Summary: In this article, we’ll provide a comprehensive list of our top 35 best real estate investing books of all time. The article includes, a brief summary of each book, what type of investor will benefit and why we recommend them. Become an expert by learning from the best.
Success on your real estate investment journey starts with learning. The following 34 books offer invaluable advice, ideas, tips and more from experienced investors in all types of real estate. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive list of the best property investment books that educate on all aspects of real estate investing. Find the book that applies to your specific needs and become an expert yourself.
Note: The following books are not listed in any particular order.
#1 – “The Book on Rental Property Investing: How to Create Wealth and Passive Income Through Smart Buy & Hold Real Estate Investing,” by Brandon Turner
Book Summary
The Book on Rental Property Investing talks about the basics of how to determine a good deal, buying your first rental property, why cash flow is important, finding the right tenants, as well as common mistakes to avoid. Turner shares strategies for finding deals and financing options to consider, specifically for buy-and-hold real estate investors.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
This is a must-read for anyone interested in buy-and-hold real estate investments.
Why We Like It
The book has one clear focus: provide useful strategies, tools and tips to become a successful rental property investor and generate passive income.
#2 – “Retire Early with Real Estate” by Chad Carson
Book Summary
This book is intended to be a strategy guide. Carson offers a step-by-step journey to achieve financial freedom via a real estate strategy that fits individual needs. The principles in the book are easy to apply in real life scenarios. It also includes 25 real estate profiles, between each chapter, of actual early retirees and the details about how they did it.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
This book is a top choice for beginner investors.
Why We Like It
We like this book because it’s easy to read, digest and apply. The author gives clear instructions and advice on how to get started in real estate investing.
#3 – “More Than Cashflow: The Real Risks & Rewards of Profitable Real Estate Investing” by Julie Broad
Book Summary
More Than Cashflow focuses on several different aspects of the real estate industry and not just cash flow. It breaks down the realities of quitting your day job to invest in real estate full time. The author presents an honest look at owning real estate and the challenges that come with it. It’s also helpful for those wishing to redesign their real estate portfolio.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
All levels of investors.
Why We Like It
We like this book because it’s honest and practical.
#4 – “Real Estate Investing Gone Bad” by Phil Pustejovsky
Book Summary
Real Estate Investing Gone Bad is essentially a book about what not to do. Pustejovsky, an experienced real estate investor, shares 21 real-life stories about mistakes investors have made and how to avoid them. While these stories caution readers to avoid making the same mistakes, it also includes ways to avoid and learn from others mistakes.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
All real estate investors.
Why We Like It
Different from most books on our list, the author paints a realistic picture about how real estate investing can go wrong. We also like that solutions are provided in the event of a bad real estate deal.
#5 – “Timing the Real Estate Market” by Craig Hall
Book Summary
As the book title suggests, investing in real estate is all about timing. Craig Hall, millionaire real estate entrepreneur, discusses his tips for increasing profit, when to buy, when to sell and everything in between. Hall breaks down trends affecting real estate prices, how to predict market increases, achieving maximum profit by knowing when to sell, adding value to your property and surviving potential downturns.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Investors looking to get into or become more successful in real estate investing will find this book extremely helpful. The author focuses on the importance of timing the real estate market and trends that affect return on investment.
Why We Like It
“I liked the discussion of factors that affect marketing timing, like, global factors including inflation, interest rates, and capital flows; and local factors, like, job growth, in/out migration, path of progress and new construction. This book shows how all of these factors influence the best times to invest.”
Joe Torre, Investment Counselor, RealWealth
#6 – “Emerging Real Estate Markets” by Dave Lindahl
Book Summary
This books walks readers through a guide to finding and profiting from up-and-coming areas in real estate. Lindahl emphasizes looking ahead to determine where the next best real estate markets will be and investing in those areas with the greatest profit potential.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Any investor who is serious about real estate, from beginners to veterans.
Why We Like It
“Good insights on identifying market cycles for different strategies, including: flipping houses, buy-and-hold property, multi-family, and how to build a real estate business,” Joe Torre, Investment Counselor, RealWealth.
