BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

Imagine getting 10% off your next rental property (on the low end). What about getting a rate in the 3% or 4% range, or putting only 5%-15% down on a property that’s not only affordable but also in the path of progress? As interest rates climb higher and buyers step back, investors have opportunities that haven’t been available in years, and in 2027, these opportunities could get even better.

Today, we’re talking with another rental property investing veteran (literally), Zach Lemaster. Zach spent years as an Air Force optometrist, using a 5%-down loan to kickstart his ow...

Real estate investing won’t make you rich overnight. But keep at it for long enough, and it will make you very wealthy.

Philip Henry had been doing all the right things: buying a rental property every year, renovating it, raising rent, and then rolling his home equity into the next deal. Yet after nearly 15 years, he had very little to show for it, and the stress and workload were beginning to take a toll on his health and relationships.

Right when others would have given up, the real es...

This is how to buy a small multifamily rental property the right way. It’s not hard, it’s not complicated, and it’s (arguably) one of the best residential real estate investments to make right now. Why? Safer financing, faster scale, and bigger cash flow. Unlike single-family rentals, small multifamily real estate was designed to make you money, and the returns clearly show that.

So how do you get your first duplex, triplex, or quadplex this year? Today, Dave is walking through each step you need to take.

From f...

Most investors follow the same path—buy a single-family rental, learn the ropes, and upgrade to small multifamily, slowly snowballing the portfolio. But what if you could take the leap from your first deal, skipping single-family entirely and buying a sizable rental property portfolio on investment #1? If you had no experience, it could change your life overnight—so is it worth it?

We’re back answering real questions from the BiggerPockets Forums, and we’ve got a special guest—Chauncey Pham, the making-six-figures-per-deal investor! First, an investor has enough cash to buy a decent-sized multifamil...

Kent Long wanted passive income. The problem? All those gurus and guides online were only selling a fantasy. The one thing that seemed to actually generate income: real estate. When a property that could easily be split into two units came on the market, Kent jumped at the chance. Little did he know this $14,000 down payment would become an entire real estate portfolio that would help him retire early from his job.

At 46, Kent bought his first rental property (just two years ago, in 2024). The purchase price? A mere $70,000. With a small renovation, this...

Investors have used the same proven formula for decades: Buy a discounted property, renovate it, and increase its value by tens or sometimes even hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s a simple investing strategy, and yet it’s one of the best ways to get rich through real estate investing.

But there’s a catch that too many investors miss. You can’t renovate just anything; you have to renovate the right things. After over 100 real estate deals, Henry knows exactly what moves the needle, and in part two of our series on estimati...

A real estate deal may look like a home run on paper, but you can’t know for certain until you’ve walked the property and uncovered exactly what needs to be fixed!

Budgeting for renovations is one of the things that trips new investors up, which is why we’re bringing you a two-part series on estimating rehab costs. In part one, we’re taking a deep dive into the “big five”—the five major home systems that can make or break your next investment. We’re covering everything from roof to foundation, and even a bonus...

JPMorgan Chase, America’s largest bank, just made a big bet on housing—a $750B bet to be exact. At a time when most people hope home prices will fall, JPMorgan is gearing up to lend and invest in a huge way. Could this be a sign that those who buy now will be thanking themselves in the years to come? We’re getting into the details in today’s show.

On the Market is here with a housing market update! First, we’re touching on whether or not the market has already peaked in 2026. W...

The top 1% of real estate investors don’t have a “secret” market, a “better” investing strategy, or access to “exclusive” resources. They just do nine things better than most other investors—boring, repeatable habits that make you rich over time.

This is what separates successful investors from those who never quite reach their goals, flame out after a deal or two, or stay stuck on the sidelines. Many of these habits are much simpler than you think—things like investing consistently, being patient, and treating real estate investing like an actual business—yet most investors don’t do a...

The rules of real estate investing have changed.

For years, investors were using the one-percent rule to quickly determine if a real estate deal would cash flow. But the one-percent rule, rent-to-price ratio, and other common rules of thumb have a glaring blind spot. They account for purchase price, but they don’t account for expenses.

Meanwhile, mortgage rates, taxes, and insurance have all risen across the board—expenses that can easily kill your cash flow.

