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Why is this post different from all other posts on book recommendations?
It's simple - I personally read every single book on this list myself.
There's also another significant difference - none of the Amazon links below are affiliate links. We make no money or have no incentive to recommend these books. I loved them so much, so I know you will too.
As an entrepreneur, real estate investor, co-founder and CMO of DoorLoop, I typically read around 20 new books yearly. I've probably amassed a collection of over 250 books by now, and even more non-book resources for property managers and rental property success.
Lucky for you, I'm giving you my list of the top 25 best business books for any landlord, rental property manager, and even real estate investors. These helped me invest in real estate, manage properties, and grow my businesses in and outside the property management industry.
Feel free to jump around to any section in this property management tool kit.
The best property management books recommendations are organized into the following categories:
- Books for New Investors & Landlords
- Books For all Property Managers
- BiggerPockets Rental Kit Series
- Sales Books
- Marketing Books
- Customer Service Books
- Management & Leadership Books
- Time Management Books
Best Books For New Landlords & Investors
These were one of the first 3 books I ever read that really helped me change the way I think and start investing in real estate. Till today, I still use the resources and knowledge from these books weekly.
- Robert T. Kiyosaki - Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
This was one of the first books I ever read many years ago, and it is still an all-time favorite and classic today. This book is excellent for changing the way you think about money and investing. It's a must-read for everyone, which is why it's the very first book on this list.
- Ilyce R. Glink - 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask: With Answers from Top Brokers from Around the Country.
When I personally bought my first house, this book was pure GOLD for me. There were so many questions I would have never asked had it not been for this book. I loved it so much that I even created my own checklist and questionnaire when seeing new residential rental properties I want to purchase.
- Eric Tyson and Ray Brown - Home Buying Kit For Dummies.
This is a MONSTER book with 432 pages filled with every single thing you will ever need to know for buying a home. It mostly revolves around financing and negotiating an outstanding mortgage and purchase price. Still, there are tons of tips for any home buyer or investor. - Matthew Tortoriello and Kevin Shippee- Foreclosures Unlocked: Your Key to Success in Real Estate Investing
This AMAZING book is designed to guide you through the process of buying foreclosed properties, offering practical insights and lessons along the way to help you make informed decisions and find success in the foreclosure market.
Books for all Property Managers
Suppose you're a newbie or a seasoned property manager. In that case, these 3 books will help you grow your rental property business, build repeatable processes and procedures, and make more money.
- Nolo - Every Landlord's Guide to Managing Property
Nolo is known for high-quality books, and this one is no exception. This book is mostly for smaller landlords with under 10 units, doing this part-time or as a side hustle, but others may still learn a thing or two about managing rental properties.
- David M Greene - Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat: The BRRRR Rental Property Investment Strategy Made Simple
This is one of the top 3 best-sellers on Amazon at the moment, and for a good reason. When interest rates are historically low, it's a great time to buy properties, renovate them, rent them, get your money out, and earn passive income.
- Jeffrey C. May and Connie L. May - The Mold Survival Guide: For Your Home and for Your Health
When I had mold in my home and rental unit, I bought this book and learned everything I needed to know about mold. It includes the different types of mold, how to prevent mold, and how to remove it. If you want to remove the musty odor and mold smell, purchase an ozone generator (I have the one by Enerzen on Amazon). Just make sure no one and no animal are on the property when you use, Also make sure no one comes into the property for up to 1 hour after.
BiggerPockets Rental Kit Series
If you're in the real estate industry, chances are you've heard of BiggerPockets. Maybe you read their website, subscribe to their podcast, or watch them on YouTube. Either way, they have some of the best content in the industry. They have a 3-part book series teaching you real estate investing or rental property investing, from purchasing your first property to managing an entire portfolio. If you're looking for a full A-Z guide, this is it.
- Investing In Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down: Creative Strategies for Investing in Real Estate Using Other People's Money
- Rental Property Investing: How to Create Wealth with Intelligent Buy and Hold Real Estate Investing
- Managing Rental Properties: Find, Screen, and Manage Tenants with Fewer Headaches and Maximum Profits
Sales Books
Selling is one of the most critical parts of the real estate process. Many people have bad taste in their mouth when you say the world sales, but in reality, you are selling every time you:
- Negotiate with your bank for a mortgage or refinancing
- Negotiate the rent and terms of the leasing agreement (and renewals) with your tenant
- Negotiating salaries with your employees
- Negotiating with vendors and subcontractors for renovations, maintenance, repairs, or work orders
- Selling an investment to a buyer.
