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Whether you’re a young entrepreneur looking to get into the real estate business early on or someone looking for a shift in careers and a different way to generate income, real estate is a market that just about anyone can burst into with the right level of know-how. Buying real estate is considered to be quite lucrative once you get the hang of it; but, just like taking on any new endeavor, there are things to be learned before getting your toes wet and things you’ll continue to learn as you go along to make the most of your efforts.
What are the Best Real Estate Books to read?
In this buying guide, we’ve put together a list of the best books on real estate buying, so you can learn the ins and outs of all of the most important aspects of real estate, allowing you to make the best decisions right out of the gate and to continue to pull in as much income as possible. With so many tips, tricks and guidelines available to you through the titles listed here, you can easily pick out the book or books that are going to help you accomplish your goals in real estate buying.
Best Real Estate Books: Our Top 20 Picks
Here are some of the best real estate books that you can consider to expand your knowledge on the subject:
1. The Millionaire Real Estate Agent
In The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, you are encouraged to “think big, aim high and act boldly” in order to get the most out of your real estate investment opportunities. In the book, the authors offer a look at all of the secrets to becoming successful in today’s real estate market while offering you a solid plan for transforming your usual real estate sales job into a business that could earn millions of dollars. It offers access to all of the models and foundations you’ll need to put in place to begin and the best way to carry out your plans once you have. Myths surrounding real estate are debunked as well, so you are able to move more confidently through the world of real estate by following the road map laid out to make more money.
- Authors: Gary Keller (Author), Dave Jenks (Author), Jay Papasan (Author)
- Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education; 1st Edition (January 1, 2004)
- Pages: 368 pages
2. Millionaire Real Estate Investor
Anyone in any field looking to make money must first understand the models and truths that allow for this wealth to grow in the first place. In The Millionaire Real Estate Investor, you will gain access to the collective experience and wisdom from more than 100 investors who have achieved millionaire status coming from all walks of life that were able to fulfill their dreams of financial stability. This straightforward, easy-to-read book will leave you with key information surrounding money myths and ideas about investing that tend to hold people back from truly slipping into the right mindset of an investor. You will also learn how to identify the best real estate investment opportunities while also teaching you how to make the most of every interaction to secure the best deals.
- Authors: Gary Keller (Author), Dave Jenks (Author), Jay Papasan (Author)
- Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education; 1st Edition (April 7, 2005)
- Pages: 432 pages
3. ABCs of Real Estate Investing: The Secrets of Finding Hidden Profits Most Investors Miss
From start to finish on your journey toward becoming a real estate investor, ABCs of Real Estate Investing: The Secrets of Finding Hidden Profits Most Investors Miss will help you to reach your goals and bring in the most cash flow possible. Not only will this guide assist you in achieving wealth through real estate, it will teach you how to step around common myths that might be holding you back, how to negotiate every deal you make based on the numbers that you are presented with and work toward the best purchase price. This guide will help you find property that has the most potential, how to evaluate the property itself and also the correct purchase price. You will also have access to proven property management tools to increase your income.
- Authors: Ken McElroy (Author)
- Publisher: RDA Press, LLC; Reprint Edition (February 21, 2012)
- Pages: 220 pages
4. The Book on Investing In Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down: Real Life Strategies for Investing in Real Estate Using Other People’s Money
If you don’t have the capital secured to get your real estate business up and running, The Book on Investing In Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down: Real Life Strategies for Investing in Real Estate Using Other People’s Money encourages you to stop letting that hold you back. In the book, you will learn the commonly used, real-life strategies that are employed by real estate investors everywhere to let you invest in properties through a “no money down” approach that will let you attract money from lenders, partners and private sources to help you build your real estate empire without dropping a cent. You will also learn the downsides and pitfalls of this sort of investing so you can more easily overcome these problems and get back on track.
- Authors: Brandon Turner (Author)
- Publisher: BiggerPockets; 2nd Edition (June 30, 2020)
- Pages: 224 pages
5. The Book of YES: The Ultimate Real Estate Agent Conversation Guide
Throw out your usual, boring, ineffective sales scripts and replace them with the ones found in The Book of YES: The Ultimate Real Estate Agent Conversation Guide, a guide that will show you how to guide conversations and create sales pitches that are all but guaranteed to get a yes out of whoever you are speaking with. The book is broken into two parts, the first one being the foundation you will need to make all of the scripts work for you before you begin to use them. In part two, you’ll find the actual scripts that will make it simpler for you to have natural, smooth conversations with those you are talking to, complete with the nuances of actually delivering the pitches in a way that is guaranteed to be effective.
