BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

by BiggerPockets
Want financial freedom through real estate investing? Then the BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast is for you. Sit down every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with Dave Meyer, the Head of Real Estate at BiggerPockets, as he uncovers tried and true tactics and shares candid conversations with real estate investors who are building wealth in today’s market. Join Dave to walk through deals that went right (and wrong) and learn the strategies you can deploy—start growing your side income today to take control of your financial future.
Episodes

Build vs. Buy: Which Is Best for Your First Rental?
You don’t have to buy your first rental property—you can build one instead. Newer systems, fewer repairs, and that “brand new” feeling that tenants may pay more rent for. But…is it worth it? Building a small multifamily in a single-family area could let you house hack and own a rare property in your market, but is the headache worth the effort? With more and more investors choosing to build rather than buy, we thought we’d weigh in. Dave and Henry are back answering your questions from the BiggerPockets Forums. Today, we’re talking about building vs. buying rentals, when an investment property is too old to be worth buying, the lender-friendly rehab budget Henry uses to get loans for his BRRRRs (buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat) and house flips, and whether wholesalers (middlemen) are worth buying properties from. Plus, if you’re house hacking, should you tell the tenant you’re the owner? Dave tried to hide it before, and shares whether it was worth it. In This Episode We Cover Building vs. buying rental properties: is the time (and effort) worth the upside? Renovating an older rental property? This build decade could be best Henry’s exact renovation budget he shares with lenders to get fast financing Are wholesalers worth their assignment fee? When we will and won’t buy from them Should you tell your tenants that you’re the owner (what happens if they find out?) And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1307. Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He Started with $5,000. Now He Owns 14 Rental Properties (And Quit His Job!)
When Niyi Adewole got his first “real” job out of college, he had one goal: financial freedom. But when he asked his coworkers about the company 401(k), he left more confused than convinced. In searching for answers, he discovered a much better path: real estate investing. Then, with just $5,000 in savings, he bought his first rental property—a triplex he house hacked to cover his mortgage. That first property snowballed into the next one, and in just six years, Niyi quit his W-2 job. Today, he owns 14 properties, including small multifamily rentals, Airbnbs, and even a self-storage facility. His portfolio generates more than enough cash flow to live on, but instead, he continues to funnel everything toward the next property. Niyi’s story is remarkable, but he didn’t go from earning a $55,000 salary to financial freedom overnight. In this episode, he shares how he sacrificed, hustled, and stacked promotions at his W-2 job to get to where he is today. The question isn’t if you can do the same. It’s will you? In This Episode We Cover How Niyi scaled from $5,000 in savings to 14 rental properties (and counting) The playbook that allowed Niyi to quit his job and go all-in on real estate The immeasurable value of working with an investor-friendly agent A profitable investing strategy that doesn’t involve tenants or toilets Buying a house with low money down and having tenants pay your mortgage And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1306. Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I Reached Financial Independence Before 40 (Everything You Know is Wrong)
I reached financial independence before 40. I set out to do the impossible, and achieved it. I bought rental properties, worked hard at my job, saved and invested most of my money, and got to my goal. Then I realized something I wish someone had told me—everything I thought I knew about financial independence was wrong. If you are on this journey to free yourself from your job, retire early, or reach the magic “FI number” that will give you lasting security, I urge you—listen to this episode. While most financially independent influencers constantly stress saving all your money, effort-maxing to extremes, delaying vacations, trips, luxury purchases, or even your wedding, I did the opposite. I spent a lot on my wedding. I spent a lot on nice vacations. I eat out regularly. And sometimes…I just didn’t want to buy another rental. But at 39, financially free, I enjoyed my journey to the “goal.” Because the truth is, there isn’t a financial freedom number; there’s a financial freedom process, and if you don’t get it right, it won’t be worth any of the effort. In This Episode We Cover Why (almost) everything you’ve been told about “financial independence” isn’t true The “FI number” trap that so many real estate investors are falling into Are you wasting your life saving all of your money (why Dave says you shouldn’t) How to get more financially independent every day, even during bumpy times The “arrival” fallacy that makes so many retirees actually go back to work And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1305. Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He Was Laid Off From TSA, Now He Owns an Entire Rental Portfolio
Before building an entire real estate portfolio, Matthew Garland was laid off from the TSA. He went from searching for contraband in your suitcase to searching for jobs ASAP. He had no degree, no office job experience, but he was good at connecting with people. He got a job as a loan officer and was making money hand over fist. Then the market crashed, his savings dwindled, his credit score plummeted, and he even got foreclosed on. It was time to build something real. That’s when a rich client of his introduced him to the “wealth hack” that helped him rebuild his life through rental properties. Now, you probably know Matthew as MG the Mortgage Guy, sharing as many insider lending secrets as possible so you can buy your next property. In this episode, he’s doing the same, telling YOU how to get preapproved now, what you need to get a lender to take you seriously on your first deal, and how he rebuilt his life, one property at a time. If you think you can’t build a real estate portfolio because you’re starting from zero, MG will show you how to get ahead and into your first deal, even if you feel way behind the starting line. In This Episode We Cover The “wealth hack” of the rich that gets you investment properties with little money down How to rebuild your financial foundation with real estate investing (even if you have little money or low credit) Why you never overleverage yourself and why scaling quickly (probably) isn’t worth the stress Four things you need to get preapproved for a mortgage (and what to do if you’re missing one or all) When to call a lender: Do you need to have perfect credit before you start? And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1285. Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6 Green Flags Most Real Estate Investors Miss
