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“Shark Tank” star Robert Herjavec is doing pretty well for himself — with a net worth estimated at more than $300 million. (1) But during a live conversation, financial influencer Grant Cardone hit him with a provocative question.
“If you were down to your last million dollars, your wife is going to leave you…” Cardone began. (2)
Before he could finish, Herjavec cut him off with a grin: “I can’t follow your analogy, because my wife loves me with or without money.”
The crowd erupted in laughter. Cardone shot back, “We don’t know that to be true, because you’ve had money the whole damn time.”
“Fair,” Herjavec replied.
Then Cardone got to the real question: “And you have to invest the $1 million — and you can only invest the $1 million in one thing…”
Herjavec didn’t miss a beat: “I would invest in real estate.” (3)
The audience cheered as Cardone pressed him, “Why real estate?”
“Because desperate people do stupid sh-t — and you’ve got to take desperation out of the equation,” Herjavec said. “I believe in myself. I believe if I have nothing, I’d become wealthy again. But if I’m down to my last million, you know what I’ve got to do? I’ve got to build a foundation. So I would take that money, I would invest in real estate, I would get an income stream and I would forget it existed — and then I would go out and do other crazy stuff.”
As a real estate mogul himself, Cardone didn’t hesitate to back him up: “Story of my life right there.”
Cardone added that real estate is a “no-brainer” to him and the “best kept secret on planet Earth.”
“I don’t know why everybody doesn’t just dump [their money] there and then go build their business again,” he elaborated.
Real estate has long been considered one of the most dependable ways to build — and preserve — wealth. Unlike paper assets that can swing wildly in value, property often delivers both income and appreciation over time.
Owning high-quality rental real estate can provide consistent monthly cash flow through rent. At the same time, real estate has historically acted as a powerful hedge against inflation. As inflation pushes up the cost of materials, labor and land, new properties become more expensive to build — which, in turn, drives up the value of existing real estate. Meanwhile, rents often rise alongside the cost of living, giving investors an income stream that adjusts with inflation.
That’s why many seasoned investors — including Herjavec and Cardone — view real estate as a foundation. In fact, investing legend Warren Buffett has often pointed to real estate as a prime example of a productive, income-generating asset. In 2022, Buffett remarked that if you offered him “1% of all the apartment houses in the country” for $25 billion, he would “write you a check.” (4)
Why? Because no matter what’s happening in the economy, people still need a place to live and apartments can consistently produce rent money.
The best part? You don’t need billions — or even to buy a single house — to invest in real estate today.
Crowdfunding platforms like Arrived have made it easier than ever for everyday investors to gain exposure to America’s real estate market.
Backed by world class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived allows you to invest in shares of rental homes with as little as $100, all without the hassle of mowing lawns, fixing leaky faucets or handling difficult tenants.
The process is simple: browse a curated selection of homes that have been vetted for their appreciation and income potential. Once you find a property you like, select the number of shares you’d like to purchase and then sit back as you start receiving any positive rental income distributions from your investment.
As home prices have risen over the years, Americans have built substantial wealth through homeownership, but the $34.9 trillion U.S. home equity market has historically been reserved for large institutions — until now.
Homeshares allows accredited investors to gain direct exposure to a portfolio of owner-occupied homes in top U.S. cities through their U.S. Home Equity Fund — without the hassles of buying, owning or managing property.
The fund focuses on homes with substantial equity, using Home Equity Agreements (HEAs) to let homeowners access liquidity without taking on debt or interest payments. This creates an attractive, low-maintenance investment vehicle for retirement savers, with a minimum investment of $25,000.
With risk-adjusted target returns of 14% to 17%, the U.S. Home Equity Fund offers investors access to America’s largest store of household wealth.
If you’ve ever been a landlord, you know how important it is to have reliable tenants.
How do grocery stores sound?
That’s where First National Realty Partners (FNRP) comes in. The platform allows accredited investors to diversify their portfolio through grocery-anchored commercial properties without taking on the responsibilities of being a landlord.
With a minimum investment of $50,000, investors can own a share of properties leased by national brands like Whole Foods, Kroger and Walmart, which provide essential goods to their communities. Thanks to Triple Net (NNN) leases, accredited investors are able to invest in these properties without worrying about tenant costs cutting into their potential returns.
Simply answer a few questions — including how much you would like to invest — to start browsing their full list of available properties.
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