically a good place to start.

In addition to reading, taking a class can help you learn more about the world of real estate.

Additionally, joining a community of investors, either in your town or online, can help you connect with individuals who already have their own real estate businesses and can show you the ropes and help you network.

Mortgage Reporter

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