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TR U M P STR A TEGI ES FO R R E A L ESTA TE

specialist. Keep in mind, too, that part-time people will only give
you a part-time effort.
Another consideration is giving preference to local people—try
not to bring in people from outside unless they are really outstanding.
Locals will be better informed about the area and will have better con-
nections with the contractors and other people that you will need.
The best method of identifying quality professionals is to speak
to another investor/renovator/builder who is doing what you want to
do and get recommendations. Be aware however, they may not want
to talk to or be honest with you if they feel you’re a competitor. If
they are not helpful, the information you seek may be available from
their lawyer, realtor, or broker who can probably get you the infor-
mation you’re seeking. They will gladly cooperate if they think
you’re a potential client.

Let the Realtor Be Your Guide

The experienced local real estate agent is your best source of infor-
mation. You want a realtor who has an outstanding record dealing
with the kind of property you are investing in and in the location
you have interest in. Real estate agents also are great networkers with
other key specialists in the real estate industry. If, for example, you
see an apartment building with exquisite landscaping, make inquiries
about the name of the realtor or broker who handled the latest sale of
the property. They either know who did the landscaping, or they can
get the information from their client.
The key is to elicit the realtor’s full cooperation by holding out
the likelihood that you’ll use him in your real estate matters. You may
or may not decide to use him in the long run, but you should at least
initially seduce him by exhibiting your good intentions. Explain why
you need the information, and he will often jump to get you every-
thing that you need, especially if he thinks you are serious about buy-
ing a property. Moreover, depending on the size of the brokerage
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