The most recommended real estate books

Land is its own unique asset class with its own set of challenges, but Cheryl has put together a very easy to read and understand path to learning the basics of land ownership.

While the book is a quick read and doesn’t get too deep, it is a great starter resource for anyone who is considering the purchasing of land. I also like how Cheryl’s writing style is straightforward and concise, with not much fluff or filler.

This book can serve as a great base and jumping off point if you’re looking to dive deeper into this unique, but profitable asset class.

Don Rich is one of those authors you immediately like, because his writing style is so flowing, but he never over-describes anything. He is a pulp writer (and that is the highest compliment!) This book kicks off his series, currently at 9 books. You’ll enjoy the characters and the settings in this start to a great series. 

I love Miami, and I was immediately drawn to this stunning look at the relationship between the making of the cosmopolitan Miami we know today and the history of racial exclusion in the South. Before the high rises, the posh beach resorts, fine dining restaurants, and internationally renowned nightlife, South Florida epitomized all the forces of American history: conflict and negotiation with indigenous populations, reliance on immigrant populations, racially restrictive covenants, and powerbrokers of all colors looking to profit from real estate.

I needed to find a book that got down to the process of becoming an investor. Gary does an excellent job of breaking down the components of becoming a good real estate investor. In addition to the blocking and tackling Gary included a bonus section that I simple loved because I was hungry for stories of success. At the end of Gary’s book, Gary included a list of investors who successfully completed the journey. Those pages kept me engaged as the first few years of real estate investing are slow and those stories got me through.

If you are now in a position to invest your money broadly. Margin of Safety presents legendary investor Seth's Klarman's views on risk-adjusted investments in several asset classes, including real estate. He focuses on understanding the underlying values of a specific opportunity, and his consistent emphasis on taking the longer-term view is especially relevant to the property world. Now I will frustrate you by reporting that MOS is long out of print, and the used copies that are available online are...very, very expensive. If you can’t find it or afford it, look for Seth’s interviews on YouTube, and a short but interesting New Yorker interview.

Successful real estate investment and development is in part the result of understanding an economic context and taking the long view. Toward those ends, there’s no better jumping-off point than Ray Dalio's historical review of the economic “Big Cycle” that has determined the success and failure of nations and economic systems over the past several centuries. And by the way, Ray knows what he’s talking about: his Bridgewater Associates is the world’s largest hedge fund.

My favorite part about Casey’s book is that it is a straightforward, easy to read, playbook that goes in order through 15 steps that are easy to understand and implement after you purchase your property.

Many books focus on how to purchase real estate, but fewer give you guidance on how to manage after you own the asset. From establishing your mindset and motivation to how to manage your repairs and create advantageous tax strategies, Casey gives you manageable doses of powerful information.

Of his 15 steps, many provide truly valuable information, but one of my favorites is titled “Be the Landlord you would love to rent from” because I feel that is a topic that is often overlooked by investors and yet can help increase your bottom line the most.

This YA dystopian novel is not only written by an indie author…but a high school student! For that reason alone, I think it’s worth giving the book a try. I love a good fairytale retelling, and this one is a sci-fi version of Cinderella. Also, I’ve always been fascinated by memory loss and its profound effects on someone’s life—this story explores that in spades. It’s obvious this young author has a bright future, and I’m excited to watch her writing evolve as she grows older.

How do you feel about being a salesperson and influencer? Because if you’re going to be a real estate investor you must have basic sales and marketing skills. You’ll need them to raise capital, negotiate with buyers and sellers, and even to lease your properties if you’re a landlord. In Kevin Hogan’s book you’ll discover how people think and make their decisions. He writes, “once we know our prospects’ needs, wants, and desires are, we can use this information to prepare a message that firmly impresses on the mind how we can help them.”

When I walk through the streets of Manhattan, I’m constantly awed by the variety and density of its buildings. I wonder how such a city could have ever been built. New cities today lack the soul and character. But when you look at why these buildings exist, you see that they are there for a more mundane purpose: as shelter. The Garment District, for example, was created to house massive sweatshops to clothe America. Gotham’s apartment towers enclose the beds on which residents sleep. 

Many of these structures were built by a group of family-run development companies. The founders of these enterprises invariably began as immigrants trying to hustle their way up the economic ladder. They started as teenagers working in the sweatshops or hawking newspapers and, bit by bit, erected their own real estate empires. Tom Schactman’s book tells how entrepreneurial spirit, along with New York’s rapid economic growth,… show more.