FINDING A “RIGHT FIT” PARTNER?
Let me tell you a story about the time a possible joint venture partner said, “you’re not a real investor.”
It was my very first “formal” pitch.
This gentleman and his wife already knew, liked and trusted us.
Here’s what happened:
- It was a beautiful summer afternoon, and we had a great conversation about potential opportunities in and around the Calgary real estate market.
- I was feeling good at the end!
- But then, the husband said, “Not bad. I liked your pitch and your stories. But you’re not real.”
- What?!
- After I got over the initial shock, and realized it wasn’t a joke, I pinched myself. Nope not a dream either.
- I had to ask.
- “Um, what do you mean?”
- He didn’t talk about the number of doors we owned. He didn’t object to the number of years we have been investing. And he didn’t complain about the absence of a powerpoint presentation.
- “Well, I googled you.” (He’s about 80). “You have no social media presence, no website, nothing real.”
Here’s what I learned from this:
- In his mind, if I didn’t have an online presence, then I wasn’t treating my real estate investments as a business. He believed they were still “just a hobby” to me. And therefore, “not real.”
- And if he believed that, imagine what younger and more tech-savvy people were thinking?!
This is important because:
- So many people today believe that what they see and read online is real, true, and factual. Unfortunately, we have noticed that this isn’t necessarily the case. Much more due diligence is needed. But I digress ….
The moral of this story is clear: I now have a social media presence, and a website (or 3!). But I have also learned that many real estate investors have a list (formal or informal) of things they search for in a possible partner. They’re looking for a “right fit” business associate.
I realized how many people do their “background” research online — looong before they ever meet someone in person, sign up for a course, or call to investigate a business opportunity. I also realized how important it is to create consistency between who I/we are online, and who I/we are in person. That’s why so many of our posts are conversational, and sometimes blunt. No flash and glamour—just getting the job done.
We create content and share posts with some guiding principles:
1) We’re keeping it positive and keeping it real.
2) We’re sharing relevant information in today’s markets, specifically in and around Calgary
3) We save the best opportunities for in-person meetings, to avoid misunderstandings and to ensure compliance with banking and security regulations. We’re looking for our “right fit” partners too.
My suggestion to our colleagues and friends today is simple. Spend a little time thinking about your ideal business partners for your real estate investments. What are your “must have’s?” What would be “nice-to-have?” Or conversely, what is an absolute “never-ever, walk or run away from that!”
If you’d like to take this to the next level, I’d like to invite you to contact us directly (especially if you’re seeking a working partner). Let’s have a real conversation to see if we might be a good fit to work together towards our financial freedom.
You can find more information at https://mountainsedgedevelopments.com/
