10 Best Real Estate Investing Books for Beginners
What are the Best Real Estate Investing Books for Beginners?
Real estate is one of the most popular ways to build wealth and create a stream of passive income for your family.
But if you’re not familiar with the real estate market, it can be an intimidating field to break into.
Luckily, there are a variety of great books for beginners to help guide you through the process of investing in real estate.
These real estate investing books for beginners will provide you with valuable information you can use to increase your family’s wealth and secure your financial future.
Related: If you’re new to personal finance, here are the best personal finance books for beginners. If you’re seasoned, here are the best finance books as reviewed by personal finance experts.
if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission, at no cost to you.
Savings Tip: Many of the below real estate books for beginners are available through Audible, an Amazon company with the world’s largest selection of audio books.
If you don’t already have Audible, you can get a 30 day trial, which gets you 2 FREE books! If you cancel within the free trial period, the books are still yours to keep!
Types of Real Estate Investing
Before we start discussing about different books you can read to learn more about the ins and outs of real estate investing, it’s important to understand the different ways you can invest your money in real estate.
Knowing these different investment strategies can help you decide which option is best for you.
That will give you a chance to narrow your field of study and really dive into the property topic that interests you.
When investing in real estate, there are four basic ways to invest your money:
1) Fix and flip properties
If you’re a fan of HGTV or the DIY Network, this is probably the real estate investment option you’re most familiar with.
With fix and flip properties, you purchase a run-down property, renovate it, and sell it for a profit.
And while you can earn a big profit in a short time-frame using this investment strategy, there is a learning curve that goes along with fix and flip properties.
This type of real estate investment is good for:
- Someone who is familiar with the local real estate market
- People who have experience with construction or know a reliable contractor to complete the repairs on the home
2) Rental properties
Another popular option when it comes to real estate investment is rental properties.
Rental properties can be in the form of single-family homes or multi-unit complexes.
When investing in a rental property, you typically purchase a house or multi-family complex, complete necessary repairs on the property, collect rent from tenants living in the home, and continually maintain the property as long as you own it.
This type of real estate investment is good for:
- Anyone familiar with the rental market where the property is located
- Someone with the skills to maintain the property or a reliable management company to handle maintenance
3) Vacation rentals
Similar to rental properties, investing in vacation rentals is another great way to start earning money from real estate.
Purchasing property in a popular destination will allow you to earn income on short-term rentals throughout the year.
While vacation rentals are a great way to earn a passive income, there are a few things to consider before venturing into the vacation rental market.
In addition to being responsible for maintenance on the property, you also have to take into consideration hospitality factors, like providing guests with needed amenities and cleaning the property between guests.
This type of real estate investment is good for:
- Someone already living in a popular vacation destination who wants to venture into the hospitality market
- Anyone hoping to supplement their income to purchase a vacation home for their family or offset the costs of a vacation home purchase
4) Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
If you’re looking for a more hands-off real estate investment option, investing in REITs is a good choice.
REITs are typically sold like stocks and offer investors a chance to put their money into real estate without being directly involved in the management of the properties.
This type of real estate investment option is good for:
- Someone familiar with traditional stock investing who is looking to diversify their portfolio
- Anyone hoping to get into the real estate market without the need to manage properties
Related: Best Stock Investing Book for Beginners
No matter what type of investment strategy you pick, learning all you can about the process of real estate investing is the best way to avoid costly mistakes.
Books are one of the easiest ways to learn about a topic, which means finding books about real estate investing for beginners is the first step toward becoming a profitable investor.
Real Estate Investing Books for Beginners
If you’re not sure which type of investment option is best for you, learning more about real estate investing may be a good idea.
These real estate investing books are a great way to get a more general idea about the basics of real estate investing, so you can make a better-informed decision about your next investment.
1) Real Estate Investing QuickStart Guide
By Symon He
When you’re just beginning to learn about real estate investing, finding a comprehensive guide to read is a great place to start.
With the Real Estate Investing Quick Start Guide, you can learn the basics of real estate investing, including how to:
- Generate passive income through rental properties
- Produce profits through commercial real estate investments
- Flip properties for a quick profit
- Grow your income with multifamily properties
- Earn passive income with hands-off real estate investment like REITs
In addition to covering these basic avenues of real estate investing, this helpful book also provides informative tips for being successful in the industry.
The guide can provide you with instruction for making profitable deals, including where to find the best deals in your real estate market and how to structure your deals to avoid losses.
The book also outlines the inner workings of the commercial, residential, and raw land real estate markets. And it covers ways to leverage financing options and low capital to grow your investments in the market.
