119: How to Build an Investor-Friendly Brokerage by Being an Investor with Jon Bombaci

If you’re new to real estate investing, finding an agent specialized in helping investors can be a game-changer. They know the right questions to ask and can help guide you as you search for properties.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan sits down with Jon Bombaci, founder of Candor Realty, powered by FourPoints, in Massachusetts. Jon’s brokerage is focused on working with investors and has more than 30 investor-friendly agents on his team. He has decades of real estate investing and insurance experience behind him and has been involved in many real estate transactions on- and off-market.

As they begin their conversation, Jonathan and Jon explore Jon’s first investing experience—a house hack—during his college days and the lessons he took away from it. Jon explains when he realized he wanted to go all in on real estate investing, what prompted him to open an investor-focused brokerage, and why you don’t necessarily need a real estate license as an investor. You’ll hear how he builds trust with investors and creates long-term relationships, the questions you should ask yourself before approaching an agent to buy properties, and how an investor mindset can help traditional buyers and sellers. Jonathan and Jon also discuss the role of meetup groups in investor education, why he spends almost nothing on marketing, and how you can start meetup groups and grow them.

Having an agent at your side who understands real estate investors can be a powerful tool, and Jon Bombaci outlines the details you need to know in this episode.

In this episode, you will hear:

How Jon Bombaci began real estate investing with a house hack in college and the landlording lessons he learned
The realization he came to after his father died and when he went all in on real estate investing
Opening a brokerage and growing a team of 35 investor-focused agents
What Jon tells people who want to get their real estate license to save on fees and when a license is a good idea
Why he seldom represents himself in a transaction
Building trust with investors and maintaining long relationships with them
Jon’s decision not to have clients sign buyer agreements and the reasons behind it
The questions new investors should ask themselves before going to an agent to buy properties
Jon Bombaci’s meetup groups and why he requires new clients to attend one
How having an investor mindset can help traditional buyers and sellers as well
His rules for lowball offers and why you might not get the deal you think you’re getting
Setting the expectations for house hackers and the properties Jon prefers
Why he spends almost nothing on marketing, and what he relies on instead
Starting meetups, hosting them consistently, and growing them

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