Many people think about investing in commercial real estate. Besides helping you establish your name in the real estate industry, commercial real estate investing can also help you gain financial freedom. That said, excelling in this industry requires a great deal of dedication and you need to spend a massive chunk of time educating yourself about the various ins and outs of the real estate landscape.
While you may know some people in the real estate world and their tips and wisdom can be invaluable, you really need to learn about commercial real estate in-depth. This may require a great deal of self-education. The good news is that there are plenty of excellent books regarding commercial real estate.
So, whether you are new to the real estate world or are just starting out, reading various books regarding real estate can come in quite handy. Building upon and expanding your education is vital for success as a real estate entrepreneur.
You may be surprised to learn that people who have decades of experience in the real estate world continue to learn about their field through books, podcasts, blogs, etc. to remain updated. If you want to succeed in this ever-so-competitive industry, you must do the same. So without further ado, let us talk about some of the best commercial real estate books out there.
The Best Books about Commercial Real Estate
Whether you like reading in the morning, night or any time in between, the books mentioned below should be on your list.
How to Succeed in Commercial Real Estate
Many people, especially those who are new to the world of real estate tend to look for get-rich-quick schemes only to get scammed. This happens more often than you would think. Certain deals seem too good to miss out on and people fall into their trap, losing massive sums of money. If you want to steer clear from such situations and want the knowledge to identify scams, reading the book “How to Succeed in Commercial Real Estate” by John Bowman could come in quite handy.
Unlike most real estate-related books, this one offers a simple, easy-to-understand overview of how one can pursue a career in the real estate landscape. However, the writer, John Bowman, makes it very clear that this field is not for the faint of heart. While most of this book’s content is fairly straightforward, certain parts are quite technical and may go over your head if you are new to real estate investing.
The financing, negotiations, sales and contract strategies discussed in this book can be helpful for beginners as well as seasoned real estate experts. After discussing the basics of real estate, a massive chunk of this covers practical and technical knowledge, including the following things:
- Generating leads
- Building relationships
- Creating buyers lists
- Developing cold call strategies
One of the best things about this book is that it provides a great deal of inspiration to real estate investors, encouraging them to continue even if they face setbacks. Needless to say, the tips and advice of this book will benefit your real estate career greatly.
How to Win Friends and Influence People
While this book does not have a direct relation to commercial real estate, many investors recommend it. If you want to read something fun and educational, this book by Dale Carnegie should be on top of your list. How to Win Friends and Influence People uses an informal tone while teaching people useful business and life lessons.
Surprisingly, Dale Carnegie didn’t begin his career as an author. Instead, he was a public speaking teacher who gave lectures at YMCAs and local colleges, eventually becoming popular enough to sell out conference rooms across the globe. The first chapter of How to Win Friends and Influence People begins quite bluntly and announces the twelve particular things readers will learn from the book.
Carnegie talks about it all – from becoming a better and entertaining conversationalist, getting things done, to increasing your overall influence. All of these traits are vital for success in the real estate world, making this book a must.
The Commercial Real Estate Investors Handbook
If you are looking for step-by-step instructions offered by a real estate pro, consider reading this book by Steven D Fisher. The layout of this book is quite easy to follow and its content is relevant for seasoned as well as newbie commercial real estate investors. The book starts by talking about all of the different commercial real estate types, which include industrial sites, strip malls, shopping centers, retail stores, and office buildings.
By introducing these types right from the get-go, the author explains the various financing and career options available to you. Every sentence in this book is concise and to the point. Fisher describes exactly what real estate pros must know to succeed and highlights important concepts on almost every page. People who have read this book state that its third chapter is arguably the best as it provides a map to help you set SMART goals in the real estate world.
In case you are not familiar with this method, SMART means specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, and timely. Fisher believes that commercial real estate investors who use these criteria have a higher likelihood of achieving their goals. Completing this book will increase your financial literacy and give you a clear understanding of how budgeting works. Most importantly, you will be better able to handle various commercial real estate problems.
Crushing it in Apartments and Commercial Real Estate
This is arguably one of the best real estate-related books from 2019. Thousands of commercial real estate gurus swear by this book because it offers practical tips to navigate the vast and competitive real estate sector. If you do not have any experience in the world of commercial real estate, reading this book can help you build a solid foundation, ensuring you can excel in the real estate industry.