So, Dave’s come up with a new rule o...

In just under six years, Bryan Field built a 100% remote real estate investment portfolio producing over $65,000 per year in cash flow. He bought properties sight unseen, chose markets that made the most money, and routinely reinvested his home equity. He started with zero real estate experience, and his first real investment went way over budget, but he bounced back and has already replaced a sizable chunk of his salary.

Stuck in San Diego, Bryan knew he wanted to invest, but not in the million-dollar houses around him. The best bet? Move to a cheaper...

Is it better to buy an existing property with value-add potential or a new construction home in 2026?

For years, there was no debate. The ability to buy a property at a discount, add value through renovations, force appreciation, and recycle your money made the BRRRR method a no-brainer for most investors.

But in 2026, things are a little different. Builders are sitting on inventory, which means new homes are being sold for less than we’ve seen in years. Not to mention, builders are giving buyers massive incentives like mortgage ra...

You’ve saved up some money and are ready to buy your first rental property. Now comes the question: How much do you put down? Do you buy multiple cheaper properties or splurge and put the entire down payment into one bigger, arguably more stable rental? Should you start to scale from the jump or test the real estate investing waters before committing more money? After buying dozens of rental units, Dave and Henry have a clear opinion.

We’re back with your questions from the BiggerPockets Forums! A real estate rookie is wondering whet...

Three years ago, Andres Martinez was waiting tables. Today, he owns 10 rental properties, manages another four, and has a rental portfolio that brings in over $13,000 in monthly cash flow. He’s even been able to quit his job and focus on his rentals full-time. But how did he pull all of this off—and in such little time?

Early on, Andres had one goal: maximize the cash flow on every property he bought. This led him to co-living, an investing strategy where you have multiple tenants under the same roof. The cash flow was so s...

The BRRRR method is not dead—far from it. In fact, it’s still one of my absolute favorite investing strategies today. But in 2026, you need to change how you use it.

I’m about to show you a variation of the traditional BRRRR that gives you all the upside and scalability you’d expect from one of these deals, but with far less risk, more time, and greater flexibility. And in this housing market? That’s exactly what you need.

I’m talking about the “slow” BRRRR. The steps are simila...

Today, we’re showing you exactly how to learn about real estate investing, so you can get your first property faster.

There are thousands of videos, podcasts, books, and forums floating around. Where do you even start? The amount of information alone is enough to keep you stuck on the sidelines. Not to mention, there’s a lot of bad information out there.

In this episode, we’re giving you a clear roadmap for getting all the information you need before buying your first rental property.

...

People say it’s just too hard to find real estate deals in 2026, but today’s guest is proving them all wrong. He’s already bought four rental properties that make over $6,000 in monthly cash flow, and he’s been investing in real estate for just eight months.

Joe Crocker is eager to trade his 70-hour workweek for financial freedom, and he’s on track to replace his W-2 income with rental cash flow in the next two years. He’s not finding these properties by building lists, cold calling, or sending mailers. These are regular...

Want to rent out your house? This is how to do it right: get the best tenants and the highest rent. 

For most Americans, renting out their previous primary residence will be their first experience in real estate investing. Thankfully, renting out your house like a professional is not hard; you just have to follow a few key steps that inexperienced investors will completely skip over. Today, Dave is sharing his step-by-step guide to renting out your home, even if you have no experience, even if you’re self-managing.

Fro...

The “regular” rental property you’re thinking of buying? It may not look like anything special here in 2026, but it could be worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars more down the road—IF it has any of the high-upside qualities we’re about to show you.

For the last 18 months, I’ve said that this is real estate investing’s era of “upside.” The “easy” real estate deals you could buy in 2015-2022 are long gone, and what we’re left with are a lot of seemingly unspectacular properties—but ones with hidden upside that is...

In just 11 years, Aaron Murphy has replaced his and his wife’s income with repeatable, long-term rental properties. No complicated strategy. No huge windfall of cash. He made serious mistakes on his first true investment property, but quickly developed a “foolproof” system that allowed him to scale to an impressive real estate portfolio and gave him a sustainable exit path out of his W-2 job.

After getting tired of the “do this or don’t get paid” mentality at his job, Aaron realized he needed another source of income. Stocks required too much upfront cash, homes...

