Real estate is a complex topic that involves many different professionals, has numerous processes, and requires an extensive set of skills.
In this real estate book list for 2023, we want to help you find the right books to advance your knowledge and enter the industry. Whether you just started college, already have experience in the industry, or even run your own property business, the following books provide valuable information to everyone.
Take a closer look at familiar topics or discover new ones in this extensive list. To identify the right books, we analysed a number of aspects. These include the reputation of the author, the quality of the information within the book, the publication date, ratings from buyers, as well as the number of purchases.
If you have any books or topics in mind that could be a good addition to this list, feel free to contact us! You can also take a look at our blog, to improve your real estate knowledge about topics like sustainability, trends, investing, and careers.
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The Best Real Estate Books by Topic
Click on the topic that you are most interested in, it will take you directly to the overview of books in this category. Find specific real estate books or just discover new interesting subjects that will advance your career or business.
Careers
Best Real Estate Agent Books
One of the most popular career paths in the real estate industry is the agent or broker. You will be responsible for selling properties, showcasing houses, and finding suitable buyers or tenants.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | The Millionaire Real Estate Agent
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- Year: 2004
- Author: Gary Keller, Dave Jenks, Jay Papasan
- Pages: 368
2 | Exactly What to Say: For Real Estate Agents
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- Year: 2019
- Author: Phil M Jones, Chris Smith, Jimmy Mackin
- Pages: 242
3 | SHIFT: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times
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- Year: 2008
- Author: Gary Keller
- Pages: 336
4 | SOLD: Every Real Estate Agent’s Guide to Building a Profitable Business
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- Year: 2021
- Author: David M Greene
- Pages: 208
5 | The Book of YES: The Ultimate Real Estate Agent Conversation Guide
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- Year: 2016
- Author: Kevin Ward
- Pages: 152
Real Estate Licence and Exam Books
One important part before stepping into the real estate industry is getting a licence. This is required in many countries worldwide and will test your knowledge about every aspect of buildings and properties.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | Real Estate License Exams For Beginners 2023
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- Year: 2023
- Author: David M. Richeson
- Pages: 96
2 | Real Estate License Exam Calculation Workbook
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- Year: 2022
- Author: Josh Flagg
- Pages: 108
3 | Real Estate License Exams For Dummies with Online Practice Tests
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- Year: 2020
- Author: John A. Yoegel
- Pages: 464
4 | Real Estate Math Express
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- Year: 2017
- Author: Stephen Mettling, David Cusic, Ryan Mettling
- Pages: 75
Finance and Investment
Best Real Estate Accounting Books
If you want to start a real estate business or are interested in buying your first rental property, then understanding the fundamentals of accounting is a must.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | Real Estate Accounting: Fifth Edition
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- Year: 2021
- Author: Steven M. Bragg
- Pages: 193
2 | Principles of Real Estate Accounting and Taxation
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- Year: 2018
- Author: Joel Rosenfeld
- Pages: 342
3 | Real Estate Accounting Made Easy
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- Year: 2010
- Author: Obioma A. Ebisike
- Pages: 208
Best Real Estate Asset Management Books
A good asset management strategy is crucial for the success of a real estate investment project. Only then, it will be possible to reach the return targets set out in the financial calculations and planning.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | Corporate Real Estate Asset Management: Strategy and Implementation
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- Year: 2017
- Author: Barry Haynes, Nick Nunnington, Timothy Eccles
- Pages: 458
2 | Investment Real Estate Finance and Asset Management
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- Year: 2019
- Author: Fred W. Prassas CPM
- Pages: 377
Best Real Estate Investing Books
Before starting to invest in the real estate market it is important to understand the basics and get a feeling for good or bad deals. We identified a number of books that provide you with this fundamental knowledge and help you get started.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | How To Invest In Real Estate: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide To Getting Started