When you purchase this book, you also gain access to eight hours of free online real estate courses from the best-selling author, as well as several real estate investing tools to help you when you start investing.
Pros of this Book:
- A comprehensive, beginner-friendly guide to real estate investing that is easy to follow and understand
- Informative text is punctuated with helpful graphics (including a logical scorecard) and real-world stories to help explain each aspect of real estate investing
- Appendix with online sites to help investigate real estate in your area and access to digital analyzers to evaluate properties and deals
Cons of this Book:
- Since this is a beginner’s guide, the book does not go into great detail about the various avenues of investing in each of the different real estate options
- The businesslike text can be bland and boring at times, especially to beginners who are unfamiliar with common real estate terminology
Quote from the Book:
“An investor has $100,000 to invest. If she puts all of her investable cash into a single property that generates $8,000 a year in rents after expenses, then her annual (yield) return will be 8%. Alternatively, she could use helping leverage and put her $100,000 toward the purchase of two $100,000 residential rental units. The two units now generate $16,000 in rents after expenses. Even after taking $6,000 to pay the loan payments each year, she will still pocket $10,000, which gives her a 10% return on her $100,000 compared to the 8% she’d receive if she did not use leverage.
2) How to Invest in Real Estate: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started
By Brandon Turner
While you may know that real estate is a great way to earn extra income, knowing where to start is probably a different story.
With the help of How to Invest in Real Estate, you can learn the exact steps you should take to get started in real estate investing.
Author Brandon Turner, who is an active real estate investor and host of the podcast BiggerPockets, outlines in the book the various avenues you can take in real estate investing, as well as the strategies involved in each of those avenues.
That way, you can decide which investment opportunity works for you and your family.
Through informational text and real-life stories from actual real estate investors, you can learn the various ways real estate investing can provide your family with a new income stream.
In this book, you’ll learn about the different ways you can invest your money in real estate, including:
- How to invest in real estate while you’re still working a full-time job
- Ways to find money to invest more in real estate
- Tips for getting your spouse on board with real estate investing
- Different property types you can consider investing in
- Proven strategies you can use to build wealth through real estate investing
- Tested methods for finding the best real estate deals
Throughout the pages of Brandon Turner’s book, you’ll read inspirational stories that will motivate you to invest, as well as the various steps you can take to get started, no matter which investing avenue you choose.
Through the thorough discussion of each investment avenue, you can decide which investment strategy is best, then continue learning about that financial path.
Pros of this Book:
- A detailed discussion of all the different ways you can invest in real estate
- Inspirational stories from real, successful investors who have earned money from real estate
Cons of this Book:
- The book provides an overview of real estate investing without going into great detail on any specific strategy
- This text will need to be supplemented with a more detailed book once you decide which type of real estate you want to invest in
Quotes from the Book:
“Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? While many investors have ‘sprinted’ toward their investment goals, success is most often found by consistent action, not big action.”
“As you build your real estate empire, don’t get lost in greed and ambition. Whether through your money, your time, your knowledge, or something else: give back.”
“Adding value to a property through rehabbing is one of the fastest ways to build wealth quickly, and here the government is willing to lend you money to pay for those repairs!”
“Before throwing money at someone else to make you successful, understand that success comes from within first.”
“Real estate investing can make you wealthy, and it can make you wealthy faster than any other investment out there, if you are willing to work toward it. And that’s the key: work.”
3) The Millionaire Real Estate Investor
By Gary Keller
Becoming a millionaire may be a goal of many people, but is it actually achievable?
With this book, you’ll learn the fundamentals of becoming a successful real estate investor from information collected from over 100 millionaires.
The Millionaire Real Estate Investor compiles the information collected through interviews of actual millionaires to give readers a proven strategy to success in the real estate market.
The book covers a variety of different subjects related to real estate investing, including:
- Myths about money and investing that may be holding you back from becoming successful
- Tips for identifying the best real estate investment opportunities
- How to analyze deals to achieve the best possible outcome
- Proven strategies millionaire investors have used to track their net worth, breakdown their finances, build their network, and generate leads for new investments
Written by the founder of successful real estate firm Keller Williams Realty, the book will provide you with both the motivation to start your real estate investing journey and tips to be successful in the industry once you get started.
Pros of the Book:
- Information compiled in the book comes directly from successful real estate investors
- Stories of successful investors may inspire you to take action
Cons of the Book:
- The text features more motivational content than actionable tasks, which means it will need to be supplemented with other books to help you learn more about real estate investing
Quotes from the Book:
“Most people think buying is investing, but they’re wrong. Buying doesn’t make you an investor any more than buying groceries makes you a chef.”