In just a decade, you can replace your income with rentals. If you can save up just one down payment for a rental property, you can use the strategy I’m about to share and repeat it until you build an income-replacing investment property portfolio, without needing a new down payment every time you buy. Today, I’m walking through one of the most powerful investing strategies that is so simple most investors ignore it.

I’ll also prove that you do not need 20 rental properties to comfortably replace your income—you only need seven.<...

Real estate investing is a team sport. You can buy great rental properties in great neighborhoods and still fail—all because you don’t have the right people around you.

Today, we’re showing you exactly how to build your real estate investing team from scratch. This is important for any investor, whether you’re buying in your own backyard or out-of-state, but it’s even more crucial when building a rental portfolio from hundreds or thousands of miles away.

Every successful real estate business has at least four key player...

Nathan Nicholson was the top salesperson at his company but had very little to show for it. His retirement fund? It wasn’t doing anything for him today, so he did something most would call “crazy”: he cashed it out. And it was the best move he could’ve made, as it’s helped him buy 23 rental properties and generate well over $100,000 a year in true cash flow!

Nathan’s using an investing strategy that any investor can copy: buy small (and affordable) properties, fix them up, and rent them out. It’s simple, it’s boring, a...

This is how to analyze a rental property step-by-step in 2026. You don’t need to do any complicated math, you don’t need to sign up for a course, and you don’t need to have previous rental property experience. I’ve tweaked this process over the past fifteen years of investing to ensure it gets me the best returns possible while being so conservative that it’s hard to get it wrong.

Today, I’m showing you exactly how to do rental property analysis like a pro, even if this is your first investment p...

Real estate investors often talk about cash flow, or the profits from flipping a house, but rarely the total impact that buying a rental property and holding it for multiple years can have on your net worth. If you’ve never done the math, it’s significant. In many cases, a single property can create several hundred thousand dollars in wealth.

And to prove it, Dave and Henry have each handpicked a real estate deal from their own portfolios. They’ll walk you through how they found these properties, how they funded them, and some o...

Worried you’ll come up short in retirement? When Brian Waters ran the numbers, he realized he was still decades away from being able to leave his nine-to-five. He needed a lifeline, and he found one in real estate investing. In just five years, he has scaled to 20 rental properties, and against all odds, he’s already on track to retire early!

When we last checked in with Brian, he was buying simple, affordable, turnkey properties 2,000 miles away. But recently, he’s pivoted to a “hybrid” investing strategy you’ve probably never heard of, one that’s h...

We’ve reached the midway point of 2026, and with six months of housing market data to pull from, one thing is clear: the headlines don’t match reality.

The media is full of economic uncertainty, global conflict, and even housing crash predictions. But the actual data points to something else entirely.

The 2026 housing market? It’s surprisingly stable. No, there isn’t a ton of activity. Interest rates remain elevated. We’re still in the “Great Stall.” But things are more predictable. And that’s all investors need to make informed de...

You don’t have to buy your first rental property—you can build one instead. Newer systems, fewer repairs, and that “brand new” feeling that tenants may pay more rent for. But…is it worth it? Building a small multifamily in a single-family area could let you house hack and own a rare property in your market, but is the headache worth the effort?

With more and more investors choosing to build rather than buy, we thought we’d weigh in.

Dave and Henry are back answering your questions from the Big...

When Niyi Adewole got his first “real” job out of college, he had one goal: financial freedom. But when he asked his coworkers about the company 401(k), he left more confused than convinced. In searching for answers, he discovered a much better path: real estate investing.

Then, with just $5,000 in savings, he bought his first rental property—a triplex he house hacked to cover his mortgage. That first property snowballed into the next one, and in just six years, Niyi quit his W-2 job. Today, he owns 14 properties, including small multifamily rentals, Airbnbs, and even a...

I reached financial independence before 40. I set out to do the impossible, and achieved it. I bought rental properties, worked hard at my job, saved and invested most of my money, and got to my goal. Then I realized something I wish someone had told me—everything I thought I knew about financial independence was wrong. 

If you are on this journey to free yourself from your job, retire early, or reach the magic “FI number” that will give you lasting security, I urge you—listen to this episode.

While mos...

Many people assume house flipping doesn’t work anymore.

