Consumer checklist
How to vet a real estate investing program
Use these checks for any course, seminar, mentorship, community, or coaching offer, including the education marketed on this site.
CHECK 1
Guaranteed income or deal claims
No course can guarantee financing, a property, a buyer, a renter, profit, or a timeline. Ask for the exact evidence and assumptions behind every number.
CHECK 2
Pressure to buy immediately
A short-lived price should not prevent you from reading the agreement, comparing alternatives, checking your budget, or consulting an adviser.
CHECK 3
An unclear total price
Request the full cash and financed cost, interest or payment terms, optional software fees, coaching renewals, events, and likely business expenses.
CHECK 4
Vague curriculum
Ask for class names, instructors, runtimes, sample lessons, learning objectives, materials, and the access period.
CHECK 5
Testimonials without context
Revenue is not profit. Ask about capital, experience, costs, failed attempts, time invested, property records, and whether the outcome is typical.
CHECK 6
Instructor credentials that cannot be checked
Verify licenses, employment, deal history, publications, and current practice through authoritative sources rather than marketing copy.
CHECK 7
Education presented as advice
A teacher or marketer is not automatically your lawyer, CPA, adviser, broker, lender, inspector, or contractor.
CHECK 8
No written refund or cancellation terms
Read the actual contract before paying. Do not rely on a verbal summary of access, cancellation, financing, or refunds.
CHECK 9
Constant upsells
Ask what can be accomplished with the initial purchase and which tools, events, coaching, leads, or advanced levels cost extra.
CHECK 10
Little downside discussion
A credible program should discuss vacancies, overruns, financing risk, title and condition problems, legal compliance, taxes, and failed exits.
CHECK 11
Borrowing beyond your comfort
Do not let projected returns substitute for an honest ability-to-pay analysis. Education debt remains due even if no deal closes.
CHECK 12
Conflicted recommendations
Ask how the marketer, coach, lender, vendor, or referral partner is compensated and whether alternatives were considered.
FTC guidance
The FTC advises consumers to slow down around money-making claims and evaluate the facts behind promises of easy income or low risk. Report suspected fraud directly to the FTC.
Read the FTC enforcement release →