So you see, you are already selling more than you realize. These were the 5 most influential books that helped me tremendously over the years.
- Jeffery H. Gitomer - Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness
My very first sales book ever read, gifted to me by a sales guru. I regularly recommend this book for the general generic sales advice every beginner landlord or property manager should master. If you're new to sales, start here.
- Jeff Fox - How to Become a Rainmaker
This is second on this list because it's a super small and easy-to-read book full of practical advice and 0 fluff. Jeff Fox is straight to the point and teaches you everything he's learned in his long sales career, from things to do to mistakes to avoid. You can probably finish this book in under an hour.
- Chris Voss and Tahl Raz - Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
One of my all-time favorite books ever read from former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss. He runs you through life and death hostage situations where he got the hostage out alive. He then shows you how to apply the same tactics in business negotiations. I even created a little sales and negotiation checklist that I run through any time I go through a big negotiation. I still highly recommend buying the book - the list is just a sample of what you will get.
- Jeb Blount - Objections: The Ultimate Guide for Mastering the Art and Science of Getting Past No
Teaches you the art of dealing with objections and rejections, coming up with a game plan, asking for what you want, and identifying hot leads vs. time wasters.
- Dan S. Kennedy and Shaun Buck - No B.S. Guide to Maximum Referrals and Customer Retention
Dan Kennedy is a sales legend. If you don't know him, look up his other books. This book gives you ideas for keeping tenants longer, reducing turnover, and getting them to refer you to their friends.
Marketing Books
- David Newman - Do It! Marketing: 77 Instant-Action Ideas to Boost Sales, Maximize Profits, and Crush Your Competition
I finished this book with so many highlights and ideas that it transformed one of my businesses. I loved that the author gives you a ton of space to write notes and go through workshops inside the book. Landlords, get your pen out when reading this one!
- Jason Fried - Rework - A better, faster, easier way to succeed in business
Jason Fried is the founder of 37Signals and one of the most popular project management programs named Basecamp. He gives tons of business advice on growing his company from $0 to hundreds of millions in revenue. It's more of a generic business book, but is still useful for property management.
- Robert Bly - The Copywriter's Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide To Writing Copy That Sells
Copywriting is one of those skills that you only improve with practice. As a property manager, it will help you write compelling listings online, adding lease clauses to your lease agreement, or drafting emails to your tenants.
- David Bitton - The Secrets To Marketing & Automating Your Law Practice
This list wouldn't be complete without my very own best-seller I published. Although it was written for the legal industry, most tips still apply to a real estate rental business. You will learn how to create systems, get more clients, and advertise your business online.
Customer Service Books
- Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles - Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service
This book is so crucial that at DoorLoop, we make every new team member read this book. It will teach you how to deliver the most incredible service your client has ever seen.
- Tony Hsieh - Delivering Happiness
Tony was the CEO of Zappos and pioneered the first eCommerce site with free returns online. The book is about delivering happiness across your entire property management business, from your team to your tenants. If everyone is happy, your profits will skyrocket.
Management & Leadership Books
- Ken Blanchard - The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey
This book is so important that every manager in our company gets a crash course on it. It's a super easy and fast read, and I highly recommend giving a copy to every employee in your company. Do you have a problem with employees asking you for help with every single question when you know they can do it themselves? Isn't it funny when you're not available, they miraculously DO figure it out themselves! This book will teach everyone to work more independently without asking you for help 100x a day.
- Jocko Willink: Extreme Ownership (How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win)
Former Navy Seal commander Jocko Willink (and one of the most badass people around) takes you through his time as a Navy Seal with personal stories of his battles. The stories will make you sweat and keep you reading until the very end. He applies the life principles he's learned on leadership and decision-making from the battlefield to the boardroom.
Time Management Books
- David Allen and James Fallows - Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
This is one of the books that I can say led to my success over the years. I use many ideas from this book daily, including dumping my thoughts to a notepad, scheduling blocks of time on my calendar, and prioritizing my tasks with the ABC method.
- 99U and Jocelyn K. Glei - Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind
A great book from the creative team at Behance. Learn to be hyper-focused on your most important task and build great habits and routines.
- Kevin Kruse - 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management
A short read that gives practical advice on time management without all the fluff of other books.
Resources
In case you missed it earlier, here are some resources I've created over the years after reading these books:
Have other property management books you highly recommend? I would love to know! Please contact us and send me your recommendations. Happy reading!
Frequently Asked Quesitons
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