By accident, I believe that our industry does us all a disservice. How? By calling us real estate investors.
How many of you call yourselves real estate investors? Lots. How many of you feel a little queasy when you introduce yourself as a real estate investor? (No need to confess – just recognize that feeling).
Do you want to know why you may be feeling queasy? I’ll tell you. It’s because of the incongruent language we are using on ourselves. Let me prove it while helping bust the #1 fear of real estate “investors”.
What do you think of when you hear the word investor?
I bet it’s “cash” or “credit”. Right? Maybe something that you feel that you don’t have. So if your business card declares you a real estate investor and you don’t have any cash, do you feel funny, or out of integrity, incongruent? Maybe a little?
On the other hand, what do you think of when you hear the word entrepreneur? The answers to this question usually range from “opportunist” to “opportunities” to “ideas” to “deals”, etc.
The definition of an entrepreneur is someone who uses the time, talent and treasure of other people to realize their idea or vision. Read that again because this a subtle but important point about your real estate success.
The #1 limiting belief of real estate “investors” is “I can’t do this business because I have little cash and/or bad credit.” And if your subconscious holds this belief, guess how hard you are going to work to find deals. Guess how many deals your are likely to do – ZERO.
Good news – this limiting belief is easily busted.
You are not a real estate investor. You are a real estate entrepreneur.
What’s the difference? Well, entrepreneurs bring the deals to the money. Investors bring the money to the deals.
By DEFINITION, entrepreneurs are not expected to use their own cash. They are expected to raise cash for their deals and projects. That’s what we do. We find the one thing that is much more valuable than the cash – we find deals.
Money is easy. Finding the deals is the part that requires a little work. But most real estate “investors” get hung up in marketing or making an offer because they don’t have the cash sitting in their checking account. They freeze.
You need to declare yourself a “Real Estate Entrepreneur.” That’s what I do.
At this stage of my life, it’s more fun being the entrepreneur and putting deals together. It’s my form of creativity It’s my art. Being the investor and putting up the cash is OK but it’s kind of like being the guy that furnished the paint to Michelangelo. Nobody remembers the paint supply guy.
Adopt 2 new affirmation(s):
I am a real estate entrepreneur.
I am leveraging the time, talent and treasure of others.
Try it and let me know how you feel.
Lance
P.S. Change your business card.
10 Responses to Are You Really a Real Estate Investor?
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Dear Lance aka Michelangelo,
I look forward to receiving your inspirational words of wisdom. They aren’t just corny quips or quotes. They are relevant to what I do as an investor. I’m going through a rough patch right now and this morning your words gave me the perspective that I needed. I am not the guy that delivers the paint. I am the master of my canvas and this rough patch is just my annoying Giuliano della Rovere (Pope Julius II)
I am sending your article to some investor friends that aren’t thinking correctly of themselves either.
Thank you and keep them coming… Bianca
I LIKE THAT I WILL CHANGE BUSINESSCARD ,AND MINDSET.
THANK YOU.
JIMMY BELL
thanks…. needed that
You know I was wondering just what you were doing with your mind set. Sorry, but at first I didn’t think that much about ” mind set” myself. I kind of thought that you must have been in a mixed up thought prosess and this was a way to staighten things out. Well, I was a little bit on track, or I’d like to think so… but I am wrong about mind set and affirmations. Wow, did I like that example between investor and entrepreneur. Who has the money and who is manipulating it? Pretty cool Lance Think I better keep an eye on you. Thanks, Greg
Hello Lance,
Thank you for sharing your wisdom and encouraging
me to work on my mindset. I can only compare this
to a “Born Again” moment. From now on I am proud
to be known as a “Real Estate Entrepreneur”.
Warmest regards,
Jim
thanksfor the new mindset
Dear Lance:
Thank you for the continuing teaching and urging you faithfully do if we don’t succeed it isn’t lack of teaching and effort on your part. You are a great teacher, you should win the next teaching contest. Warmest regards
Thanks as a newebie to real estate dealings this is a great way for me to think as I see it as a true fact that we are not investors when we put deals together.
again thanks
I LOVE PERFECTION !!!!!!!!
This makes Robert Kiyosaki’s “Transaction Engineer” unprofessional. I instantly got a HUGH boost of confidence that will increase my credability while speaking to Real Estate Investors. The playing field has been leveled, and now I have the LEVERAGE! By the way Lance, I have access to Bank REO portfolio’s NATIONWIDE. They range from 500k up to 1 TRILLION dollars (that’s not a typo!). Let’s make $$$$$$$
Thanks Lance you make the difference with these posts.
Be blessed.
I am looking for some info on some of this easy to find investors for my first deal. Someone please give me a heads up, or a hand up which ever suits you….