Thinking of investing in Commercial Real Estate for the first time?
One of the most common mistakes new investors make is trying to do everything on their own. The truth is, real estate is a team sport—and the strength of your team often determines your level of success.

Whether you're looking to buy your first rental property, renovate a multi-unit building, or scale your commercial real estate portfolio, assembling the right professionals around you is essential.

Here’s a breakdown of the key players every successful real estate investor should have on their "Dream Team."Down below, I’ve expanded on the role of most of these important partners.

1. Underwriting & Acquisition

These team members help you find, evaluate, and acquire the right property.

• Real Estate Agent: An investor-savvy agent will bring you deals, help negotiate terms, and introduce off-market opportunities.

• Inspector: Spots property issues before they become expensive surprises.

• Appraiser: Ensures you're not overpaying and that financing aligns with property value.

• General Contractor (GC): Manages renovations and timelines—especially crucial for value-add strategies.

2. Funding & Finance

You’ll need a financing strategy that fits your goals—and professionals to help you execute it.

• Mortgage Broker or Banker: Helps structure your loan and financing options.

• Private Lenders or Equity Partners: Offer flexible capital for deals banks might pass on.

• Financial Advisor or CPA: Keeps your overall financial health and tax planning in mind.
  

3. Legal & Administrative

This group protects your investments and ensures everything is above board.

• Real Estate Lawyer: Drafts and reviews contracts, partnership agreements, and helps with closings or disputes.

• Title Company: Handles due diligence, title insurance, and ensures clean transfers of ownership.

• Administrative Support: Coordinates communication, keeps your systems organized, and frees you up to focus on strategy.
  

4. Operations & Management

These players help you run your properties and ensure consistent income.

• Property Manager: Oversees leasing, rent collection, maintenance, and tenant relations.

• Leasing Agent: Finds and screens tenants to keep your units full.

• Handyman & Trades: Reliable electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs, and landscapers are essential for smooth operations.

• Cleaning & Pest Control: Maintain your property’s condition and tenant satisfaction.
  

5. Accounting & Taxation

Numbers matter—and having them right can make or break your returns.

• Bookkeeper: Keeps your day-to-day financials clean and organized.

• Accountant or Tax Pro: Helps you take advantage of real estate-specific deductions, structure your investments properly, and stay compliant.
  

Bonus Players to Consider

• Mentor or Accountability Partner: Surround yourself with people who’ve done it before and who will push you to stay focused.

• Marketing Coordinator: Helps attract tenants, buyers, or partners through listings, branding, and content.

• Insurance Agent: Specializes in investment properties and ensures proper coverage for every stage of your investment.

• Wholesalers: Can help you find off-market deals and act quickly in competitive markets.
  

Local is Critical

Whenever possible, choose local professionals. They’ll know the zoning regulations, municipal processes, rental demand, tenant profiles, and construction costs in your investment market. A strong local network gives you a competitive edge in uncovering opportunities and navigating challenges.

Final Thoughts

Real estate investing can feel overwhelming at first—but you don’t have to go it alone. By building a reliable, local, and experienced team, you’ll set yourself up for long-term success.

Start small, build relationships, and focus on assembling your “Franchise Players.”
With the right people on your side, you’ll turn that first property into the foundation of a strong and growing portfolio.

Looking to start your investment journey?
I’d be happy to help. Reach out when ready.

Mel Giannone
“Go On Entrepreneur, Be Great!!!”

P.S. When building a “Dream” Team, consider this A-Z checklist:

Accountant

If you don’t know where you stand financially, figuring out how to make money is hard. You’ll need an accountant—preferably with real estate know-how—to help you better analyze deals. They’ll also be invaluable at tax time.

Accountability Partner or Group

You should have a peer—someone also interested in investing in real estate—to be your accountability partner. Find a person or real estate mastermind group to support you (and vice versa) and help you stay accountable to your real estate goals and strategy. Chat at least monthly—or weekly if you’re ambitious. Don’t know where to look? Check out the BiggerPockets Forums.

Administrative Assistant

An administrative assistant answers calls and emails and delegates them to the proper party. If your assistant is in-house, they may also be responsible for updating property management software to keep the data fresh on all your properties.

Attorney

Depending on the size of your operation, handling your legal matters can be an in-house or outside role. You need good legal counsel to ensure your legal documents are properly prepared, eviction processes are followed legally, and potential lawsuits are deflected before they become issues.

Bookkeeper

A well-versed bookkeeper experienced in your type of real estate investing is valuable in many ways. They will keep detailed records of your finances and organize your books.

Cleaning Company

Before listing your rental after rehab or selling a property, hire cleaning help (unless you want to scrub your property from top to bottom). Find a company you trust that you can give repeat business to as you grow your real estate investment portfolio.

Contractors

When you find a property, you want to decrease holding costs as much as possible. Having reputable contractors on your team ensures you get to work rehabbing the property immediately, making it suitable for renting quickly. Consider finding a general contractor, specialists, landscapers, and handymen to join your real estate team.

Electrician

Hire a professional in electrical work (unless you are an electrician yourself). Incorrect wiring is a safety hazard that can become a potential legal hazard. Pay the pros to have the job done right.

