It’s Sitting On A Bench And Talking To People.

Entrepreneur of the Week – Post 2

If you asked me what I’d be willing to do from morning till night —
it would be to sit on a bench and talk to people.

When people ask me what I do in real estate, I say: “Life.”
Because real estate truly allows you to dive into a wide range of possibilities:
land appreciation, flips, rental properties, investment funds, and more.

As we grow older, my understanding is that it’s important to hold a portfolio of assets — especially for people who are not active entrepreneurs.
Ideally, that portfolio should be spread across multiple countries, economies, and currencies.
At least 4–5, in my view.

Why? Because of currency fluctuations, wars, pandemics, and local politics.

For Jews, in my opinion, owning a home in Israel is essential.
Even if you don’t live in Israel, it’s usually a solid investment — both because property values tend to rise and because it generates a nice rental income.

The second place I go to when building a portfolio is rental properties.
At the end of the day, rental assets provide monthly cash flow.
Only if an investor tells me she doesn’t need income-producing assets in the coming years do I skip this part.

(A personal note: I have a son studying in the U.S., and the income from rental properties pays his tuition and most of his living expenses.)

In third place, I add a flip or flips, whose purpose is to grow capital.
Entering this area requires highly experienced entrepreneurs.
My favorite flips are like the ones I do in Portugal: taking land zoned for residential use, for example, and advancing it all the way to a building permit.
I never, ever take land that requires rezoning — too many things can go wrong along the way, and I’m 67.

In this category, I also include new construction.
The idea is that it can be a short, fast flip or a long, deep one.
Naturally, I recommend starting with a short and aggressive flip.

In fourth place, I personally invest in — and recommend to others — holding an active, diversified investment fund.
Diversification is the name of the game.
Different sectors in different countries help protect the portfolio.

These days, it’s possible that one of my investments won’t fully return.
I’m at peace with that, even though I invested with experienced entrepreneurs — because I invested only $65,000.

My strong recommendation to all the women investors I work with is to make many small bets — in the range of $60,000–$100,000 (or euros).
I know how to show, in Excel, what a discounted income forecast looks like — and it can calm even the skeptics.

To conclude:
The mix may seem like the winning formula — but every mixed portfolio has two sides.
On one side, an experienced entrepreneur.
On the other, a mature investor.

And tomorrow, I’ll expand on what it means to be a mature investor.