“All great achievements are the result of sustained focus over time – all of them.”
“Generally, real estate is cyclical. You have to buy in a way that lets you afford the cycles. And you have to know where you are in the cycle.”
“Deals aren’t found. Opportunities are found. Deals are made.”
“In the end it’s the tax-deferred 1031 exchange that gets massive use by Millionaire Real Estate Investors. This program in the IRS tax code allows you to sell and buy properties without having to declare capital gains or pay those taxes. It’s a very straightforward procedure, but it takes some planning.”
4) 50 Real Estate Investing Calculations
By Michael Lantrip
Anyone who understands finances can see that real estate investing is all about the numbers.
But if you’re not sure what numbers to focus on, you can be lost before you even start.
With the help of 50 Real Estate Investing Calculations, even beginners can understand which calculations are important to determining if a deal is good or bad.
This helpful book provides investors of any level with the tools they need to make the right calculations before entering into a deal. And it provides instructions on how to obtain the numbers you need to know to start investing.
The book provides you with important financial equations you need to understand whether a property will be profitable, including:
- The cash flow of the property
- Capitalization rate
- Cash on cash return
- Asset appreciation
- Depreciation
- Debt service ratio
In addition to giving readers equations to use in their own investments, the book also provides links to online calculators that can help make the math easier to calculate.
While Real Estate Investment Calculations isn’t a good stand-alone book for beginning investors, it makes a great accompaniment to other books on the subject.
Pros of the Book:
- Almost every calculation needed in real estate investing is covered in this book, giving investors all the financial tools they need to make an informed decision about an investment
- Each calculation is explained to help readers understand how to apply the equations to their own investment opportunities
Cons of the Book:
- Readers can quickly get overwhelmed with all the calculations if math isn’t their strong suit
- Beginners may find the calculations difficult to understand at first glance
Real Estate Flipping Books
Fixing and flipping real estate is a popular way to add another income stream to your family’s finances.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to flip houses for a profit, reading tips from successful real estate investors is a great place to start.
These books about flipping real estate can help you get started when you’re new to real estate investing.
5) The Flipping Blueprint
By Luke Weber
Anyone interested in flipping properties for profit can benefit from a comprehensive guide to the process of buying, renovating, and selling a property.
With the help of The Flipping Blueprint, even beginner investors will be on their way to a successful flip.
The book provides readers with a step-by-step guide to flipping a house for profit, including information about:
- Finding the best real estate deals in your area
- Securing capital from private lenders to finance your flip
- Working with contractors on the property’s renovation
- Maximizing profits by cutting costs and making the best renovation choices
Anyone looking for a book with a specific strategy to success will love the Flipping Blueprint.
Luke Weber lays out a proven plan for success that he has used himself in his own successful real estate business.
Pros of the Book:
- The book lays out a specific plan of action that readers can follow to flip their own house in any market
- Each chapter is filled with valuable information you can use throughout the flipping process
Cons of the Book:
- With so much content provided, the book may need to be read more than once to fully absorb the information
- Only one flipping strategy is outlined in the book, leaving readers with few options to choose from when it comes to making their own real estate investing decisions
Quotes from the Book:
“Since 2001 I have been part of thousands of transactions across the country, I have flipped hundreds of properties (everything from manufactured homes to apartment buildings), I have owned and sold rental portfolios, I have raised millions of dollars of private funds, and I am still active in this business! That’s right. I have been very successful, and I am going to teach you from the ground up what I wish I had known from day one.”
“Before we get started, we need to do something very important. We need to figure out who you are and what your story is. Why do we need to do this? Because a story you believe is a story you can sell. Your story is the foundation of this whole blueprint.”
6) The Real Estate Rehab Investing Bible
By Paul Esajian
While buying an ugly house and flipping it for profit may seem like a fun and interesting way to earn some extra money, the actual task of flipping a property takes much more work than what’s shown on your favorite TV show.
And if you don’t have any experience in the field, the mistakes you make may cost you your profits.
With the help of The Real Estate Rehab Investing Bible, you’ll have a step-by-step framework to starting and finishing a successful flip on time and on budget. And you don’t even have to do any of the hard work involved in renovating a house!
The book provides a proven system to rehab homes that works for ordinary people, even if they have no construction or renovation experience. The book outlines each step of the fix and flip process, from finding the perfect property to selling it for profit.
In this book, you’ll learn how to:
- Find the right property and negotiate the best price in any market
- Hire a good contractor to handle the renovations on your property
- Sell the property for a profit
- Raise money to fund your flips
And the best part about the strategies offered in the pages of this investing book is that you can apply them to any property in any market. That means they’ll work for you, no matter where you are or how much experience you have in the real estate business.