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- Year: 2018
- Author: Brandon Turner, Joshua Dorkin
- Pages: 263
2 | Mastering the Art of Commercial Real Estate Investing
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- Year: 2018
- Author: Doug Marshall CCIM
- Pages: 224
3 | The Millionaire Real Estate Investor
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- Year: 2005
- Author: Gary Keller
- Pages: 432
4 | The Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down
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- Year: 2020
- Author: Brandon Turner
- Pages: 224
5 | Long-Distance Real Estate Investing
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- Year: 2017
- Author: David Greene
- Pages: 287
Best Real Estate Development Books
Real estate development is a complex process that requires a large set of skills and the ability to manage a diverse team of professionals. This business path can be very exciting and rewarding, personally as well as financially.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | Professional Real Estate Development: The ULI Guide to the Business
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- Year: 2019
- Author: Richard B. Peiser
- Pages: 400
2 | Real Estate Development – 5th Edition: Principles and Process
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- Year: 2015
- Author: Mike E. Miles, Laurence M. Netherton, Adrienne Schmitz
- Pages: 400
3 | Making it in Real Estate: Starting Out as a Developer
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- Year: 2016
- Author: John McNellis
- Pages: 100
4 | Finance for Real Estate Development
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- Year: 2019
- Author: Charles Long
- Pages: 216
5 | The Complete Guide to Developing Commercial Real Estate
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- Year: 2011
- Author: Robert A. Wehrmeyer
- Pages: 164
Best Real Estate Economics Books
To make better investment decisions and understand how the markets work, it is essential to have a fundamental knowledge of real estate or urban economics.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | Essentials of Real Estate Economics
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- Year: 2019
- Author: Richard Betts, Monte Cicino
- Pages: 592
2 | Lectures on Urban Economics (The MIT Press)
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- Year: 2011
- Author: Jan K. Brueckner
- Pages: 296
3 | Real Estate Market Analysis: Trends, Methods, and Information Sources
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- Year: 2019
- Author: Deborah L. Brett
- Pages: 233
4 | Real Estate Economics: A Point-to-Point Handbook
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- Year: 2012
- Author: Nicholas Pirounakis
- Pages: 484
5 | Urban Economics
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- Year: 2018
- Author: Arthur O’Sullivan
- Pages: 464
Best Real Estate Finance Books
Financial decisions are the foundation for every real estate investment or development project. The following books will provide you with all the information about risks, return, and more.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | ISE Real Estate Finance & Investments
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- Year: 2021
- Author: Jeffrey Fisher, William B. Brueggeman
- Pages: 832
2 | Real Estate Finance, 11th Edition
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- Year: 2019
- Author: J. Keith Baker
- Pages: 832
3 | ESSENTIALS OF REAL ESTATE FINANCE
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- Year: 2019
- Author: Doris Barrell
- Pages: 500
4 | Real Estate Investment and Finance: Strategies, Structures, Decisions (Wiley Finance)
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- Year: 2021
- Author: David Hartzell, Andrew E. Baum
- Pages: 592
Best Real Estate Financial Modelling Books
In order to accurately predict the return of a real estate investment, it is necessary to create a detailed financial model. These can vary depending on the type of investment and can become very complex.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | Foundations of Real Estate Financial Modelling
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- Year: 2018
- Author: Roger Staiger
- Pages: 542
2 | Real Estate Financial Modelling for Newbies
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- Year: 2018
- Author: Ervin Susanto, Linh Hoang
- Pages: 51
Best House Flipping Books
House flipping can be a good way to get into real estate investing, as the goal is to buy properties for a low price, refurbish them, and sell them for a higher price later on.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | The Book on Flipping Houses: How to Buy, Rehab, and Resell Residential Properties
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- Year: 2019
- Author: J Scott
- Pages: 320
2 | The Flipping Blueprint: The Complete Plan for Flipping Houses and Creating Your Real Estate-Investing Business