- Authors: Kevin Ward (Author)
- Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (January 20, 2016)
- Pages: 152 pages
6. Harris Rules: A Real Estate Agent’s Practical, No-BS, Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming Rich and Free
With more than 20 years in the real estate industry, the authors of Harris Rules: A Real Estate Agent’s Practical, No-BS, Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming Rich and Free come to you with all of their insights and experiences to break down all of the myths of investing in real estate while examining all of the hard truths that will need to be worked through so you can proceed more confidently. The book lays out the foundation for real estate investing, including how new agents need to think about their businesses from the very beginning before walking you through a step-by-step plan to reach your goals. You can learn how to change your mindset to keep you driven, while understanding the best sort of schedule to work on in order to become more efficient and profitable.
- Authors: Tim Harris (Author), Julie Harris (Author)
- Publisher: BenBella Books; Revised ed. Edition (June 4, 2019)
- Pages: 224 pages
7. Long-Distance Real Estate Investing: How to Buy, Rehab, and Manage Out-of-State Rental Properties
When it comes to investing in real estate, doing so based only on the properties that are immediately around you can seriously limit your potential. With Long-Distance Real Estate Investing: How to Buy, Rehab, and Manage Out-of-State Rental Properties, you can learn how to identify the best real estate properties, no matter how close or how far they are from you and how to take advantage of the unique markets wherever they may be. In the book, you will learn how to grow your real estate business anywhere you like while also building a quality relationship with your real estate team from afar. Once you’ve read it, you’ll have a keen eye for recognizing market shifts that are incoming before they happen, so you can stay informed even from far away and consistently make the best decisions.
- Authors: David Greene (Author)
- Publisher: BiggerPockets (December 14, 2017)
- Pages: 287 pages
8. Crushing It in Apartments and Commercial Real Estate: How a Small Investor Can Make It Big
Most real estate investors tend to be daunted by the idea of investing in an apartment complex or a commercial business, thinking that investing in those properties is something that only the most experienced can do. Crushing It in Apartments and Commercial Real Estate: How a Small Investor Can Make It Big is here to prove you wrong. The book is told from the perspective of the author Brian Murray, who was in no way a pro when he acquired his first commercial property. Instead, he was a teacher looking for additional income. Through his highly effective and profitable approach, he was able to achieve greater levels of wealth than he expected, and in the book, you’ll learn about his methods, secrets and strategies that helped him to get where he is today.
- Authors: Brian H Murray (Author)
- Publisher: Sackets Harbor Press; 1st Edition (January 1, 2017)
- Pages: 338 pages
9. Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint To Quitting Your Job With Real Estate – Even Without Experience Or Cash
If you have been waiting for the right time to quit your job and begin investing, there’s never been a better time to start your real estate endeavor, and this book will help you get started. Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint To Quitting Your Job With Real Estate – Even Without Experience Or Cash does exactly what its title suggests: teaching you from the beginning how to get all of the money you need together to make your first deal. You will learn how to analyze every potential deal to make the best offers in as few as ten minutes and how to get your offers accepted even if you don’t have any proof of funds and even if you’re brand new to the scene, letting you get started without needing any built-up reputation.
- Authors: Michael Blank (Author)
- Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (July 16, 2018)
- Pages: 257 pages
10. Listing Boss: The Definitive Blueprint for Real Estate Success
No matter what level of real estate investing you find yourself in, Listing Boss: The Definitive Blueprint for Real Estate Success is there to help you keep momentum up and consistently make the best real estate decisions at every turn. The book will teach you what the author Hoss Pratt calls the 12 Essentials that will break down all of the roadblocks in your way and open you up to incredible results down the line. Included in the book are topics such as creating a vision, identifying your niches, developing the right mindset, setting up a good marketing strategy, getting buyers to take action and more. All of this is offered in a simple, step-by-step manner that will make it easy for you to navigate through the often messy world of real estate investing.
