Why You Need Real Estate Investors on Your Mortgage Team

Here’s a question for you: Would you go to your dentist for braces?

Some people might think “maybe.” After all, dentists work in your mouth. They use small tools. They know their way around teeth. But if you’ve ever actually had braces, you know you need an orthodontist. A specialist.

So why do so many real estate investors partner with people who aren’t specialists in what they do?

The Referral Trap

Here’s what happens. Your best friend tells you to use Tom the realtor. Tom helped them buy their home and it was great. So you think, “Perfect, I’ll use Tom for my investment property.”

But Tom might be amazing for homeowners and terrible for investors. He doesn’t understand cap rates, cash flow, or rental market analysis. That’s not his specialty.

The same goes for mortgage brokers, insurance agents, and every other service provider. Just because someone is good at their job doesn’t mean they’re good for YOUR needs.

And here’s the really tricky part: anyone can claim to be an expert online. They sell courses. They make videos. They tell you what to do. But when you dig deeper, you find out they’ve never actually done what they’re teaching.

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Three Tips for Building Your Investment Team

Tip #1: Slow Down

Waiting a day or two to choose who you’ll work with won’t kill your deal. But rushing into the wrong partnership can absolutely kill your profits.

Take the time to do your homework. Most investors skip this step and regret it later.

Tip #2: Ask the Right Questions

You need to dig into the experience of anyone you’re thinking about working with. Here are the questions you should ask:

• How many rental properties have you personally owned?
• Have you done this specific strategy you’re recommending to me?
• Have you purchased this type of property yourself?
• What mistakes have you made in your own investing journey?

These questions reveal everything. If someone gets defensive or dodges the questions, that tells you something important.

Tip #3: Are They Actually an Expert or Just a Marketer?

This is the big one. Most people are really good at marketing themselves. But marketing skills and investing expertise are two completely different things.

Let me give you a real example. We have developers on our mortgage team who have reviewed over $1.25 billion in development deals. Not just financed them. Actually reviewed them, analyzed them, and decided which ones made sense.

One prominent broker out West tried to get a $10 million deal approved. Every lender they approached said no. They thought it was a land deal. When one of our team members, Jennifer, looked at it, she immediately understood the development process. She explained to the lender that it wasn’t a land deal at all. The lender got interested again.

The difference? Jennifer is a developer herself. She speaks the language. She understands the process from the inside.

Why Investor Experience Matters

Would you rather get your investment property mortgage from someone who has done a few deals, or someone who has had 1,800+ tenants across their investing career?

Our team members don’t just process mortgages. They:

• Own multiple properties in the U.S. and Canada
• Manage student rentals with hundreds of units
• Actively flip properties right now
• Develop purpose-built rentals
• Deal with the same problems you deal with every day

That experience changes everything. They can warn you about problems before they happen. They can structure your financing differently because they’ve been in your shoes. They can tell you which strategies actually work and which ones just sound good on paper.

The Real Cost of the Wrong Team

Working with the wrong people costs you money. Sometimes thousands of dollars. Sometimes entire deals that fall apart.

But it also costs you time and stress. You’ll face problems that someone with real experience would have helped you avoid.

The right team doesn’t just process your paperwork. They add value at every step. They share insights from their own portfolio. They connect you with other experts who actually know what they’re doing.

Where Do You Find These People?

Look for service providers who have skin in the game. Who invest in the same types of properties you want to buy. Who have made mistakes and learned from them.

Don’t just take referrals at face value. Ask questions. Slow down. Make sure the person who was great for your friend’s situation is actually right for yours.

And remember: the best real estate professionals are investors first. They do the work they’re helping you with. They understand it from the inside.

Your investment portfolio is too important to trust to people who are just good at marketing themselves. You need people who have actually done what you’re trying to do.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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