The 15 Best Real Estate Investing Books

Check out our list of popular publications on investing in real estate and key takeaways from each one.

By Emily Southey | 17 minute read

Looking for real estate investing books? Whether you’re just getting started or are a seasoned pro, the following books can help you gain invaluable insight into the world of real estate investing. 

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The Importance of Reading Real Estate Investing Books

Most real estate investors will agree that learning is an important part of real estate investing, especially if you’re just starting out. And one of the best ways to learn the ins and outs of real estate investments is through books. There are literally thousands of books on this topic, and while you may not be able to get to all of them, there are many that can aid you in your quest to become a successful real estate investor. After all, extensive research is required, whether you’re looking to invest in a REIT, commercial property, or residential property, and books act as part of this research. Through reading detailed accounts of other investors’ experiences or how-tos on the basics of investing, you will learn the tips and tricks of the trade, increasing your odds of success. Therefore, reading books on real estate investing is incredibly important and can make a big difference when it comes to your investing decisions and ultimately, your successes. 

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15 of the Best Books on Real Estate Investing

The experts at Wahi have put together this list of the best books on real estate investing. It’s well-rounded, covering all kinds of real estate investing-related topics, from managing rental properties and minimizing your tax burden to beginner guides for those just starting out. Keep reading for our list of the top 15 books on real estate investing. 

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1. How to Invest in Real Estate: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started by Brandon Turner

How to Invest in Real Estate: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started is a must-read for anyone new to the world of real estate investing. Written by author, entrepreneur, and successful real estate investor Brandon Turner, this book acts as a manual for how to get started in real estate investing. It gives readers an insider’s look into some of the most popular real estate investing strategies, including a mix of passive and active strategies. Turner’s book can help investors identify which path or strategy is right for them, and then provides them with the necessary resources. Ultimately, How to Invest in Real Estate: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started is perfect for any real estate investor (or wannabe real estate investor) looking for a general introduction to the world of investing. 

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2. The ABCs of Real Estate Investing: The Secrets of Finding Hidden Profits Most Investors Miss by Ken McElroy

The second book on our list is The ABCs of Real Estate Investing: The Secrets of Finding Hidden Profits Most Investors Miss by Ken McElroy. This book details how investors can generate wealth and passive income no matter what type of real estate they invest in or the size of their investment. It is geared toward beginner investors, covering topics like how to achieve positive cash flow through real estate, how to negotiate deals, how to evaluate the potential of a property, how to increase the income earned on a property, and the most effective ways of managing a rental property. Overall, The ABCs of Real Estate Investing: The Secrets of Finding Hidden Profits Most Investors Miss consists of over 40 real-life stories from successful real estate investors, each of whom is keen to share their insight into maximizing your investment profit margin. 

3. Long-Distance Real Estate Investing by David Greene

Long-Distance Real Estate Investing by David Greene is a book that touches on the dilemma of living in a market where real estate investing doesn’t make financial sense. Greene details the reality of living in a market unsuitable for investing (for example, one that is too hot making property unaffordable), and what to do if you find yourself faced with such a predicament. Specifically, Greene recommends out-of-state investing. He breaks down a practice that was once considered risky and explains how rules, technology, and markets have changed and now allow investors to take advantage of long-distance deals, even those outside of their state (or in this case, province). Some of the specific concepts that readers of this book can expect to gain insight into include how to understand a market, manage a long-distance property, maximize return on investment (ROI), and find long-distance deals, ranging from half-finished homes to defaulted homes. Greene doesn’t shy away from discussing the challenges of long-distance real estate investing, and instead, highlights them and proposes solutions for common issues like finding a reliable contractor and determining the value of renovations. Overall, Long-Distance Real Estate Investing is a must-read for investors looking to purchase investment properties in markets outside of their own (whether it be another city, province, or even an entirely different country). 

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4. The Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller

Investing in real estate like a millionaire sounds pretty great, right? Thankfully, you don’t have to be a literal millionaire to invest in real estate and The Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller reveals just that. In the world of real estate investing, this book is a must-read. Author Gary Keller is the founder of Keller Williams, a national real estate brokerage in the United States. Keller draws on the wisdom of over 100 millionaire real estate investors to create this how-to guide for generating wealth through real estate investments. In it, each millionaire chronicles how their pursuit of financial wealth leads them to real estate and more specifically, how they achieve millionaire status through real estate investing.

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The book delves into some of the biggest myths about money and investing, including those that Keller believes often hold people back from achieving millionaire status. Therefore, The Millionaire Real Estate Investor is not only about real estate but also about the fundamentals of money. Keller also explains how to evaluate potential real estate opportunities and find the ones that are more profitable, how to identify key terms and parts of transactions, how to develop a dream team, and what to look for in a real estate deal. This book ultimately teaches readers that you don’t have to be rich to invest in real estate, you just have to adopt a millionaire real estate investor mindset. And by using Keller’s strategies and techniques, real estate investing can become a tool to help you become rich (and maybe even a millionaire).

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5. The Book on Rental Property Investing by Brandon Turner

Another book by Brandon Turner makes our list of the best books on real estate investing. The Book on Rental Property Investing covers practical strategies that investors can use to build significant cash flow through rental properties. This book will teach readers how to build a realistic, achievable plan, how to find good deals on rental properties, how to evaluate potential rental properties, and much more. Turner touches on a broad range of topics from building your team to financing your rental property and more. Essentially, The Book on Rental Property Investing is just that — a guide to rental property investing to help investors maximize their success with this investing strategy. 