- Authors: Hoss Pratt (Author)
- Publisher: Clovercroft Publishing (April 1, 2017)
- Pages: 224 pages
11. How to Invest in Real Estate: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started
Even if you’re just getting started on your journey toward owing real estate, How to Invest in Real Estate: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started will help you jump right in, so you can stop dreaming and start doing. In the book, two of the most prominent names in the industry have teamed up to create the ultimate guide on how to invest in real estate while still working a full time job to make the jump easier for you. The book explores other similar, one-of-a-kind paths toward real estate ownership no matter what sort of life you currently lead, and it will help tie up loose ends such as getting your spouse or other people on board with investing and explaining not just powerful strategies when it comes to identifying opportunities but also unique types of property that are good to buy when you see them.
- Authors: Brandon Turner (Author), Joshua Dorkin (Author)
- Publisher: BiggerPockets (October 31, 2018)
- Pages: 263 pages
12. Dictionary of Real Estate Terms
Every industry has its own language and lingo, so to speak, and if you don’t speak the language well, you’ll have a difficult time navigating the various conversations you’ll need to have, both figuratively and literally as you work toward securing profitable real estate properties. With the Dictionary of Real Estate Terms, you can familiarize yourself with all of the jargon you’ll hear while working in real estate, complete with an A to Z list of all of the most common real estate lingo you need. Terms included in the book are appraisal, brokerage, flood plain, debenture, amortization, underlying mortgage, subprime loan, zoning and more. There are more than 200 charts, line illustration graphs, tables and more to really help you navigate the landscape. You’ll also get access to common mathematical formulas and abbreviations as a sort of cheat sheet.
- Authors: Jack P. Friedman Ph.D. (Author), Jack C. Harris Ph.D. (Author), J. Bruce Lindeman Ph.D. (Author)
- Publisher: Barrons Educational Series; Ninth Edition (July 1, 2017)
- Pages: 608 pages
13. What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow… And 36 Other Key Financial Measures
As real estate once again becomes a prime investment, What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow… And 36 Other Key Financial Measures gets an updated edition to fit in with the times and to help you make the most of the opportunities that come with it. This book takes away the guesswork that often comes with real estate investing to help you understand how to best identify the properties you want to invest in and to crunch the numbers like a professional. In this book, crucial aspects of real estate are described in depth to ensure your understanding of issues such as discounted cash flow, return on equity, net present value, internal rate of return, profitability index, cash-on-cash return, capitalization rates and so much more to leave you feeling well informed by the end.
- Authors: Frank Gallinelli (Author)
- Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education; 3rd Edition (November 18, 2015)
- Pages: 368 pages
14. Your First Year in Real Estate, 2nd Ed.: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional
When getting started on any new endeavor, there are rookie mistakes that are usually made during the first year. However, with Your First Year in Real Estate, 2nd Ed.: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional, you can confidently side step those mistakes and move forward more confidently with its focus on all of the moves you should make in your first year of real estate to ensure a healthier career going forward. In the book, you’ll get an insider’s look at how to choose the right company, develop valuable relationships between clients and mentors, how to set and reach important career goals, how to stay on the top in a difficult and ever-changing real estate climate and so much more, so you can truly hit the ground running.
- Authors: Dirk Zeller (Author)
- Publisher: Currency; 2nd ed. Edition (August 3, 2010)
- Pages: 336 pages
15. The Real Estate Game: The Intelligent Guide To Decisionmaking And Investment
Written by one of the most famous real estate experts in the field, The Real Estate Game: The Intelligent Guide To Decisionmaking And Investment is a comprehensive guide to embarking upon your own real estate investments by using the four decades of experience from the authors of the book. The guide offers insider’s perspectives on decision making as a real estate investor, offering it up to you in non-technical, easy-to-understand ways that will allow it all to sink in easily. Also discussed are variables like properties, people, players, external environments and capital markets to explain the ins and outs of what influences the real estate market at any given time. This powerful, yet simple guide will allow you to make the smartest decisions about your next purchase with total confidence for the bet results.
- Authors: William J. Poorvu (Author), Jeffrey L. Cruikshank (Author)
- Publisher: Free Press (September 13, 1999)
- Pages: 336 pages
16. Your First 365 Days in Real Estate: How to Build a Successful Real Estate Business: Starting with Nothing
Much like with any other industry, when you are embarking upon the adventure of starting a new business or just switching careers, the first year of this endeavor may very well set the stage for the rest of your time in the industry. With Your First 365 Days in Real Estate: How to Build a Successful Real Estate Business: Starting with Nothing, you can make your way through your rookie real estate year with all of the know-how and guidance you need to more easily come out on the other end of that first year as successful as possible. The book will prepare you for what to encounter, how to implement crucial routines and systems in the first 90 days, how to get yourself in the right mindset and how to surround yourself with the right people from the start.