Financial Resources

All real estate investors need financial resources or professionals to help them stay on track. Your financial resources may include a CPA, accountant, tax professional, or financial advisor. Build a great team that handles all aspects of your financial life to create the dream team.

General Contractor

Don’t take on general contractor duties yourself. Hire someone experienced in rehabbing properties who can run the ship seamlessly, helping you stay on budget and within the projected timeline. Think of your GC as your partner in achieving your rental property dreams when you purchase new properties and rehab rental properties on your own.

Handyman

Have a handyman on speed dial who knows your properties well, and you’ll save money on expensive companies your property manager hires every time your tenants have an issue.

Hard Money Lender

Securing financing for rental properties isn’t always easy. A hard money lender may help you get the necessary financing by focusing on the real estate value to determine your loan amount. Sometimes hard money lenders make sense, and other times, traditional financing is the better option. Decide which option works best for you.

Inspector

Inspectors help you understand everything wrong with a property before buying it. Look for inspectors licensed in the state you’re doing business in or for members of the American Society of Home Inspectors, who must have completed 250 home inspections—amongst other credentials—for membership. Licensed inspectors usually aren’t the cheapest, but this is not the area to cut corners.

Insurance

Real estate investing has risks, so you must protect yourself properly. Home insurance is only the tip of the iceberg. You may also consider business liability insurance or other coverage options. Having a reputable insurance agent who understands your business model ensures you will have the best coverage for property insurance and any other policies you need.

Insurance Agent

You might think all insurance agents or brokers are the same, but they are not. Some insure investment properties, and some don’t. Some insure properties you are going to flip, and some won’t. You want to find a local, hands-on agent to help you with your insurance needs.

Leasing Agent

Leasing agents post rental listings, handle showings, and underwrite tenant applicants. They can also supervise move-ins and exits and handle lease renewals and contracts.

Legal Team

A legal team is necessary to handle your real estate transactions and any deals you have with more than one partner. A real estate and business attorney is necessary to protect your investments.

Lender

If you’re financing properties, you need a reputable lender or mortgage broker to help you. Finding a lender specializing in investment properties can help you access financing that will work for you instead of wasting time.

Marketing Coordinator

Marketing is the lifeline of your real estate investment business. You’ll need a solid marketing coordinator who can implement a strategic plan to help you find tenants, more properties, and even buyers.

Mentor

A mentor keeps you going even when the going gets tough. Find someone (local if possible) who is where you want to be in five years—someone you admire. Be willing to listen, learn, and help them achieve their goals faster as well. This relationship shouldn’t be a one-way street.

Pest Control Company

You don’t need to see pests to have a pest control company on your real estate team. You might need a company to handle mice, roaches, bed bugs, and more. Have a pest control company on your team that handles most pests and will provide referrals for those they don’t.

Plumber

Plumbers are a specialized trade; having one on your team is essential. Knowing you have a good plumber who can handle the toughest issues is important. Even more important is one with whom you have a good working relationship that won’t charge you extensive fees in emergencies.

Private Money Lender or Equity Partner

A private money lender is a noninstitutional (nonbank) individual or company that loans money, generally secured by a note and deed of trust, to fund a real estate transaction. Private money lenders are generally considered more relationship-based than hard money lenders. A private money lender can provide you with earnest money to secure a deal.

Professional Services

Your real estate team should include people with special skills, like photographers, stagers, and cleaners, who provide quality work that can optimize your return. Look for companies specializing in move-ins, move-outs, and rental properties.

Property Management

Investing remotely or in multiple properties means you’ll need a good property manager to handle the property’s daily tasks. Finding a property manager you can trust is important, since they have day-to-day contact with your tenants and can make or break your investment.

Real Estate Agent

Investor-friendly real estate agents specializing in your niche can help you get earlier property access and are experts in your local market. For example, if your niche is multiunit properties in rental markets, your real estate agent can alert you when a property goes up for sale or help you find off-market deals, allowing you to get in before your competition. Real estate agents also handle much of the work, like negotiations and contracts. They can also introduce you to other trusted, local real estate professionals that could become valuable players on your real estate team.

Tax Professionals

Real estate investing is a business. You’ll incur taxes, but also be eligible for many tax breaks. Not knowing which expenses you can write off could be detrimental to your business. An investor-friendly tax professional working alongside you can help you maximize your real estate business while ensuring you stay compliant.

Title Company

The title company ensures the sale of a property is legitimate and provides title insurance for buyers and sellers. Build a relationship with a title company by using them for multiple properties to ensure your deals take priority, even during busy times.

Wholesalers

Wholesalers provide another avenue for finding properties and having quick closings. If you don’t have the time to invest in finding properties yourself, wholesalers can do the legwork for you, transferring the contract at the perfect time to help you create new business.

Your TEAM members must be local to your investment market. They will act as your eyes and ears, keeping you abreast of all the opportunities, zoning restrictions, market conditions, municipal processes and local costs for your project.Often the "locals" can provide much-needed information that will assist in marketing and occupying your multifamily property.