They’re wrong.

House flipping isn’t dead. The “easy” money is. While it’s true that flipping houses isn’t as forgiving as it was just a few years ago—and yes, the “bad” flippers are being exposed—the fear surrounding this investing strategy is actually creating massive opportunities for those who do their homework.

Just ask Henry and today’s guest, Dominique Gunderson. They’ve been flipping houses for many years and are still finding plenty of re...

When the Great Recession hit, Andy Gil lost his business. Suddenly, he was forced to start over. But the fear of losing everything again was the driving force behind what would come next.

Andy got serious, raising his young kids in an 800-square-foot house, driving 10-year-old cars, and funneling every spare dollar into savings so he could start buying rental properties. These were the types of sacrifices the average investor probably wouldn’t make, but they became the catalyst for scaling to 58 rental units in just four years!

What’s mo...

If you’re in your 40s, or even 50s, and think it’s too late to build a comfortable retirement, think again. We’ve done the math, we’ve crunched the numbers, and we've run the playbook ourselves—using rental properties, you can replace a significant portion of your income in just around a decade. Today, we’re sharing the exact strategy to get you there. 

Most retirees have a small sum in savings and a Social Security check to count on in retirement. But what if you want more income to travel, experience, or donate as...

When the dot-com bubble burst, Matt (the “Lumberjack Landlord”) watched his 100% stock portfolio go to dust.

Having lost everything he had saved throughout his early twenties, his only option was to rebuild. But with what? He needed something that could help him offset his living expenses today and propel him toward retirement.

That “something” was rentals.

But Matt didn’t just buy a couple of rental properties and sit back. He did what many investors won’t: he house hacked. And again. And again. Nine times i...

One day, Remington Lyman was brought into his boss's office, told that he did above-and-beyond at his job, and was handed a 2% raise with a smile. All the extra hours, all that hard work, equaled the equivalent of an inflation-matching salary bump. That was it—it was time to put his financial freedom in his own hands.

Remington began building an income-replacing rental property portfolio, so when the day came that he was laid off, he’d be more than prepared. Remington was ready to go, and that’s when the real scaling started.

...

How many rental properties do you need to retire? A lot fewer than you think.

When people start investing in real estate, they think they need 20, 50, or even 100 rental units to build wealth, retire early, and secure financial freedom for themselves and their families. This is not the case…and it’s not even close.

The average American only needs eight—yes, eight—paid-off rental properties to retire with six figures in annual cash flow. But that would take decades to pay off, right? Not quite. Within just around a decade...

We’re all here for passive income, and when you say “passive income,” many people immediately think of rental properties. But, is real estate investing really the best path to get the income streams you’re dreaming of, and is there a certain threshold where it’s not worth the effort? You’re listening to this show because you’re either interested in or investing in real estate, but we’ve been invited to debate someone with a different perspective. 

Ryan Sterling, CEO of NerdWallet Wealth Partners, has owned real estate investments but has since sold them a...

In just six years, this single mom of three became a self-made multimillionaire with rental properties. She didn’t start with a ton of cash; she worked full-time, and she often put very little down. Using an owner-occupied strategy that 99% of investors won’t dare to try, she’s reached financial freedom while raising three kids. 

So how’d she do it?

Today, we’re talking to Rachel Duck from central Texas. She took a popular strategy—the live-in flip—and made it even better: buying houses with 5% down, living in them...

New to investing in real estate? In an area that has high housing prices, tough landlord laws, or little-to-no cash flow potential? We’ve got you covered. We’re sharing 12 markets that are making money for real estate investors right now. Regardless of your strategy, we have markets for you. From long-term rentals to short-term rentals and Airbnbs, house hacking cities that will help cover your mortgage, and house flipping markets with high returns and low rehab costs.

We didn’t want to give you just one option to choose from, so Dave, Henry, and As...

Is buying rental properties still worth it in 2026?

There’s no denying that rising interest rates, sluggish rent growth, and other factors have taken the shine off many properties that would have been home-run deals only a few years ago.

But this is real estate we’re talking about. Buy-and-hold investing tends to reward people in the long run. It’s just that, to buy in this market, you’ve got to adapt.

Chad “Coach” Carson believes these market conditions heavily favor the “small and mighty” in...