#7 – “The Complete Guide to Buying and Selling Apartment Buildings” by Steve Berges
Book Summary
Steve Berges offers a detailed guide to finding apartment buildings at a good price, how to finance purchases and best strategies to manage your properties. The updated, Second Edition adds real life examples and case studies, tax advice, sample paperwork forms and real estate forecasts.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
First-time buyers or experienced real estate professionals will benefit from this comprehensive guide to buying and selling apartment buildings.
Why We Like It
“Step-by-step approach to buying apartments, including a detailed financial analysis,” Joe Torre, Investment Counselor, RealWealth.
#8 – “What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow” by Frank Gallinelli
Book Summary
In his book, Gallinelli dives into the numbers of real estate. The book focuses on real estate concepts as a whole, all the way down to formulas to calculate numbers. The big takeaways include, four ways to make money in real estate, using math instead of emotion, discovering all financial data, and methods to calculate return on investment. The book also offers free Excel spreadsheets that explain how the formulas actually work.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
This is a great book for beginners to learn real estate investing up and down. For seasoned investors, it is an extremely thorough and comprehensive resource.
Why We Like It
It may be overwhelming for a beginner to read and digest all the information in the book, as the author is very detailed. However, The value is in its thoroughness, detail and dedication to the numbers.
#9 – “Every Landlord’s Legal Guide” by Marcia Stewart, Ralph Warner, & Janet Portman
Book Summary
This book covers pretty much any legal issue a landlord could face. It discusses common landlord legal issues such as, security deposits, evictions, and lease terminations. The book also discusses how to handle other, less common, potential issues like, landlord liability, subletting requests, and solving disagreements without a lawyer.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Investment property owners and landlords.
Why We Like It
The book is comprehensive and covers a wide range of potential legal issues for landlords. The book also has a downloadable library of forms for landlords to use.
#10 – “Trump: The Art of the Deal” by Donald Trump and Tony Schwartz
Book Summary
“The Art of the Deal” discusses how Trump runs his businesses as well as his life. His unconventional thinking and “think big” mindset is illustrated through a list of common factors contributing to his greatest accomplishments.
The book is engaging, uses real world examples including, negotiating deals, finding the best locations and working with contractors. Trump walks us through how exactly he’s achieved his success and mastering the art of any deal.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
This book is a good read for any type of investor, particularly entrepreneurs looking for best practices of running an organization and specifics on closing deals.
Why We Like It
“Very interesting content and keeps your attention. Good book to open your mind to new concepts,” Tim Horvath, Director, property teams and Properties, RealWealth.
#11 – “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill
Book Summary
In 1937, this book was the first to ask the question, “What makes a winner?” Hill uses stories and examples of successful millionaires of his time, such as, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Andrew Carnegie. In the updated version, Arthur R. Pell, Ph.D., reflects on present day millionaires and billionaires, like, Bill Gates, Mary Kay Ash and Sir John Templeton. Each example illustrates the concept of the “Law of Success,” and how to achieve wealth.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Any type of investor, not just real estate, will benefit from the ideas and principles discussed in this groundbreaking book. The overall theme of the book is how to successfully build wealth.
Why We Like It
“The original book was written in 1937, but has been updated and still today has great information and principles. It’s not just about real estate, but many real estate principles are used and several investors have used the information in the book to become successful investors.”
Tim Horvath, Director, property teams and Properties, RealWealth
#12 – “The ABC’s of Real Estate Investing” by Ken McElroy
Book Summary
This book simplifies complicated real estate investing concepts. The ABC’s of Real Estate Investing also provides real life examples of how to save money and increase rents in order to produce cash flow. McElroy also specifically talks about buy and hold real estate and how to be successful using this method.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Real estate investors at any level. This is one of the best real estate investing books for beginners and small investors will greatly benefit from reading this, easy-to-understand book.
Why We Like It
“Basic principle and easy to read for people just starting to try and understand real estate. A great starting book for beginners,” Tim Horvath, Director, property teams and Properties, RealWealth.
