I have come to understand this: there are a lot of people attempting to obtain their financial goals of wealth through the purchase (and eventual sale) of income properties, and I commend you for making that effort. In fact, it is my own love of income property ownership that has converted me from a lawyer to a real estate agent. What amazes me the most in this industry is the absolute void of real estate agents that specialize – and can handle – income property transactions!!

There are six factors that help me maximize your chance of getting these deals done, regardless of whether you are the Buyer or the Seller:

1) My legal background. I am a licensed lawyer with the Law Society of Upper Canada, and as such I have an intimate knowledge of the law that surrounds every real estate deal. This training has been invaluable in dealing with the greater intricacies of income property agreements of purchase and sale! As well, I will be able to easily answer many of your legal questions surrounding the purchase, which will save you time and money.

2) My Experience. I began my real estate portfolio building at the ripe old age of 22. From there, I gradually built up my properties, asking a lot of questions and making a lot of mistakes along the way. This hardened experience has proven invaluable to my clients. I usually know when a building is desirable and profitable within minutes, and am able to point out those justifications to my clients. By the same token, I also know rather quickly when a building isn’t desirable, and you’ll waste no time on those!

3) My Real Estate Team. I am blessed with an excellent support staff. Shawn LeBlanc, a licensed real estate salesperson, is working diligently to find many viable opportunities for investment outside of Windsor. And Jane Zanetti fills a variety of duties, including setting up appointments, obtaining necessary information and documentation on the properties, compiling and drafting the initial offer for my revision, communication with clients and agents – the list goes on. Between the three of us, it’s an efficient, well oiled machine, and our clients are continually elated with the results.

4) My Power Team. I have gradually assembled a team including an accountant, a lawyer, a true income property financier, a top end property management firm, and an insurance broker, all of whom are geared towards investment in real estate. This “team”, including myself, takes the burden off your shoulders, and allows not only for the smoothest of successful transactions possible, but the smoothest long term ownership of your properties. The financiers alone are worth their weight in gold, with extensive investment knowledge, and access to millions of dollars of secondary financing.

5) My Network. If you list a property for sale with me at a reasonable price, then I typically have the Buyers, in particular with multi-family (10+ units) and student rental properties. For Buying, I do millions of dollars in sales each year with properties that never hit the MLS service, and thus you never see (these are called “in pocket” listings). As well, other agents know to contact me when they have a desirable listing coming up, thus giving my clients the first opportunity to buy.

6) You. So many of you educate yourselves as much as you can on how the income property business works, which although not necessary to get a transaction completed, it definitely helps make the process smoother, and more enjoyable for everyone involved. However, there is always much to learn, no matter what your level of knowledge is, and I love to educate my clients along the way. Your preparation for the process is also necessary. Before we start looking for properties, it always best to contact my financier to know what type and size of property best suits you. For example, if your net worth is one million dollars, then it’s likely not going to be recommended we buy that $80,000 duplex you have your eyes on – you can think bigger! Only a basic knowledge is really required in income properties. As you can tell by now, both myself and the power team drive the process through for you, so that you can enjoy the fruits of our labour.

Summary:
The whole goal in all of this, be it a large apartment building in Windsor, or a student rental property in Waterloo, is that you achieve true passive income. Our daily lives are busy enough with work and family, do we really want to add more to the proverbial plate? Everything is set up by me such that you don’t have to lift a finger once in possession of the property. In fact, I have many clients that don’t even come to see the building they’re buying; I can email or mail out a thorough video taping of the entire building, and all numbers and figures will have been poured over with intensive scrutiny. Whatever decisions you make, and techniques you employ, I will make sure your efforts are profitable!!!