Finding a Real Estate Partner You’d Actually Trust With Your Own Money

People ask constantly how I found the real estate agents and property managers I use in Richmond, and now in Texas, Pennsylvania, and DC. The honest answer is that most of them failed an interview first.

Here is what that interview looked like. I asked every agent I met to pull comps on three specific properties I had already picked out and already had opinions about. I wanted to see whether they would just agree with my numbers to keep me happy, or whether they would push back and show me where I was wrong. The ones who caved failed on the spot. The ones who argued with me, politely and with data, made the short list.

I also asked about their own portfolios. An agent who has never owned a rental can still be excellent, but an agent who has personally lived through a bad tenant, a failed inspection, or a slow season tends to give advice that sounds less like a script and more like a scar.

If you are buying in Virginia, Texas, Pennsylvania, or DC and want to know who I actually use and trust, reach out and ask me directly. I am not precious about sharing names. A good partner should be easy to vet and should not need me to protect their reputation.

Once you have someone you trust, the next step is figuring out whether the property itself actually pencils out, and that is where the spreadsheets come in. More on that soon, including the deal that made me fifty thousand dollars richer at closing.