My Bigger Pockets One Year Anniversary!
April 29, 2015
One of the things I most enjoy in life is taking a brief moment to look back on what I’ve done. Also the positives and negatives that come along with my decisions. Recently I noticed that I was coming up on my one year anniversary of becoming a member of Bigger Pockets.
While learning the proper way to post on Bigger Pockets my account was suspended. I was completely shut out ☺. But after those first few months, I have thoroughly enjoyed my times spent on Bigger Pockets. For those that may think that there is no advantage or opportunity in being a part of Bigger Pockets, I can say that’s 100% wrong! Throughout the past year I’ve made valuable contacts with a handful of wholesalers, a few contractors, and a whole bunch of investors. Thanks to Bigger Pockets, I’m wrapping up my ninth transaction with a BP contact. That’s one transaction per month in the time I’ve been involved on the site!
What I want the Bigger Pockets newbies to know is that the majority of those nine transactions came at the very END of my first year. I didn’t jump on the site and immediately get lenders or investors; I put a full year into using the site with little to no return. However, the more time I invested in this site, the more dividends it’s paid me. To the new investors on Bigger Pockets, the first thing I would tell you is to get involved in the forums. I see many posts or comments where people admit that they’ve been lurking in the background but finally came out to introduce themselves.
I can’t help but wonder where I’d be today if I’d JUST started posting on Bigger Pockets. I’m about 100% sure that I wouldn’t have nine different transactions with nine different investors that I met on Bigger Pockets. So again, let me urge you rookie investors and members to please get involved in the community. Make some posts and comments. Write a few blogs. It will pay off, but you MUST give before you can receive.
I would also like to encourage you to be sure that your profile is adequate. I see so many newbie members that don’t even have a picture or have a tiny “about me” section. Put up a professional looking profile picture; create a detailed “about me” section. To really stand out, become a pro or plus member and make a video introduction of yourself. Write blogs and get involved in the blogs department. Within my first year, I’m coming up on 600 colleagues, 100 followers, close to 600 comments, and 14 awards. These things didn’t happen by accident. I understood the value of Bigger Pockets and made it a point to get highly involved in the site. Almost one year later, it has tremendously paid off for me. Where will you be one year from today?
In regards to the more experienced Bigger Pockets members. I would just like to encourage you to continue to make posts. At this point, I’m not sure that more than a week or two goes by that someone does not message me or email me. Thanking me for answering questions and putting time into the Bigger Pockets forums. Smart, educated, experienced investors are there giving their time answering questions. They are trying to help beginners and having a larger effect on the investing community than they could ever imagine.
In conclusion, I’d like to thank Josh Dorkin and Brandon Turner for their vision. Like all small businesses, I’m sure this started in someone’s living room or home office as an idea that they thought could work but weren’t sure how. They pushed forward, however, and built a business that is helping investors across the world. Thanks also to their team who works behind the scenes making sure the site and the app works and making improvements to help us – the investors.
