Last Updated on October 24, 2023 by Neil Sharma
A presentation on Nov. 3 for investors, both neophyte and seasoned alike, will explore ways to raise capital so you can finance all your real estate deals without using a penny of one’s own money.
Daniel St-Jean, who’s hosting the event, knows a thing or two about raising funds for investment projects. Now an investor and fundraiser who worked as a consultant for the federal government in Ottawa, St-Jean and his wife Laurel began investing in real estate 11 years ago and by 2014 their cash flow was so strong that they decided to move to Niagara-on-the-Lake where Laurel pursued her winemaking ambitions. Having an income that wasn’t tied to a single location also helped the couple achieve their dream of travelling for six months of the year.
In total, the couple acquired 63 properties worth $29 million in a few years by raising funds from other investors, preferring to use the rent-to-own strategy with three-year horizons to get their investors’ money out.
“In 10 years, we’ve never missed an interest payment and I know in six months these people will be paid back. I know the timeline, and because of our experience people aren’t taking risks,” he said. “It’s important to treat investors ethically. If I did wrong by an investor, word would get out because it’s a small world, so you should always be careful who you take on board, what you promise, and make sure you take care of your investors.”
Of course, finding investors is an altogether different challenge that the presentation will address through concepts like “connectworking” and “winoffering,” the former of which entails building rapports.
Connectworking is crucial to ascertain whether or not you’re speaking to the right investor. St-Jean says it’s important to show care, perhaps by trying to help them solve a problem—that could be as innocuous as introducing them to a property manager—and to build trust because they will remember that and be more willing to work with you.
St-Jean will also impress upon attendees winoffering, which is key to raising all the money you need to finance your real estate projects.
“I’ll be revealing and explaining some acronyms that are the keys to your success,” he said. “If you learn and put these acronyms in place, it will separate you from everyone else at that networking event and everybody else competing for the investor funds you’re after, and you will create trust. In the real estate investing business, when you use other people’s money and credit, trust is paramount.
St-Jean will also trash a couple of crippling myths for the benefit of novice investors.
The complimentary presentation is on Nov. 3, 2021. You can register on the REITE Club website now.
Neil Sharma is the Editor-In-Chief of Canadian Real Estate Wealth and Real Estate Professional. As a journalist, he has covered Canada’s housing market for the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, National Post, and other publications, specializing in everything from market trends to mortgage and investment advice. He can be reached at neil@crewmedia.ca.