#13 – “Shift: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times” by Gary Keller
Book Summary
Gary Keller’s book, Shift discusses the ever-changing housing market and how real estate professionals must shift their mindset to adapt and thrive. Even during times of downturn, Keller offers 12 simple and clear strategies to illustrate exactly how to weather the storm and still increase market share. The book also covers creative solutions to financing, expense management and “Mastering the Market of the Moment.”
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Real estate professionals will greatly benefit from reading, Shift, by following the 12 proven strategies for success in any real estate market.
Why We Like It
The Shift, “Brings to light that real estate is constantly changing and we must pay attention or lose very quickly by not understanding or noticing the market has switched, or shifted,” -Tim Horvath, Director, property teams and Properties, RealWealth.
#14 – “The Book on Tax Strategies for the Savvy Real Estate Investor” by Amanda Han & Matthew MacFarland
Book Summary
The authors are both CPAs who specialize in real estate investing. The book shares tax strategies used for real estate investors. A topic addressed is property owners failing to take advantage of all the tax deductions available and losing cash flow. They go over what expenses are deductible and how to use your retirement accounts to fund your investments. The book also talks about avoiding common tax pitfalls.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Real estate investors at any level, beginner to expert.
Why We Like It
Investing in real estate can make your taxes complicated. We like this book because it’s written by two CPAs with real tax experience, specializing in real estate. They know the ins and outs of how taxpayers can actually benefit from owning property.
#15 – “Building Wealth One House at a Time” by John Schaub
Book Summary
In this book, real estate expert John Schaub shares his 9-step program to achieve wealth through buying houses and earning steady cash flow. The overarching idea is understanding the basics of the real estate business.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Individuals looking to learn the fundamentals of real estate as well as seasoned investors interested in buying and selling real estate as a profession.
Why We Like It
“We like this book because it puts an emphasis on learning and understanding the basics of real estate investing. “Schaub simplifies the process with practical strategies and tips to generate income, starting with just one investment property.”
Rich Fettke, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, RealWealth®
#16 – “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki
Book Summary
Rich Dad, Poor Dad, published over 20 years ago has become the #1 personal finance book of all time. Kiyosaki manages to change the way people view money and assets. Though this book is not specifically about real estate, it’s recommended as a must-read for anyone looking to invest in real estate, as this is how Kiyosaki made most of his wealth. Essentially, the book dives into what the rich are teaching their kids about money and what the poor are not.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Investors of all kinds should read this book and incorporate personal finance strategies to increase wealth.
Why We Like It
We like Kiyosaki’s book because, although it is not specifically about real estate investing, it will greatly impact how you perceive money and assets. Rich Fettke, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, RealWealth.
#17 – “Asset Protection for Real Estate Investors,” by Clint Coons
Book Summary
This book is all about protecting your assets. Its in-depth, yet simple look at topics such as, strategies to protect LLC held real estate from creditors, how to use corporations to avoid dealer status, using land trusts to avoid the “due on sale clause,” and IRA and retirement plan investing for real estate. While these concepts may sound confusing, Coons uses a straightforward and easy-to-understand approach.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
New or experienced real estate investors interested in protecting their assets.
Why We Like It
“We like this book because it provides in-depth strategies and ideas to a topic with limited informational resources: asset protection.” –Rich Fettke, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, RealWealth
#18 – “The Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down” by Brandon Turner
Book Summary
The author has published several books on real estate investing and this one explains a long list of non-traditional financing techniques. Learn about creative financing options and understand how to make money using these non-traditional techniques.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Beginner real estate investors will benefit the most from this book for a couple of reasons. First, it lays a solid foundation of financing information and strategies. But, experienced investors who haven’t done a lot of non-traditional financing will also find this book beneficial.
Why We Like It
It provides several creative financing techniques to buy real estate that even experienced investors don’t know about.
#19 – “The Book on Estimating Rehab Costs” by J Scott
Book Summary
This book is a detailed “how to” on estimating rehab and construction costs. Scott breaks down the rehab of a property into 25 components. The book also offers all the checklists and spreadsheets associated with each of the components to more accurately estimate cost.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Investors looking to build or rehab real estate property.