Pros of the Book:
- A step-by-step guide to rehabbing a home from a successful real estate investor
- Information on how to navigate each step of the renovation process, as well as information on issues that may pop up along the way
Cons of the Book:
- The book focuses more on hiring a contractor to do the work, without much information on DIY renovations
- Pitches to purchase more of the other products that appear throughout the book, which may be off putting to some readers
Quotes from the Book:
“Most people see fear as a stop sign – but really, it’s a pay attention sign. That twinge of worry in the pit of your stomach is a signal to pay attention to what you don’t know, what you need to know, and what you are already familiar with. Think about an opportunity that you knew you wanted to take, but didn’t. What held you back? How will that be different this time around?”
“My golden rule on rehabbing real estate is, “Never get your hands dirty.” Our job is to find motivated deals, raise money, and manage a successful rehab. You are in the business of turning money. How quickly can you put one dollar in so you can get three dollars out? When this becomes second nature to you, you will realize that rehabbing is a vehicle for multiplying your dollars. When you save money by doing the work yourself, you are slowing down the job, putting out sub-par work, and missing other opportunities while you are working on site.”
7) The Business of Flipping Homes
By William Bronchick and Robert Dahlstrom
Written by two real estate professionals with more than 40 years of combined experience, The Business of Flipping Homes provides readers with a great introduction into the process of flipping.
The book offers an A to Z guide to real estate investing, allowing you to learn the basics of flipping a home directly from experts in the field.
On top of providing information from a real estate perspective, the book also offers guidance from a lawyer in the field.
Each aspect of the investing process is described to help the reader understand each step and how it can be applied to real-life situations.
The book covers several aspects of fix and flip real estate investing, including:
- The basics of real estate investing, like finding and analyzing real estate deals and finding funding for your flip
- Working through the legal aspects of real estate investing, including contracts and closing
- Planning and implementing the renovation on your flip property, whether you do it yourself or hire a contractor
- Financial aspects of flipping real estate, like tax and liability issues
Using business as the basis of their strategy, the authors of this book can help you turn a hobby into an actual business, allowing you to step away from your traditional job and focus solely on real estate investing.
Pros of the Book:
- Informative and actionable tips are accented with personal advice and motivational text
- Detailed instructions on each aspect of flipping a property for profit
Cons of the Book:
- Only the basics of flipping a property are covered in this book, which means it may need to be supplemented with other reading material to fully cover the subject
8) Dream Home: The Property Brothers’ Ultimate Guide to Finding & Fixing Your Perfect House
By Jonathan and Drew Scott
Fans of the HGTV show Property Brothers may be inspired to tackle their own home improvement projects on a flip home.
With the help of Dream Home, you’ll learn tips and tricks for doing DIY improvements on a home. But the brothers go into more detail than just providing home décor ideas in their book.
This helpful real estate guide includes:
- The ins and outs of buying and selling a home
- Negotiating skills to help you get a great deal
- Tips for finding the best deals on home products
- A cheat sheet to help you see which improvements provide the biggest return on investment
The book is accented by full color photos of design ideas you can add to your own flip homes, allowing you to get design inspiration as you read.
Pros of the Book:
- A comprehensive guide to buying, selling, and renovating a home with real-world advice you can apply to your own investment property
- Text that follows the concept of the brothers’ popular show, while also providing step by step instructions on a more detailed level
Cons of the Book:
- The book is not solely focused on investment properties and instead provides homeowners in general a guide to renovating a home
- Fans of the show may be disappointed in the lack of before and after photos of the projects featured in the book and the small number of DIY projects outlined on the pages
Quotes from the Book:
“From our experience, about 25 percent of homeowners who are unhappy with their current home’s features should stay in the home they are in and fix it up. How do you know if you’re in that group? All homeowners tend to raise similar objections when a space stops working: not enough storage, too few bedrooms and bathrooms, an outdated kitchen, a layout that doesn’t function for current needs, and/or inadequate outdoor entertaining space. All of these problems can be solved to some extent, while other issues, such as location and plot size, are more finite.”
“Our very first “investment” property” wasn’t even one that we purchased. It was a lease on a seven-bedroom house near the University of Calgary (where we were taking classes), which we took over from the leaseholder and managed profitably. At 18, we were in the proud possession of a shared accommodation rental unit, perfectly located for students. The owner hadn’t raised the rent in over a decade, nor made any improvements. Dozens of students had come and gone over the years, and the place was pretty run-down. (That’s being kind.) After we took over the property, we cleaned it up and made all the repairs and cosmetic changes that we could afford. Then we raised the rent to match the market and rented the remaining five bedrooms to other students. Not only were we personally living rent-free, but we were making a profit of about $800 a month for over a year while going to school.”
