Want financial freedom through real estate investing? Then the BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast is for you. Sit down every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with Dave Meyer, the Head of Real Estate at BiggerPockets, as he uncovers tried and true tactics and shares candid conversations with real estate investors who are building wealth in today’s market. Join Dave to walk through deals that went right (and wrong) and learn the strategies you can deploy—start growing your side income today to take control of your financial future.

You can buy five rentals in just five years, even with less than 5% down. Today, we’re teaching you three savvy strategies to quickly scale your real estate portfolio so you can start building wealth without waiting years and years to buy your first (or next) investment property. And no, we’re not just talking about house hacking—Dave is walking through three separate strategies you can use to buy five rentals in just five years. All three methods are effective in today’s market and can be repeated even by a beginner.



These strategies are broken down by financial starting point: 1) starting with little money, 2) having a solid amount saved, and 3) having a lot saved for investment. So, whether you’re a graduate fresh out of college who's ready to invest in rentals or a doctor/lawyer/executive with hundreds of thousands sitting around, we have a strategy for you.



The best part? As your portfolio grows, you can combine these strategies to reach your financial freedom goals faster and pick the path that works best for you as your wealth grows. Ready to get started? Follow this plan, and by 2030, you’ll have five rental properties!



In This Episode We Cover

How to buy five rental properties in just five years (even with 3.5% down!)

The beginner-friendly strategy that successful real estate investors recommend 

How to recycle your money with the BRRRR method and supercharge your scaling

Got a high income? Why buying turnkey, easy-to-manage rentals could be your best bet 

Full math examples of the methods, how much money it takes, and how much you’ll make 

And So Much More!



Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1128

Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
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BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

How to Buy 5 Rental Properties in Just 5 Years

Rentals can give you much more than just bigger pockets. They can buy you time, flexibility, and the freedom to design an adventurous and fulfilling life. Just ask today’s guest, who built a simple real estate portfolio that runs itself—creating space for midday hikes, living abroad, and passion projects. In this episode, he’ll show YOU how to slow down and do the same!

 

Today, Chad Carson, investor and author of The Small and Mighty Real Estate Investor returns to the show to share how real estate investing gave him much more than money. Chad has been investing for decades, but now, he’s making a major shift. Rather than accumulating more rental properties, he’s paying off the ones he already owns. Instead of putting in 80-hour workweeks, he’s traveling, taking mini-retirements, and prioritizing his life goals. And the best part? Some weeks, he spends as little as two hours on his portfolio!

 

Want to copy Chad’s success? In this episode, he’ll show you how to trade the rat race—whether that means long hours at your nine-to-five or the relentless grind of scaling your investments—for time freedom, a flexible portfolio, and a real estate business that works for you.



In This Episode We Cover

How Chad optimized his real estate portfolio for a two-hour workweek

Why real estate’s real return isn’t money—but time, freedom, and flexibility

How to use real estate investing to build a fulfilling life (not just a big portfolio!)

Swapping traditional retirement for mini-retirements that help you savor life while you’re young

The power of paying down mortgages versus buying more rental properties

How to ditch the rat race for a real estate business that works for YOU

And So Much More!





Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1127

Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
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How to Buy Time and Freedom with a Simple Rental Portfolio (2-Hour Workweek)

There are still real estate deals even in 2025. To prove it, we’re taking three real (on-market!) deals and analyzing them three ways: as a long, medium, and short-term rental to see which will have the highest cash flow. All of these properties are around or under the median home price in the US and have at least one strategy that makes them profitable, even in 2025 with today’s high interest rates.



To help run the deal analysis, Ashley Kehr from the Real Estate Rookie podcast and Garrett Brown from BiggerStays join us to crunch the numbers. You’re probably thinking, “Short-term rentals always make more than long-term rentals!” but that isn’t exactly the case. With the added expense of short-term rental management, some deals may work MUCH better as a long or medium-term rental.



We’ve even got some bonus strategies to share to boost your rental property profits, like renting-by-the-room to get even more revenue and subdividing your lot so you can sell it and pay off your rental faster (more cash flow!). These deals still work in 2025, and today, we’re sharing exactly where we found them. 



In This Episode We Cover

How to analyze a rental property as a short, medium, and long-term rental 

The one overlooked cost you should ALWAYS account for on a short-term rental 

A sneaky tactic to get extra cash if you’re on a BIG lot 

Using the “coliving” (rent-by-the-room) strategy to get even more rent every month 

Why short-term rental regulations are a good thing for investors 

And So Much More!





Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1126

Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
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3 Cash-Flowing Real Estate Deals in 2025 (& Where We Found Them)

Everyone wants to know how to become a millionaire in real estate. And surprisingly, getting there isn’t all that hard. You can create a seven-figure net worth by investing for just 8-12 years, and if you’re willing to put in a little more work, you can get there faster. Dave has done it, and a million of our BiggerPockets members have done it, too. So today, we’re sharing the real estate millionaire math so you can repeat it and reach your financial independence number faster.



We’re not just showing you how to get to a million dollars in equity. We’re also discussing what you need to know to replace your salary with rental properties. This way, you’ll have cash flow to live off of and appreciation to build your wealth. Using the four “building blocks” of real estate, you can skyrocket your wealth in a (relatively) short amount of time.



Maybe you want to be a millionaire in less than a decade and build a real estate portfolio faster. Great! We’re sharing two extra levers you can pull to make more money from your properties IF you’re willing to put in the work.



What are you waiting for? Let’s make your first million!



In This Episode We Cover

How to become a millionaire with real estate in just 8-12 years (we did the math)

Replacing your salary with rentals and how to “compound” your cash flow

The four ways that real estate makes you rich (it’s not just rent checks)

Two other wealth “levers” you can pull to get to millionaire status faster 

Should you buy a rental property in cash? Here’s what happens to your returns

And So Much More!







Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1125

Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
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BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast by BiggerPockets

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