Luxury real estate is a compelling opportunity for real estate investors everywhere. The properties are gorgeous, the transactions can be glamorous, and the financial incentives can be tremendously rewarding.
But if you don’t have much experience in the real estate industry, or if you aren’t familiar with luxury properties, you might feel intimidated. How is it possible to break into this game?
Start Small
First, consider starting small. It’s tempting to jump into luxury real estate immediately, but luxury properties tend to be more expensive, more volatile, and therefore riskier. If you start with smaller, less expensive properties, you’ll have less money at stake and you’ll get the chance to develop some real, ground-level experience as an investor. You’ll have plenty of time to work your way up to bigger and more grandiose properties.
Build the Right Team of Experts
Next, expand your personal network. Building a team of reliable experts will provide you with all the advice, professional insights, guidance, and mentorship you need. Not only will they help you get knowledge and experience in your journey as an investor, but they’ll also be able to help you make purchases and manage your properties in the long run.
- Real estate agents. Real estate agents, especially those with luxury real estate experience, can give you a major advantage.
- Property managers. You’ll also want to work with property managers, who can help you find better luxury properties to invest in and manage them more efficiently.
- Lawyers. It also pays to have real estate lawyers on your team, helping you tackle important legal issues.
- Financial advisors. General financial advisors can also help you manage your other finances.
- Niche experts. Consider adding other niche experts to your rolodex of contacts, including specialists like electricians, plumbers, and window installers.
Accumulate Capital
Luxury real estate is expensive. You can take out a loan and tap into the power of financial leverage to fund your purchases, but you’ll still need to have enough money to make the minimum down payment. Unless you already have a ton of money to work with, you’ll need some way to generate capital.
This could include:
- Full-time income. Even if luxury property investing is your ultimate goals, it pays to build your career in other ways. Climbing the corporate ladder, picking up multiple side gigs, or becoming a niche expert in a high-demand field can all give you the type of salary you need to fund these lucrative purchases.
- Smaller properties. You can also make a lot of money in the real estate world without diving into “luxury” territory. For example, you could start by investing in single-family homes in a relatively inexpensive neighborhood. You’ll generate significant revenue while simultaneously gaining more real estate experience.
- Stocks and bonds. Other investments can also be valuable. Try to save a chunk of your income and invest in assets like stocks and bonds. With the right investment strategy, you can multiply your principal over time.
This is also a great time to increase your credit score. You’ll need strong credit if you want to qualify for the sizable loan you need to buy luxury real estate (and get the best interest rate). Work to pay down your debts as much as possible while increasing your income and making all your necessary payments on time and in full.
Study the Market
Next, you can begin studying the luxury real estate market in different cities. Some cities are more expensive than others, and some are more volatile than others. But in nearly all areas, there’s a cycle of growth and decline that occurs at regular intervals. Get familiar with local differences and work to recognize the signs of cycle timing.
Start Investing
At this point, you’ll be ready to make your first luxury real estate purchase. Whether you’re interested in a property for your family, a rental property, or just something to flip for a short-term profit, you’ll have the capital, the experience, and the expert team necessary to make a good decision. That doesn’t guarantee that you’re going to get rich, or even that you’re going to turn a profit, but you’ll be able to start building the momentum you need to achieve your long-term goals.
One final piece of advice when getting into the luxury real estate world: be prepared to make mistakes. As a novice investor and someone unfamiliar with the dynamics of luxury real estate, you’re almost certainly going to land a bad deal or suffer losses at some point in your growth as an investor.
What’s important is that you’re able to learn from your mistakes, adapt your strategy, and successfully rebound. As long as you keep learning and adapting, you’ll eventually work your way to success.