Real estate is a field where aspiring entrepreneurs can find many paths to success, and that was no different for Austin Walker. Walker dove head first into the world of real estate and found a fortune in it, as real estate is one of the few industries that can deliver fast turnarounds and establish lucrative careers quickly. When asked how he got his start in real estate he says, “I had just gotten out of prison and had to do work for my mom in order to stay at her home. After a little while I wanted to do something more with my life, that desire grew more day by day. I was brainstorming ideas one day of what I could do to make some extra money and the idea of Airbnb hit me. I knew it was a fast up and coming app and I believed I could win doing it.”
Austin often gets asked for advice from many aspiring entrepreneurs, and he always gives them the same advice. The first point being, to get educated. He says, “Many think they know about real estate because they have owned property before, or think it looks easy. But the only way to start out and get good is to learn everything you possibly can about the business, just like any other industry. Read books and articles, watch videos and try to find a good mentor.”
Austin also notes to surround yourself with successful people. He believes the best people to surround yourself with are those who have already accomplished what you want to do. If you’re going to have to learn from someone, try to go out and find the most successful professionals to learn from.
If you don’t know where to start, he mentions you can ask to intern for someone as a learning opportunity. Many of these pros who are running already successful businesses will be happy to have whatever help they can in exchange for their knowledge.
Lastly, he says that the most successful people in real estate are those who are able to face challenges, solve them and keep moving forward. Perseverance and determination is crucial. Don’t let the disappointments dissuade you from pursuing your goals. If you get knocked down, learn from it, but get right back up and keep going.
To see more of what Austin is doing, you can follow him on Instagram @austindanewalker.