- Authors: Shelley Zavitz (Author)
- Publisher: Harriman House; 1st Edition (June 3, 2019)
- Pages: 151 pages
17. The Half Millionaire Real Estate Agent: The 52 Secrets to Making a Half Million Dollars a Year While Working a 20-Hour Work Week
When people set out on real estate endeavors, they often look far into the future in terms of fiscal goals, hoping to become billionaires or even millionaires and are therefore missing out on opportunities to make plenty of money in the short term. The Half Millionaire Real Estate Agent: The 52 Secrets to Making a Half Million Dollars a Year While Working a 20-Hour Work Week will teach you how to harness the power of real estate to earn half a million dollars a year, all while only working a part-time schedule in real estate. Inside the pages of the book, the author talks about the different issues that real estate agents constantly make so you can save time and effort avoiding them, helping you to amass your wealth more quickly and efficiently.
- Authors: Brian Ernst (Author)
- Publisher: Ignite Press (September 13, 2019)
- Pages: 166 pages
18. Real Estate Development – 5th Edition: Principles and Process
With Real Estate Development – 5th Edition: Principles and Process, you will gain access to everything you need to know about real estate investment and developing. The book talks about every state of the real estate development process, including an easy-to-understand explanation of the basics surrounding idea conception, planning, feasibility, market analysis, financing, construction, contract, negotiation, asset management and so much more. The book was developed by real estate professionals and is still commonly turned to by professionals today on a daily basis, making it an important piece of ammunition in your arsenal. No matter if you work in development, planning, architecture, investment or any other related field, this book deserves a place on your shelf.
- Authors: Mike E. Miles (Author), Laurence M. Netherton (Author), Adrienne Schmitz (Author)
- Publisher: Urban Land Institute; Fifth Edition, Fifth edition (June 1, 2015)
- Pages: 400 pages
19. Real Estate Investing For Dummies
Yet another impactful addition to the For Dummies series, Real Estate Investing For Dummies follows the formula of these books to make learning how to invest in real estate simple to understand to even the most novice among audiences. The book helps determine exactly where you need to go to get started on investing as written by real estate experts who have been doing this for years. Not only is the book straightforward, easy to read and full of tried and true advice, you’ll also learn important things like laws surrounding real estate, right up to the newest ones to keep you informed. Between the pages, you’ll be taught how to identify the best kinds of properties depending on the type of investment you are interested in and more, all with a helpful step-by-step guide to writing style.
- Authors: Eric Tyson (Author), Robert S. Griswold (Author)
- Publisher: For Dummies; 4th Edition (November 12, 2019)
- Pages: 464 pages
20. Dearborn The Language of Real Estate
Instead of just serving as a basic cheat sheet or dictionary like some other real estate-centered books, Dearborn The Language of Real Estate is a comprehensive guide that uses a style similar to an encyclopedia to help you learn the thousands of terms, concepts and practices in the real estate industry. The book has been expanded to touch on issues and terms in the modern age by updating it with the changes that have occurred in the industry in the past 35 years. Sure to become a staple on your desk, the book includes are more than 2,800 real estate terms and phrases that are carefully explained and easy to understand, as well as guides to various real estate organizations that will help you better navigate everything from land surveying to appraisal.
- Authors: Contributing Editor John W. Reilly with Marie S. Spodek, GRI, DREI (Author)
- Publisher: DF Institute, Inc. d/b/a Dearborn Real Estate Education; 8th Edition (January 1, 2019)
Choosing the Best Real Estate Books
Real estate investment is an opportunity that always presents itself to those looking to make easy income, both on the side along with their other jobs or as their entire career, no matter who you are. Even so, not everyone can just march into the industry and immediately come prepared enough to know just how to take advantage of the opportunities that lie within. In this real estate book buying guide, you will find titles that tackle various issues surrounding real estate investment and how to manage them with helpful strategies, guides, explanations and more that will not only get you on the path to success but also keep you there.