Rental Property Investing Books
Investing in rental properties is a great way to earn extra income.
But getting into the rental market can be difficult if you don’t know where to start.
These rental property investing books are a great way to learn more about how to earn money from rental properties.
9) The Book on Rental Property Investing
By Brandon Turner
Featuring more than 400 pages of information and advice on rental property investing, The Book on Rental Property Investing is a great place to start if you’re interested in learning more about investing in rental properties.
The book provides practical strategies that real investors around the world are using to build wealth with rental properties. It provides readers with a variety of information about how to be a successful rental property owner.
The book outlines several topics related to investing in rental real estate, including:
- Reasons many investors fail and how to help keep failure from happening to you
- Four easy-to-follow investment strategies
- Creative tips for finding great real estate deals in your area
- Tips for being a successful investor without the need to maintain your properties on your own
- Different ideas for financing your rental purchases
- Tips on deferring and eliminating taxes
As you read, you will also gain tips and tricks for being a successful rental property investor, including how to analyze properties before you buy them and how to build an achievable investment plan.
You’ll also get ideas for building a team to help implement your investment strategy.
Pros of the Book:
- Designed with the beginner investor in mind, the book provides a step-by-step framework for creating your own rental property investment strategy
- Implementable strategies are offered with different options to choose from based on your lifestyle and skills
Cons of the Book:
- While a variety of topics are covered, most are not discussed in depth to provide you with everything you need to know to be a successful investor
- Continual mentions of the author’s podcast may be off-putting to some readers
Quotes from the Book:
“Life itself is so extraordinary and unique that the only thing keeping people ordinary is themselves.”
“The key to rehabbing a BRRRR property is to make the property as “tenant proof” as possible, using materials that will last a long time and won’t need to be redone later.”
10) Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing
By Michael Blank
After years of research into the real estate market, author Michael Blank lays out his findings in his popular book Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing.
The book outlines a blueprint that will guide readers through their first deal, even if you have no prior real estate investing experience.
This book provides new investors with the tools they need to be successful in the multi-family real estate market, with a focus on apartment building investing.
The book goes through a variety of important aspects of real estate investment, including how to:
- Raise the money you need to complete your first deal
- Get your offers accepted
- Analyze deals and make the best offer
- Find great deals on real estate in your area
Pros:
- In-depth discussion of rental investment strategies that could help you become financially free in three to five years
- The strategies in the book are proven to work by other successful real estate investors
Cons:
- The book discusses strategy, but does not go into detail when it comes to the financial calculations that need to be made before a deal is reached
- A focus on multi-family building investments requires an investment strategy that beginner investors may not be ready to commit to
Quotes from the Book:
“What most people don’t know is that they can use their IRAs to invest with you. And they don’t have to pay early withdrawal penalties to do so. Instead, they take advantage of the IRS tax code that allows them to “self-direct” their IRA investment. This means they can transfer their IRA accounts to a “self-directed IRA custodian” and then legally invest the money in almost anything they want.”
Final Thoughts on the Best Books For Real Estate Investing Beginners
With the amount of money that’s involved with properties, it can feel scary to take the leap into real estate investing.
These real estate investment books have helped many beginners. They offer real experiences you can learn and grow from on your real estate journey!
On a related note:
If you’re a novice to personal finance, here are the best finance books for beginners. If you’ve already read many personal finance books, here’s a list of the best personal finance books of all time – as recommended by finance experts and avid readers.
If you’re interested in just building passive income, here are the best books on passive income.
To save money, you can listen to many of these books through Audible’s 30 day trial, which gets you up to 2 FREE books!
Audible, an Amazon company, has the world’s largest selection of digital audio books. Even if you cancel within the free trial period, the books are yours to keep!
Recap of the Top Real Estate Investment Books For Beginners
- Real Estate Investing Quick Start Guide
- How to Invest in Real Estate
- The Millionaire Real Estate Investor
- 50 Real Estate Investing Calculations
- The Flipping Blueprint
- The Real Estate Rehab Investing Bible
- The Business of Flipping Homes
- Dream Home
- The Book on Rental Property Investing
- Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing
Related Articles on Real Estate Books for Beginners:
- Best Personal Finance Books Of All Time
- Best Finance Books for Beginners
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad Review
- Your Money or Your Life Review
Enjoyed this post?
It would be great if you could share it and follow me on Pinterest or Facebook.
