The Six Secrets of a Safe and Successful Investment
Real estate is a market which can bring you enormous financial success - but only if you clearly understand how it works.
So you're thinking about investing in property? Congratulations! It can be a great way to build your wealth and secure your future. But before you set out, it's important that you think through all the steps of buying a property and invest wisely. That's where these secrets come in. In the following outlines, we'll share with you six secrets of investment success for safe and successful investment. Read on!
1. Diversity is key
Depending on your risk appetite, diversify how you use your wealth. Invest no less than 25 percent and no more than 50 percent of your overall asset portfolio in property.
2. Evaluate the risk
Evaluate the risk of any potential investment before looking at the opportunity for profit - even if you are being promised that your capital will be doubled.
3. Find your perfect ‘knowledge partner’
You can never know as much as an experienced, specialist expert. Find a ‘knowledge partner’ - an advisor and guide with all the right qualifications - to be with you every step of the way.
4. Compare opportunities and be selective
Evaluate the different investment opportunities you have been offered. Compare the best of them to establish which provides best value and maximum profitability.
5. Invest with confidence
Knowledge is the root of all confidence: ignorance is the root of all doubt and stress. You need to know everything about what you’re doing before you do it.
6. Don’t get carried away with success
Always make sure that you are not tempted to over-leverage your assets. Remember, this is investment – not gambling. Want to discover more, read This Investment Mini-Guide
What are the Qualities to Look for in a ‘Knowledge Partner'?
No matter how much you try to learn, you can never know as much as an experienced specialist
There are many qualities that buyers and investors should look for in a home, but finding the right agent is an important one. When you find someone who understands the market and can give you good advice about your purchase or investment, they become like a knowledge partner to you. You want to make sure that they have experience with the homes in your neighborhood and know what all of them offer; this way, they’re able to guide you through any decision-making process. To start looking for a knowledgeable partner in real estate, read the following!
They should be someone who….
- Knows the inside story about forthcoming rules, regulations, projects and city planning.
- Follows a consultative sales approach grounded in market fundamentals, data and statistics.
- Doesn’t depend on brochures and lifestyle images to sell.
- Is client centric in every way.
- Has a proven track record, checkable through client testimonials and reviews.
- Utilises technology to create more value.
- Knows the entire range of products within their market.
- Knows current and historical market trends and has proven ability to ‘read’ them.
- Mostly works on success fees only.
Successful Real Estate Investment: A Mini-Guide
To be successful in real estate investment, there’s one absolute essential. You need to make informed, intelligent decisions, and not let instinct or your heart overpower your mind.
This is a short guide to the simple process of making the right decisions, and the steps you need to follow. It’s based on the principles practised worldwide, buyers experience in selling and renting to buying a family home and my own experience as a very successful real estate professional in Dubai.
Step 1: Knowing what you want
Establish your budget. Whether you are buying with mortgage or cash, for living in or for renting as investment purposes, your purchase should be comfortably affordable.
Step 2: List your key essentials
List your key essentials - Number of bedrooms, proximity to schools, work, shops, countryside which you are not ready to compromise. Think of your family life cycle and its needs. For instance, what sort of property suits you the best, ticking off those essentials? Is it the Apartment, Ready Home or Off plan?
Step 3: Discover more about your location
Look at an area you know well already, or do your homework thoroughly on the location. What are your objectives? Your time frame for moving in, your plan for reselling? Find a Knowledge Partner who knows real estate, and the area you’re looking in, well. A professional who understands contracts, tax etc. to guide you in making sound decisions.
Step 4: Research – Gathering data
When you have established those criteria go out and research the market, making a list of options which best suit you. Ask questions, visit the site, examine the local market and gather essential data to create a fact sheet for each options. A) Median price per square ft, number and total value of sales at the location and current and future property supply. B) Study the price per ft and overall property cost for the last 5 transactions at the location. C) Compare the price being quoted with that data to establish whether the offer represents good value. You can find all this sort of data online. This will guide you to identify the best investment options. I call this process CAAD: Comparison, Analysis, Assessment, Decision. The next step is to go into the fine detail of each property to create a more accurate fact sheet for each property to make a final decision.
Step 5: Know the Market Trends – when to buy
The property market fluctuates and buying (or selling) at the right time can make a huge difference to the price you pay and the return on your investment. If you buy in a boom phase of the market cycle, you will end-up paying more: the right time to buy is when it is depressed, when sellers will be making better price offers. But you must always follow the CAAD process.
Step 5- Finalising the deal
Before you complete any deal, make sure that the contract covers everything from any maintenance, repairs etc to the exchange of keys. ALWAYS consult your Knowledge Partner at every stage and get them to negotiate the deal for you. Before completion, also consult a property law and tax expert etc: they are specialists who will cover everything. Finally, when you have arrived at ‘best price’ don’t hesitate – make the purchase or you might lose it.