The book’s author rewards readers by offering effective yet incredibly straightforward approaches to commercial real estate investing. Crushing it in apartments and commercial real estate covers a plethora of subjects, some of which include:
- Tips to search and finance real estate
- Effective ways of building a passive income portfolio
- Techniques to identify practical and simple ways to improve your profits
- How to excel as a small investor
Long-Distance Real Estate Investing
If you are interested in stepping foot in the real estate world but don’t know how to start investing in markets where you are not located, reading this book could help. What makes this detailed guide stand out from other books on this list is that it is quite recent and offers readers plenty of tips pertaining to the current state of the commercial real estate market.
While you may know that investing in commercial real estate can generate a great deal of wealth, some markets just don’t offer the returns you would like. This book offers valuable lessons regarding buying, managing, flipping properties, and much more.
Mastering the Art of Commercial Real Estate
Understanding how the commercial real estate industry works can be quite challenging for newbies. They often get overwhelmed and abandon their real estate efforts altogether. If you find yourself in a similar situation, consider reading this book before you turn to something else. Why? Because this guide makes complex real estate concepts quite easy to understand.
The author of this book, Doug Marshal, makes sure that readers can understand what certain technical real estate terms mean and breaks everything down to ensure beginners can strive in their commercial real estate careers.
The Real Estate Game
The writer of this book paid a great deal of emphasis on the factors that determine successful commercial real estate deals. No matter how experienced you are as a real estate investor, there always comes a time when you are uncertain of how much money you could make from an investment. Situations like these can be incredibly challenging and in some cases, may even make or break your career.
Wouldn’t you like to have the clarity and confidence to know whether you are making the right investment? Well, reading this exceptional book will give you the know-how to make successful investments.
The Millionaire Real Estate Agent
Many commercial real estate agents wonder how to increase their sales. If you are one of them and haven’t received an answer yet, consider giving this book a try. The Millionaire Real Estate Agent offers readers long-term strategies to increase their sales from their real estate investing endeavors. Once you learn about the characteristics that make real estate gurus successful and adopt their mindset, gaining high profits in commercial real estate will no longer be difficult.
Negotiating Commercial Real Estate Leasing
Whether you are a business owner or a landlord, you must understand the various clauses and terms of the leases you will come across. Doing so will help you protect yourself and ensure you can make profitable commercial real estate deals. Negotiating Commercial Real Estate Leasing breaks down different legalities and terms that beginners often find confusing and teaches you how helpful tips to successfully negotiate real estate deals in your favor.
Walkable City
Many real estate investors state that Walkable City is among the best commercial real estate books of all time. The author of this book, Jeff Speck, has years of experience as a city planner and knows how important sustainable design and smart growth in cities are. He firmly believes that these aspects determine how good or bad a city will be.
While Walkable City is not directly a real estate-related book, it touches on important topics that real estate investors must know about. Speck believes that walkability is the number one factor that decides a city’s sustainability. Why? Because it helps businesses flourish and makes by making areas desirable to live in.
Raising Private Capital
Raising capital is vital to ensure you take your commercial real estate game to new heights. This book by Matt Faircloth gives you the blueprint to do just that. The last thing any investor wants is to drain their bank accounts just to invest in a property that does not yield returns.
Unfortunately, this happens to even the best commercial real estate agents and in some cases, it is even unavoidable. Reading this book will give you the right insight to ensure you can do proper due diligence before investing in a property. The author also provides detailed strategies to secure and protect money for different projects, ensuring you use it effectively. You will also learn to structure deals with equity and debt to ensure you can attract the best investors.
Brokers Who Dominate
Starting your career in the right direction is vital to succeeding as a commercial real estate broker. Gaining advice from seasoned professionals is one of the best ways to do that. While you will come across plenty of professionals in the real estate landscape, very few will offer you the insight that Rod Santomassmo has to offer in his book, Brokers who Dominate.
Rod is one of North America’s most successful authors and this book is arguably one of his best. This book teaches readers about marketing strategies, approaches, and different support structures to make winning commercial real estate deals.
You will also read about the unique mindsets and traits of successful commercial real estate brokers to gain inspiration and walk in the right direction.
Final Thoughts
While you will find plenty of other books and content out there, reading the books mentioned in this piece is a must if you want to succeed as a commercial real estate investor. Remember, regular education is vital for succeeding in the real estate industry, and what better way to educate yourself than by reading these books? They will definitely be worth your time.