There are six “green flags” most real estate investors completely miss, but can make them serious wealth. Any of these six will allow you to buy an undervalued investment property, increase its value (and rents), and walk away wealthier than the other investors who simply glanced past it. The best part? These are often turn-offs for ordinary homebuyers, so your competition is even slimmer. Henry has been buying properties like these for years, and if he stumbles upon one with any of these six green flags, he stops and evaluates it. These signs are so powerful, they could allow you to buy a $250K on-market property that’s secretly worth $350K…just nobody knows it! So what are the six green flags? We’re going through each, piece-by-piece, from unused “space” that commands higher rents, to “free” land that can help you cover your down payment or renovation costs, and even secret second units most homeowners are completely unaware of. Find any of these, and it’s the needle in the haystack most investors wish they could buy. In This Episode We Cover Got extra square footage? Here’s how to turn space into tens of thousands in more equity One thing that every primary bedroom should have that’s missing from older houses Why Henry always looks for homes on a large lot (hint: it can pay for your investment) How to turn an unused basement into an entirely separate unit (but it requires this) Arguably the easiest way to raise rents without renovating the property And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1284. Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Worst Real Estate Investing Advice I've Ever Heard
This is the worst real estate investing advice I’ve ever heard—and I KEEP hearing it. If you go on to any “real estate investing” TikTok page, they say the same thing: use other people’s money, wait for the crash, interest rates will go down…and that’s not even the worst of the advice. This type of real estate advice will make investors broke, put them in riskier positions, and stop them from retiring (early) with rental properties. I should know, I became financially free in just over a decade of real estate investing, and I didn’t follow ANY of the advice I’ll mention in today’s episode. If you’re about to buy a property with negative cash flow or skip small rentals and go right to the big buildings (multifamily), do not skip this video. Following any of this so-called investing “advice” could push you back ten, twenty, or thirty years from financial freedom, while the rest of the real investors hit their early retirement in just a decade. In This Episode We Cover Why you should not buy a “negative cash flow” rental and plan for appreciation Buying rentals with none of your own money? Here’s who should and shouldn’t do it The “passive income” myth that catches many “investors” completely off guard Why Dave never quit his job for real estate (and you probably shouldn’t either) Is BRRRR actually…dead? Why everyone has these “dead” strategies all wrong And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1269. Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 Rentals in 5 Years with Small, Affordable Multifamily Properties
In 2021, Jesse Walters bought his first rental unit. Now, in 2026, he’s got a portfolio of around 30 rentals composed of small, affordable (mostly) multifamily properties that he’s getting killer returns on. Jesse did it even when mortgage rates were at 8%, even when home prices were flying up and subsequently correcting back down, and even when he didn’t know where he’d find the money to do it. So, how does someone with zero real estate investing experience scale from no rentals to close to 30 in just five years, during a very volatile housing market? Jesse is sharing exactly how he grew, even when financing was expensive or hard to come by, the small multifamily rentals he looks for that have the most demand in his community, and how he flips (and sometimes accidentally flops) to make five-figure, repeatable profits. And Jesse’s latest deal is something every investor dreams of. Converting a small hotel into 11 rental units, and, get this, for a $325,000 purchase price, putting just $0 down. It’s true, and after he’s done, this property alone will bring in a portfolio-producing amount of rent. How much? Jesse is sharing the exact numbers in today’s show! In In This Episode We Cover: How to scale in real estate investing and go from one rental to an income-replacing portfolio Jesse’s latest rental: turning a hotel into an 11-unit affordable housing property (with great returns) The five-figure profit strategy Jesse uses to make $15,000 on hands-off new builds How to buy (profitable) rentals even when interest rates are high (8%+) Why knowing an investor-friendly agent is the key to getting exclusive deals sent to you And So Much More! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Zuber: Why the Average American Won’t Make It Without Rentals
By buying just One Rental at a Time, Michael Zuber was able to replace his entire W-2 income, scale from one rental to four, then to over 80 rental units, go from paycheck to paycheck to becoming a real estate millionaire, and survive the Dot Com bubble, the 2008 crash, and the post-pandemic meltdown. And in today's show, Michael has two things to say: First, the average American won’t make it without becoming an investor. Second, there’s good news—this year will be horrible for everyone but investors. Michael says we’re sitting in the best housing market in a decade. He’s putting his money where his mouth is, pulling a million dollars out of his properties’ equity to buy more, starting now. He’s aggressively making offers and getting deals for a fraction of their face value. Using a simple, but easily repeatable “wealth formula,” Michael has become the millionaire next door, and he says with just 20 minutes per day, you can, too. This is a masterclass from one of the most respected real estate investors in the country. Michael shares exactly how the average American can become an “elite investor” with his 20 minutes per day exercise, the properties Michael is looking to buy now, the two (yes, two) offers you should make on every house, and why he never bets on appreciation (and we agree). Michael says this market could last another year—are you going to make a move or wish you had? In This Episode We Cover Michael’s 20 minutes per day “elite investor” exercise anyone can use to become a rental millionaire How Michael replaced his W-2 salary with rentals even through multiple crashes Why Michael says 2026 will be the best year in a decade to buy real estate The “wealth formula” Michael uses to decide whether a property is worth it Why the average American will not be able to have a comfortable life without investing And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1268. Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices