If you invest in real estate, there is a trend that you need to know about.  For real estate investors, and real estate professionals in general, big data is slowly transforming how we do real estate, especially when it comes to the buying and selling process. But it goes deeper than that, too.

Big data, more than anything, is making things more accessible, more transparent, and less risky for real estate investors. But how, exactly? What does it mean for investors?

Defining Big Data

Forbes has one of the best definitions of big data we’ve seen:

"Big data is a collection of data from traditional and digital sources inside and outside your company that represents a source for ongoing discovery and analysis."

This data can be high-volume or high-velocity to be “big,” and it’s only worth anything to you if it’s accurate. After all, making decisions based on bad data will wind you up in a world of trouble.

As human beings, we’re all prone to making  excuses for ourselves. Everyone deals with insecurities and fears—it’s natural. For anyone looking to have a successful business of any kind, getting past the excuses born out of these fears and negative thoughts is a crucial first step.

Getting into the business of real estate is an infinitely rewarding journey. Investing now means building up a solid financial future: something you, your family, and future generations can depend on and enjoy.

Investing in real estate, however, isn’t as simple as just starting. It’s a business that demands a lot of education and time to be done right and profitably, and, really: the stakes can get high. Should that deter you from starting? Absolutely not! The reward is worth the work it takes, and many times over.

Investing in real estate just isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme, and if that’s what people are expecting, they’re in the wrong place!

Beyond getting started, there are questions you as an investor have to answer for yourself: what kind of investor do you want to be? There are endless opportunities out there to fit the particular style that captivates and excites you.

Investing in real estate is a long-term commitment—at least, to achieve the kind of success we read about so often on books and blogs. Sure, some investors hit it big or have a lot of resources to leverage from the very beginning. But for most of us, it’s years of hard work on a solid buy-and-hold strategy that guides our investments.

Over time, our passive income adds up to something big—something that fuels retirements, futures, and lifelong passions.

The dream is great. The reality is hard.

Many of our investors are investing out-of-state. They don’t call Memphis home, but they know that this place has something great to offer. Before really drilling down into the other six incredible characteristics that make Memphis such a unique city, let me add one that rarely makes too many lists.

The Memphis Invest & Premier Property Management teams!

This is an extraordinary group of men and women who do an outstanding job every day managing an incredibly large portfolio.  They are a tremendous factor in the success of over 1,600 real estate investors investing their hard earned incomes and retirement accounts into investment real estate.  This team is second to none in the country and they are an extremely unique value for real estate investors and this city alike!

Now, onto the amazing things that Memphis has to offer.  And boy, does Memphis have some amazing things going for it! Every city has problems, sure: we’re not trying to romanticize. But at the end of the day, we can’t help but love Memphis.

If you’ve ever considered investing here, visiting, or even moving to Memphis, let us tell you a few of the things that make Memphis so incredible.

At the tail end of 2007, America rang in a recession alongside the new year. This economic downturn officially lasted until June of 2009...though many negative effects having continued to linger well into 2015.  As it’s been one of the most significant economic crises in the United States in the last century, many now call it “The Great Recession.”

As real estate investors, it’s vital to pay attention to the economic climate—not just in our local markets, but in the U.S. as a whole.

We still struggle with the aftershocks of the recession. Its causes, recovery, and future are intrinsically tied to the real estate market, unlike that of recessions past. Especially as so much is hinging on the housing market, now more than ever, we should strive to understand how it happened and where we need to go from here.

The whole team at Memphis Invest wanted to congratulate Carol Henderson on her 10 year anniversary with the company!  What a fantastic accomplishment to make it 10 years in this crazy, fun workplace.  Carol has been an integral part of our team and played an instrumental role int he growth and development of our company.

Smartphones are so handy. We use them to connect with the world around us—through news, social media, and...okay, maybe a little bit of Candy Crush, too. There are also tons of tools out there to increase productivity and keep track of all of things life throws at us. Not everyone thinks to effective utilize their devices for work, though.

There’s really no short cut to real estate investing success. So many people try to find some magic combination that will turn them into overnight millionaires with ultra cash-flow producing portfolios.  Some real estate investors do find spontaneous success, it’s not the standard. It is often a long, patient road for many real estate investors to reach their standard of success and to develop a performing, self-sustaining portfolio . Some never reach it at all.

It seems like we’re always on the go. Whether for business or for pleasure, it’s a good idea to take advantage of modern technology when it comes to your travel plans. There are plenty of useful smartphone apps — many free — available on a variety of devices that can streamline your plans and made any trip less stressful.