Why We Like It
The principles and checklists in the book are actionable and make estimating costs much more accurate.
#20 – “The Millionaire Real Estate Investor” by Gary Keller, Dave Jenks, & Jay Papasan
Book Summary
The authors of this book go over every aspect of the business of real estate investing and their best practices. The book is easy-to-read, straightforward and shares proven strategies from over 100 millionaire investors. Readers will learn the fundamentals of financial wealth for all types of investors.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
All types of investors.
Why We Like It
We liked that the book recommends a personal balance sheet and a goal-oriented mindset.
#21 – “Long-Distance Real Estate Investing: How to Buy, Rehab, and Manage Out-of-State Rental Properties” by David Greene
Book Summary
A great read for anyone interested in this type of investment strategy. The author also covers other strategies like, buy-and-hold real estate. The book teaches how to evaluate a neighborhood and find areas you can afford, particularly out-of-state. It also includes tips on cutting expenses for renovations, building a real estate team, and hiring quality contractors.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Anyone interested in different types of investment strategies.
Why We Like It
This is an excellent book for investors looking at different markets to buy real estate. It also covers more than just a long-distance real estate investment strategy.
#22 – “Loopholes of Real Estate” by Garrett Sutton
Book Summary
A book by Rich Dad’s Advisors, explains three “keys” to successful real estate investing: selection, taxation and protection. Loopholes discusses tax strategies and the importance of having a real estate tax professional with personal experience on your team.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
It’s a good one for beginners looking for ideas and more seasoned investors.
Why We Like It
The book shares great ideas and tips on real estate investing and tax savings.
#23 – “Multi-Family Millions” by David Lindahl
Book Summary
The main focus of the book is multi-family real estate investing. Investors interested in buying apartment complexes (multi-family) will find a step-by-step guide. It discusses tips on financing a large scale deal and eventually selling it.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Investors looking to transition from single-family homes to multi-family units.
Why We Like It
The author has done a good job getting into the details and helping investors achieve larger-scale property investments through his proven system.
#24 – “The Challenge” by Robert G. Allen
Book Summary
This is a real-life narrative of 3 unemployed people who learned how to successfully invest in real estate. It follows each person’s journey, sharing their successes and failures along the way.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Every real estate investor will both benefit and relate.
Why We Like It
We like that this book because it illustrates real-life. It not only shows the successes but the failures and how to learn from them. It’s inspirational and motivating.
#25 – “Build a Rental Property Empire” by Mark Ferguson
Book Summary
The book teaches the valuable lesson of what makes a good rental property and the right way to buy. Ferguson shares how to find great deals, finance multiple rentals, manage properties and leverage your equity to buy additional real estate.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
This is one of the best real estate investing books for beginners. However, valuable experiences and strategies are shared for all investor levels.
Why We Like It
We like this book because it’s objective and very easy to understand.
#26 – “My Life & 1,000 Houses” by Mitch Stephen
Book Summary
Mitch Stephen shares his life and real estate investment journey to buying over 1,000 units. As a self-taught entrepreneur, Stephen goes through the ups and downs of learning from mistakes and resiliency. The book shows readers how to overcome challenges one house at a time.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Investors new to real estate.
Why We Like It
We like that the book focuses on learning from and overcoming our mistakes, in life and in real estate.
#27 – “The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing” by Spencer Strauss & Martin Stone
Book Summary
The book helps investors lay out a blueprint for buying a first investment property. It defines real estate vocabulary and goes over basic concepts every investor should know.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
A great starter book for new investors.
Why We Like It
The book provides great insights for how to get started in real estate.
#28 – “From Renos to Riches” by Ian Szabo
Book Summary
A comprehensive guide to renovating property in a cost effective way. Szabo shares tips for ways to save thousands of dollars on any type of renovation and staying on budget. The book suggests rental renovations be a long-term investment with the tenant in mind.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
All types of property investors will benefit from the many ways to save on expenses for your rental.
Why We Like It
It provides creative ideas to save money on renovating rentals.
