After years of management gigs for companies such as Microsoft and eBay, I’d have to say that I have a strong enough set of technical and business skills that I can accomplish many of the things I set my sights on. Unfortunately, the one place where I don’t believe my skills measure up to those around me is my ability to network and to meet people. While my friends would likely describe me as an extrovert, in reality, I’m relatively uncomfortable around people I don’t know. If I’m going to be successful as an investor and business owner, I’m going to have to get past this reluctance to network, and start meeting other investors and business folks.
So, I’m making the effort…
One night last week I had my first meeting with other RE investors in Atlanta. Specifically, I met with Brad and Jennifer, a two-person team who manage Lang & Thomas, LLC, an RE company focused on acquisition and management of 4-plexes in the north-Atlanta area. While the two partners have only been working together for about two and a half years, they have accomplished quite a bit in that time. They’ve purchased seven 4-plexes, for a total of 28 units, and are continually expanding their portfolio.
Brad and Jennifer had some great advice, and just as importantly, were able to offer plenty of other contacts in the Atlanta real estate game. Additionally, I had a chance to visit their properties (they are smart and have bought all 28 units within a square mile). Who knows what opportunities will arise down the road, but I look forward to keeping in touch with Brad and Jennifer and perhaps getting the chance to work with them at some point.
I would recommend taking a look at the Lang & Thomas blog; besides some great posts, there are also a number of interviews with top real estate experts in Atlanta and around the country.
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