Confessions of a Real Estate Entrepreneur: What It Takes to Win in High-Stakes Commercial Real Estate: What it Takes to Win in High-Stakes Commercial Real Estate

I just received this book today and am only about 40 pages into it, but it is so great that I had to stop and post my praise. I own about a half-dozen various books on real estate and have looked at dozens. I've owned a couple investment properties and am going to get back into the game very soon. This is certainly the best book on real estate that I have seen or read. The author is a real investor who wants to share the ins and outs of the biz with other people, and he does a fantastic job. The author doesn't just say something empty like, "real estate is a great investment with many tax benefits. You can do it if you put your mind to it, so get out there and get it done!" nor does he give other inspiring but utterly meaningless "advice" or information like so many books on the shelf. Instead, this author talks about how the real estate game actually works in real life, gives you examples which are drawn from real deals he's done, and then (are you ready for this?) he actually explains everything in layman's terms that anyone who graduated high school can understand! He is certainly not condescending, he just explains things thoroughly and clearly. While many authors make an attempt at doing this, they either can't drop their jargon long enough to explain something or they only give a cursory explanation that still leaves you in the fog. I'm educated and intelligent, but the reason I'm reading books like these is to learn about things I don't already know (obviously). With many (if not most) other real estate books, you are forced to look up many of the terms or ideas or read other real estate books in order to clarify what was said in the first one. That's not necessary here, as the author explains everything to you just like a friend or mentor would. If you are looking for a book that will truly give you a solid foundation in the language of real estate and also give you real-world examples of how actual deals work, look no further than this book. If nothing else, this book is worth the price for the first chapter alone, where he gives excellent explanations of the basics of real estate such as the components of a contract, partnerships, corporations, etc. Good luck!

Awesome read on the true stories of a real estate entrepreneur. Easy to read while also packing with information. gets me excited to enter the real estate world

As a practicing commercial real estate professional who has read many books on the subject, I found Mr. Randel's book to be one of the better books on the subject. The real life examples used in the book (he gives both the good deals and the not so good deals that he's done) made the book very enjoyable if only because he corroborated some of the practices that I use in managing my commercial properties. There was also enough insight to ensure I make the next deal better or don't make the same mistake twice. The book is not too technical in that it doesn't go through long drawn-out calculations on valuing property/deals however it does give you the important figures to watch out for so that you don't overpay or undersell. The most valuable thing about the book were the countless examples of how to improve the properties "value" to the next buyer. Mr. Randel seems very honest to say that most Real Estate deals are not get rich quick schemes and most take a lot of hard work and possibly time to work through. He is also humble enough to admit that a little luck doesn't hurt either. Several different types of Real Estate investment are covered in the book including land development. I'll hope to see another book by Mr. Randel in the future.

The book has several interesting case studies that highlight the importance of out of the box thinking, persistence, and luck. The book is less interesting where it veers from case studies to other subjects. Still, it is much better than most books on the subject. I would recommend it.

About 7 years ago, I formed a little real estate investment group as I was interested in getting into it. Because I posted the group on line, the author (or somebody representing him) sent me a complimentary copy of this book. It was while reading this book that my perspective on real estate investing changed. It's a starting point book, by which I mean that it's not intended to give you every detail on how to structure a deal, or analytical nuances to stabilizing a distressed asset. However, it's also not as vague as a "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" type of book. The book gives some basic terminologies and definitions that you'll need to know when investing in real estate and then moves on to basically be a short history with perspective of several deals that the author has done. After reading this book, my investment strategy changed from simply pursuing cash flow properties, to looking for value add opportunities. The change in strategy has produced huge results. If you're looking for a book to help you see a path to bigger money via real estate, this is a good one. I have bought this book probably 8 times as I give it away as a gift. Simple read, but worth the time.

I read this when 20. 40 now and when I was searching for an investment book for an accountant, meaning they didn't need an intro to crunching numbers this was the first thing I thought of. A gut instict type of book and spot on. Was a major motivator in my early career in large part because it was highly practical and not fluff. Not often a book and cover can be instantly recalled in your mind 20 years later.

Great book, definitely recommended. Shows specific strategies for a variety of real life deals including the financials. Not designed to be a comprehensive all in one real estate book, it's great for those who are ready for more advanced (and more profitable) real estate investing. It's written by an author who was a real estate lawyer, then broker, then entrepreneur, so he brings a very well rounded perspective. He seems honest, even with a full chapter dedicated to his mistakes, and of course, how you can learn from them. I've read a few real estate investing and development books before. This book taught me some ideas that are a lot more powerful than any I'd read before, with specific, hands on ways to get them done. It's motivating because he shows a clear path to get this done. And the deals are on a much bigger scale than a lot of the beginner books, so you can reach your goals much faster. Time to get moving.

Here is a commercial real estate investment book that doesn't require a degree in finance to keep up with. At the same time it is not too simplistic for experienced investors. I found this a little surprising, considering Randel is a real estate attorney. It doesn't take long to understand what he means by real estate entrepreneur vs. investor. The entrepreneur gets creative and is willing to try things in his market that haven't been tried before. Having no money doesn't stop him, it just encourages more creativity. He isn't satisfied with institutional type returns, but looks to hit the ball out of the park, while still managing his risk. Each major technique is illustrated with a story that describes a transaction in detail. In the more complex examples, Randel slows down and defines his terms to help us "get it." His deals range from half a million dollars on up to near 50 million. These stories make the book entertaining. I could hardly put it down. Now I have a idea (Randel's) for a commercial office building that could double its value within two to three years, even if the market is flat. The principles stay the same, it is the applications that change. Learn these principles to apply this year in your market to create returns worthy of a real estate entrepreneur.