#29 – “Real Estate Finance and Investment Manual” by Jack Cummings
Book Summary
Jack Cummings helps investors lower the risk involved in buying real estate property. The book focuses on how to finance investment properties of all sizes and clearly explains financing concepts.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
This book may be a bit complex for brand new real estate investors, but it contains valuable information on financing for anyone looking to increase their knowledge and understanding.
Why We Like It
Helps investors decide which financing strategy fits their personal needs.
#30 – “The Commercial Real Estate Investor’s Handbook: A Step-by-Step Road Map to Financial Wealth” by Steven D. Fisher
Book Summary
The book covers just what the title describes, a step-by-step guide to investing in commercial real estate. Fisher explains everything commercial investors need to know in an easy-to-understand way. Understand budgeting, determine property values, and how to buy, finance and manage commercial real estate.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Commercial real estate investors.
Why We Like It
We like this book because, although it covers complex commercial real estate processes, it’s easy for any reader to understand and apply.
#31 – “The Loan Guide: How to Get the Best Possible Mortgage” by Casey Fleming
Book Summary
This book is all about finding and securing the loan that’s right for you. Fleming walks us through the five things an investor must do in order to get the best possible mortgage. 1) Decide whether you should even get a loan in the first place, 2) Choose the best lending channel for your needs, 3) Choose the best loan program for your needs, 4) Choose the best price point for your specific plans, and 5) Lock your interest rate at the right time.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Novice to expert investors.
Why We Like It
We like this book because it provides meaningful ways to save money on your mortgage throughout the lifetime of your loan.
#32 – “From 0 to 130 Properties in 3.5 Years” by Steve McKnight
Book Summary
If you’re looking for an inspirational book about real estate investing, this one’s for you. McKnight’s approach to investing, cash flow and achieving financial freedom will change real estate investors perspective. The book discusses how the author and his business partner go from owning zero properties to over 130 in a short period of time.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Any level of real estate investors.
Why We Like It
We like this book because it’s a perspective-changer on how to approach real estate investing to achieve financial freedom.
#33 – “Investing in Duplexes, Triplexes & Quads” by Larry B. Loftis
Book Summary
The author, Larry Loftis is a real estate investor and attorney, drawing on his real-life experiences of multi-family property investing. Loftis provides a guide to safe, easy and cash flowing investing, for both new and experienced investors. In this book you’ll learn, how to eliminate risk, refinance to purchase more properties and buy duplexes, triplexes and quads with little to no money down.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Small multi-family real estate investors.
Why We Like It
This is a great book for investors specializing in the multi-family property niche of real estate. We also like that it helps new investors get into real estate.
#34 – “One Rental at a Time” by Michael Zuber
Book Summary
One Rental at a Time: The Journey to Financial Independence Through Real Estate is an actionable guide for how to get started in real estate investing. Zuber focuses on coaching versus criticism, giving helpful mentoring and real-world applications.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Beginner real estate investors looking to get started.
Why We Like It
We like this book because it it provides readers with realistic tools to start building an investment portfolio of any size.
#35 – “Retire Rich with Rentals” by Kathy Fettke
Book Summary
Professional real estate investor, Kathy Fettke shows us how to fund your retirement on passive income from real estate.
In this book you’ll learn, why real estate is the highest leverage investment strategy, hands-free and stress-free property management, little known strategies to grow retirement funds faster by deferring taxes, and how to build a $1,000,000+ portfolio.
What Type of Investor Will Benefit
Investors interested in earning passive income without having to deal with personally managing properties.
Why We Like It
Of course we are biased, but as a #1 best seller in real estate investment books, we had to include, Retire Rich with Rentals. While the book contains expert advice on real estate investing, Fettke focuses on a truly passive approach to building real wealth through rental properties.
Tip: Get Retire Rich with Rentals for FREE by becoming a member (which is free too).
What to Do Next?
While we couldn’t highlight all the best real estate investing books out there, the 35 on our list provide a comprehensive guide to succeed in any real estate investing niche. Whether you are new to real estate or a seasoned investor, you’ll benefit from the various tips, advice, ideas and best practices found in each of these books.
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