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6. Advanced Guide to Real Estate Investing: How to Identify the Hottest Markets and Secure the Best Deals by Ken McElroy

Advanced Guide to Real Estate Investing: How to Identify the Hottest Markets and Secure the Best Deals by Ken McElroy is a practical guide that many real estate investors will find useful. It is a follow-up to McElroy’s The ABCs of Real Estate Investing: The Secrets of Finding Hidden Profits Most Investors Miss (#2 on this list). Picking up where The ABCs of Real Estate Investing left off, the Advanced Guide to Real Estate Investing dives into the essential lessons and information needed to be a successful investor who scales and grows their portfolio. This book is dense, covering a wide range of topics relating to real estate investing. It opens with a breakdown of the most common reasons real estate investors fail and how you can ensure you don’t fall into these traps. From there, McElroy highlights four easy-to-follow strategies that an investor can use to build their real estate portfolio. He also touches on topics such as how to identify a good deal, how to close a deal, how to maximize money with the right team, how to avoid paying thousands in taxes, and the difference between single- and multi-family properties when it comes to investing. 

7. The Book on Managing Rental Properties by Brandon Turner

Once you’ve read The Book on Rental Property Investing by Brandon Turner (#5 on this list), The Book on Managing Rental Properties should be next. Also written by Turner, this book is solely focused on the management of rental properties. If you currently manage a rental property or plan to in the future, be sure to read this book. In it, Turner outlines a proven system for finding, vetting, and managing tenants that maximizes profits while minimizing headaches. This book proposes the wild notion that being a landlord can actually be fun, but only if you know how to do it right. The first step to doing it right is learning how to effectively manage your tenants so that you can avoid drama and end up with more money in your pocket. As the owner of over 500 rental units, it’s safe to say that Turner knows what he’s doing and has some astute wisdom to share. He includes many personal stories in The Book on Managing Rental Properties, even being so bold as to outline the mistakes he made along the way. We guarantee that this book will change the way that you think about being a property manager. 

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8. Complete Taxation Guide to Canadian Real Estate Investing: How to Maximize Your Real Estate Portfolio and Minimize Tax by Cherry Chan

Complete Taxation Guide to Canadian Real Estate Investing: How to Maximize Your Real Estate Portfolio and Minimize Tax is another important read, especially for beginner investors who may not possess much knowledge about the Canadian tax system as it pertains to investment properties. In this book, Cherry Chan, a chartered accountant and real estate tax expert, debunks several myths about taxation and real estate. She details the basics of taxation in Canada and provides tips on how to set up a multi-layered corporate structure. She also provides helpful information on the different types of tax deductions available to real estate investors and the reasoning behind incorporating your portfolio. After reading this book, you will have a much better idea of how to maximize your deductions and reduce your tax burden. 

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9. The Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down: Real Life Strategies for Investing in Real Estate Using Other People’s Money by Brandon Turner

Another Brandon Turner book makes our list of the best real estate investing books titled The Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down: Real Life Strategies for Investing in Real Estate Using Other People’s Money. If a lack of cash is what’s holding you back from your real estate investing dreams, then this book is for you. It will show you how and why your wallet should not define your future by examining effective real-life strategies that smart investors use to succeed in today’s real estate market. Specifically, The Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down: Real Life Strategies for Investing in Real Estate Using Other People’s Money will help you learn more about key concepts like the truth about no money down investing (that buying an investment property with little or no money down is possible), how to attract private lenders and investing partners, how to get started with limited capital and experience, and how to mix and match creative, out-of-the-box investing strategies. The book provides a detailed overview of the pros and cons of different real estate investing methods, as well as a beginner’s guide to various real estate investing strategies, such as wholesaling, house flipping, rental properties, and more. 

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10. Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate — Even without Experience or Cash by Michael Blank

Michael Blank wrote Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate — Even without Experience or Cash in 2018 as a guide for anyone who is tempted to quit their day job and start investing in real estate. In this book, Blank lays out his argument for apartment buildings as the most powerful real estate investing tool (even more powerful and lucrative than single-family homes). Blank claims that although many investors might assume you need ample experience to invest in an apartment building, this isn’t true. The book outlines how to successfully complete your first multi-family dwelling deal, even with no prior experience or money of your own. Overall, this book aims to equip readers with the resources they need to become apartment building investors. It explains how to raise enough money for your first deal, how to increase the odds of your offer being accepted (even if you’re new to real estate investing), how to analyze deals, and how to make offers in as little as 10 minutes. According to Blank, apartment building investing is the only true way to achieve financial freedom through real estate. Upon finishing this book, you will have the information you need to invest in your first apartment complex within three to 12 months. If you are considering becoming a real estate investor and are interested in multi-family units and apartment buildings, Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing: The Blueprint to Quitting Your Job with Real Estate — Even without Experience or Cash should be at the top of your list. 

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11. The Only Woman in the Room: Knowledge and Inspiration from 20 Women Real Estate Investors by Andresa Guidelli, Brittany Arnason, and Liz Faircloth

The Only Woman in the Room: Knowledge and Inspiration from 20 Women Real Estate Investors is an important read for real estate investors of both sexes. This book features the stories of 20 incredible women who defied the odds by entering a realm historically dominated by men. Each of them shares their real estate investing wisdom and chronicle how they used real estate to achieve financial freedom. From residential to commercial investing, The Only Woman in the Room: Knowledge and Inspiration from 20 Women Real Estate Investors will teach readers about how to scale a portfolio, raise private capital, find creative ways to finance deals, transition a 9-5 job into an entrepreneurial lifestyle, manage contractors, and much more.