Real Estate Investing Books (2024)

Building Wealth One House at a Time, Updated and Expanded, Second Edition
This book is a must for beginners wondering how to break into buy-and-hold, single-family home real estate investing. By outlining the strategies he’s used to make purchases, Schaub addresses the most common questions, such as: How do you find a good deal? What properties provide the best return for the least amount of work? How do you find financing? No hype, just solid introductory education.

What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow… And 36 Other Key Financial Measures
While “Building Wealth One House at a Time” covers the framework for how to invest in real estate, it’s not very numbers-centric. That's where this book comes in. Gallinelli reviews all the important formulas that real estate investors must know in order to determine if a property is worth buying. He provides simple explanations and breaks down the jargon so math-phobics have nothing to fear.

The Book on Flipping Houses: How to Buy, Rehab, and Resell Residential Properties
Not a fan of the buy-and-hold approach? Scott, owner of 123Flip.com, provides a step-by-step system for flipping houses in this book. It’s intended for absolute beginners and guides you through the entire flip process with no nonsense in between. Scott is so serious about this being an educational book (rather than a fluffy motivational book) that he outlines the 20 steps you'll take upfront, and the actions you'll want to take while reading.

Every Landlord's Legal Guide
Published by NOLO Press, this guide will help DIYers navigate the sticky legal issues that scare most people away from real estate investing. You’ll learn what to do when a tenant doesn’t pay, breaks the lease early, or causes damage to the property. You’ll also discover proven methods to use when hiring a property manager. This is also a great book to grab if you’re an “accidental landlord,” or if you want to self-manage your properties.

The ABCs of Real Estate Investing: The Secrets of Finding Hidden Profits Most Investors Miss
This is a great book for beginners looking to invest in multi-family dwellings. It contains easy-to-understand concepts, dispels the common myths behind real estate investing, and seeks to educate you in every area, from building a team to crunching the numbers to finding partnerships. Ken McElroy, the author, has over 26 years of experience in the real estate industry.

The Millionaire Real Estate Investor
Are you letting fear hold you back from becoming a real estate investor? This book provides the motivation and inspiration you need to get started. It includes advice from 100 real estate investors (including several quotes from yours truly, Todd Tresidder) who have made millions. The advice is divided into four categories: mindset, criteria, teams, and habits to develop. It's not recommended for those already set on purchasing property or those with deeper experience.

Landlording on Autopilot: A Simple, No-Brainer System for Higher Profits and Fewer Headaches
Butler self-managed 75 rental properties while working as a police officer full-time. His system for streamlining landlording is well-proven. Considering most people's first worry about real estate investing is managing tenants, you'll want to read this book for his advice. The book comes with a few downloadable forms. While there are some dated references, the systems themselves are timeless.

Best Real Estate Investing Advice Ever
Fairless hosts a podcast by the same name where he interviews real estate investors to share insights from their experience, and much of that is shared in this book. You'll get case studies that feature real-life examples from real investors without any fluff. It's great for investors of any level.