Investing in real estate is a good opportunity to create a passive revenue stream that will last for years. If done correctly, you can make large profits in a short amount of time. What should you consider before investing real estate to ensure that you are successful?

Consider joining an investment group

There are many real estate mentor groups and investors clubs, such as Lifestyles Unlimited or a local meetup group that discusses a variety of issues related to real estate investing. If you have questions about where to invest, how to sell an unused property or have bad tenants, these are the experts that you want to talk to.

Know what and where you are buying

When you buy real estate, it is always a good idea to know what you are buying. If you are someone who knows a lot about single family homes, you should invest in single family homes. People who have experience in running and owning apartment complexes will most likely be successful investing in apartment complexes and avoiding single family homes.

Make sure that you know the median income of any neighborhood that you plan to invest in because you don't want to buy a house for more than you can sell it for or charge rent that no one will want to pay each month if they can get a better deal elsewhere.

Take advantage of growth opportunities

According to Forbes, there are several cities across the U.S. that are growing rapidly despite the current economic climate. For example, thanks to the vast number of technology companies investing in the city of Austin, there are a number of affluent people now looking for homes. While that may good news now, the market will not keep growing forever. By investing now, you can get in while demand is high and prices still have room to grow.

Make sure to account for potential losses

Investors expect to make a profit on all of their investments. Unfortunately, that is not a realistic expectation. Therefore, you should have an average yearly rate of return in mind when you start your investment strategy. For example, if you want a 9 percent rate of return each year, you may need to invest half of your portfolio in homes that you want to flip while investing the other half in single and multi-family homes that you can rent. Diversification can help you achieve your goals while making sure that you are bringing in a steady income to cover costs on an ongoing basis.

Wherever you decide to invest, make sure that you spend some time in the area first. It will help you determine where to invest and what types of properties will give you the best chance of making a profit.