If you’ve ever lived in a rental property or in an apartment, you no doubt have some strong notions about your experience. There’s a stereotype of scummy landlords and derelict properties for a reason: it happens too often. Because we have this idea in our minds that renting is inherently in the category of a “necessary evil,” we come to expect very little from our managers and maintenance teams.

The world is in a strange state. The uncertainty of it all means that many of us are feeling less eager and more cautious about how we utilize our wealth. As always, we want our money to work for us. But the unknown means risk, and now, perhaps more than ever, risk is a significant deterrent. 

In real estate investment, there is no shortage of competition. Trends are reflecting the proven nature of real estate investment and have been for over a decade. In 2007, some two-thirds of all investors were focused primarily on the stock market. That number fell to around 50 percent as real estate began to attract more investors in a post-Great Recession America.

According to Forbes, single-family rentals (SFR) are growing in popularity among investors of all calibers. While traditionally investing in single-family homes is seen as a launching pad to bigger and “better” things, more and more investors are seeing the merit in pursuing SFRs for their portfolios.

If you're new to investing in real estate, there might be some mystique left around how. How does it work? How do I even start? These are just some of the questions that may plague you when you first consider real estate as an investment. 

When we consider the opportunity of real estate, we have to ask ourselves: can we do this anywhere? After all, there is a rental market just about anywhere we go. If this is true, surely we can crack any market and find success and passive income as an investor in any and every market. There's an opportunity for portfolio diversification everywhere around us!

When we think about real estate investment, and more importantly, success in real estate investment, we have to think about who we are serving as investors and management teams. That comes down to our renters.

If you could name one thing holding you back from a career investing in real estate, what would it be? There are plenty of things you could name. A lack of resources. A lack of experience. A bad market. Ultimately, though, the biggest thing standing in the modern, would-be investor’s way is a lack of time.

When you’re young, the last thing on your mind is retirement. You’re thinking about getting a job and building a career, not ending it. When you’re young, you also tend not to have a lot of spare cash. The idea that you could invest in real estate seems impossible. But investing early is one of the best decisions you can possibly make for your future.

Investing in real estate can be a fast-paced, heart-pounding experience, even for passive real estate investors. Depending on where you invest, certain real estate markets can get heated and competitive. You might find yourself up against a bustling market of homebuyers, a cutthroat group of international investors, or even just tight inventory.