Question
A friend of mine came across this site, and it strikes me as another scheme that preys on aspiring and inexperienced investors. I want to double-check my reading on this and ask if you have come across it and if you've formed an opinion: https://www.biggerpockets.com
Answer
What I appreciate about BiggerPockets®
Generally, the reading material is more valuable than many other books on real estate investing. The content is good on tactics but lacks strategy. More on this below. The material is what investors should ask about, but not all of what they need.
While not the McDonald's of real estate education (not good for you were eaten by itself), BiggerPockets® is the Applebee's of real estate education—attractive to the mass market. Organizations like CCIM offer the steakhouse of real estate education.
I appreciate the way BiggerPockets® has fragmented the content into different components. This format is digestible for someone who wants to dial into specific areas of this business.
For the market and purpose described above, BiggerPockets® does an excellent job of making investment real estate education accessible. It has become a primary source for those seeking to learn more.
What I am concerned about.
BiggerPockets® seems to underemphasize real estate investment risks. While they do touch on it, the weight and depth of the actual risk involved with this asset class are not adequately addressed. It's understandable that a book solely focused on real estate risk might not be a best seller, considering their target audience. However, such a book could help explain why more people, consciously or unconsciously, fail to maximize their investment capital.
While BiggerPockets® is tactical, it could benefit from a more strategic approach. The strategy should focus more on the big picture – the reason for investing in real estate in this case, and its expected impact on a family's larger financial objective, including cash flow mix with other sources, taxation, succession, etc. It's challenging to address strategy with mass-market books, but that's the crucial missing link.
BiggerPockets® business model should be more transparent. Its streams of revenue can go beyond the education they are selling. It includes the partnerships and ancillary services the site offers and can have a revenue share component. It's linked to other resources, and the money users spend can be significant. Be aware that it is impossible to vet out an entire industry by a local community and still always have the best of the breed.
I sure hope this high-level feedback helps.
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