The Fastest Way to Build Wealth in Real Estate May Be to Sell the Damn Real Estate First—Then Use the Money You Make to Buy It.
Written by Devone Richard
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EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE A REAL ESTATE INVESTOR
Go on social media.
Everybody wants rental properties.
Everybody wants passive income.
Everybody wants to flip houses.
Everybody wants 20 doors.
Everybody wants to become a real estate mogul.
There’s only one problem.
WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM?
Real estate investing requires capital.
Down payments.
Closing costs.
Repairs.
Reserves.
Taxes.
Insurance.
Vacancies.
And sometimes a property decides it needs a new roof at exactly the wrong damn time.
Before you can invest serious money, you have to make serious money.
And if you’re already a Realtor, you’re standing inside one of the best industries available to generate that capital.
SELL THE DAMN REAL ESTATE FIRST
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Think about it.
You already have a real estate license.
You’re already talking to buyers.
You’re already meeting sellers.
You’re already seeing properties.
You’re already learning neighborhoods.
You’re already inside transactions.
So instead of spending all your energy trying to figure out how to buy ten investment properties with money you don’t have…
BECOME A DAMN GOOD REALTOR FIRST.
Learn how to get listings.
Learn how to generate clients.
Learn how to negotiate.
Build a database.
Build relationships.
Close transactions.
And most importantly:
BUILD INCOME.
Because income gives you options.
LET’S TALK ABOUT $1 MILLION
Suppose you’re a productive Realtor generating $250,000 a year in gross commission income.
Great.
Now figure out how to get to $350,000.
Then $500,000.
Then $750,000.
Eventually, maybe $1 million+ in annual gross commission income.
Once you’re generating serious money consistently, the investment conversation changes.
You’re no longer asking:
“How am I going to scrape together this down payment?”
You’re asking:
“WHERE SHOULD I PUT MY MONEY?”
That’s a completely different position.
LET YOUR REAL ESTATE BUSINESS BUY YOUR REAL ESTATE
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This is where Realtors have an incredible opportunity.
Your sales business and your investment business don’t have to compete.
ONE CAN FUND THE OTHER.
Sell houses.
Generate commissions.
Save money.
Build reserves.
Then buy assets.
Your commissions become investment capital.
Your experience helps you recognize opportunities.
Your relationships can help you find deals.
And your market knowledge can help you understand what you’re buying.
Now you’re investing from a position of strength instead of desperation.
MAKE MONEY. KEEP MONEY. BUY ASSETS.
Here’s the part nobody wants to talk about.
Making $1 million doesn’t mean a damn thing if you spend $1 million.
REVENUE IS NOT WEALTH.
Some Realtors have one good year and immediately upgrade everything.
New car.
New watch.
New wardrobe.
More expensive house.
More expensive lifestyle.
They start spending money like the good market is guaranteed to last forever.
Then business slows down.
Now they’re trapped by the lifestyle they created.
Don’t just make money.
KEEP SOME OF THE DAMN MONEY.
Then put that money to work.
MAKE MONEY.
KEEP MONEY.
INVEST MONEY.
OWN ASSETS.
That’s how commissions can eventually become wealth.
REALTORS HAVE AN ADVANTAGE MOST PEOPLE DON’T HAVE
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Think about what Realtors see every day.
The motivated seller.
The ugly house nobody wants.
The overpriced listing that’s been sitting.
The neighborhood starting to improve.
The property with development potential.
The seller who needs speed more than top dollar.
The investment opportunity hiding inside an ordinary listing.
We’re standing in the middle of the marketplace.
BUT SEEING AN OPPORTUNITY DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE MONEY TO ACT ON IT.
That’s why building your sales business matters.
You’re building knowledge and capital at the same time.
STOP TRYING TO LOOK RICH
Social media has completely screwed this up.
People don’t just want wealth anymore.
They want everybody to see them looking wealthy.
Especially in real estate.
Close a few deals and suddenly somebody thinks they need the $150,000 car.
Why?
I’d rather see a Realtor driving the same car for five more years while quietly buying investment property.
One makes you look rich.
THE OTHER MAY ACTUALLY MAKE YOU RICH.
Your clients don’t care what car you’re making payments on.
Build the balance sheet.
Not the image.
MASTER THE BUSINESS ALREADY SITTING IN FRONT OF YOU
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Before worrying about becoming a real estate mogul, answer some basic questions.
Can you get listings?
Can you prospect?
Can you follow up?
Can you convert leads?
Can you negotiate?
Can you build relationships?
Can you generate referrals?
Can you consistently close transactions?
Because if you can’t build a profitable real estate sales business, owning a rental property isn’t magically going to turn you into a businessperson.
MASTER ONE MONEY-MAKING ENGINE FIRST.
Then use that engine to build another.
DON’T QUIT SELLING THE MOMENT YOU BUY SOMETHING
Another mistake is believing investing means you should immediately stop working.
Why?
If your real estate business is producing hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, keep the machine running.
Use part of the income to live.
Use part to build reserves.
Use part to grow the business.
And use part to acquire assets.
Over time, the assets may begin producing meaningful income themselves.
Now you have two engines working.
Your business produces cash.
Your assets build wealth.
That’s where this starts getting interesting.
THE GOAL ISN’T TO SELL HOUSES FOREVER
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Here’s the bigger picture.
Selling houses can produce income.
But eventually, you want some of that income purchasing things that can grow in value or generate income without requiring another closing every month.
That’s the transition.
Commission income → capital → assets → wealth.
You’re using today’s production to buy tomorrow’s financial freedom.
That’s much more powerful than simply trying to close more transactions forever.
FINAL THOUGHT
I believe strongly in real estate ownership.
But there’s nothing wrong with building the money before trying to become the investor.
Especially if you’re already a Realtor.
You’re standing inside the industry.
Learn it.
Master it.
Build your reputation.
Build your database.
Generate serious income.
Keep your expenses under control.
Then take some of the money the business produces and start acquiring assets.
Don’t spend your first five years trying to look like a real estate mogul.
Spend those years becoming somebody capable of financing one.
SELL REAL ESTATE. MAKE MONEY. KEEP MONEY. BUY REAL ESTATE.
It’s not complicated.
It just requires discipline.
“DON’T TRY TO LOOK LIKE A REAL ESTATE MOGUL BEFORE YOU’VE LEARNED HOW TO MAKE MONEY IN REAL ESTATE.”
— Devone Richard
Written by Devone Richard
Broker/Owner | OYT Real Estate
California Broker #01857383
Nevada Broker #1002115
📞 626-500-1212 | 702-941-0202
🌐 OYTRealEstate.com