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- Year: 2021
- Author: Luke Weber
- Pages: 218
3 | Flipping Houses For Dummies
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- Year: 2017
- Author: Ralph R. Roberts
- Pages: 380
4 | Flipping Houses Exposed: 34 Weeks in the Life of a Successful House Flipper
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- Year: 2018
- Author: Danny Johnson
- Pages: 250
5 | Flip: How to Find, Fix, and Sell Houses for Profit
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- Year: 2007
- Author: Rick Villani, Clay Davis
- Pages: 394
Best Real Estate/Property Management Books
After finding the right deal and purchasing a rental property, it is important to manage the building. This ensures that the target returns can be achieved. Compared to asset management, the books in this category are more directed at private residential investors.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | The Book on Managing Rental Properties
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- Year: 2015
- Author: Brandon Turner, Heather Turner
- Pages: 377
2 | The ABCs of Property Management: What You Need to Know to Maximize Your Money Now
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- Year: 2015
- Author: Ken McElroy
- Pages: 175
3 | Every Landlord’s Guide to Managing Property: Best Practices, From Move-In to Move-Out
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- Year: 2020
- Author: Attorney Michael Boyer
- Pages: 480
4 | The Landlord Entrepreneur: Double Your Profits with Real Estate Property Management
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- Year: 2017
- Author: Bryan M. Chavis
- Pages: 256
Best Real Estate Multifamily Investing Books
One popular asset class in the real estate investing market are multifamily properties. These are residential buildings that have at least 4 different units and are not used for commercial purposes.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | The Multifamily Millionaire, Volume I: Achieve Financial Freedom by Investing in Small Multifamily Real Estate
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- Year: 2021
- Author: Brandon Turner, Brian Murray
- Pages: 344
2 | The Definitive Guide to Underwriting Multifamily Acquisitions
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- Year: 2020
- Author: Robert Beardsley
- Pages: 115
3 | Multifamily Real Estate Investing
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- Year: 2022
- Author: Morgan Lane
- Pages: 200
Best Real Estate Private Equity Books
Real estate private equity investments pool together capital from different private or institutional investors. The returns will be distributed after the successful project depending on many different factors.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | Investing in Real Estate Private Equity: An Insider’s Guide to Real Estate Partnerships, Funds, Joint Ventures & Crowdfunding
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- Year: 2018
- Author: Sean Cook
- Pages: 177
2 | Structuring and Raising Debt & Equity for Real Estate
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- Year: 2022
- Author: Rob Beardsley
- Pages: 112
Best Real Estate Syndication Books
Another type of real estate investment strategy is the so-called “real estate syndication”. It refers to a number of individuals pooling together capital to buy and sell properties. In comparison to private equity, syndications are formed by private investors, not institutions.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | The Hands-Off Investor: An Insider’s Guide to Investing in Passive Real Estate Syndications
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- Year: 2020
- Author: Brian Burke
- Pages: 367
2 | Best Ever Apartment Syndication Book
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- Year: 2018
- Author: Joe Fairless, Theo Hicks
- Pages: 456
3 | Principles of Real Estate Syndication: With Entertainment and Oil-Gas Syndication Supplements Included
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- Year: 2013
- Author: Samuel K Freshman
- Pages: 496
Best Real Estate Valuation Books
For many different career paths in the real estate industry, valuation is an essential skill. Whether it is residential or commercial property, the appraisal process helps to find the right price for a building.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | Basic Real Estate Appraisal
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- Year: 2015
- Author: Richard M Betts, James A Glickman
- Pages: 704
2 | Commercial Property Valuation: Methods and Case Studies (Wiley Finance)
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- Year: 2019
- Author: Giacomo Morri, Paolo Benedetto
- Pages: 240
3 | Real Estate Appraisal
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- Year: 2018
- Author: Joseph F. Schram
- Pages: 548
4 | Fundamentals of Real Estate Appraisal
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- Year: 2021
- Author: William L. Ventolo Jr., Martha R. Williams JD
- Pages: 504
5 | Income Property Valuation
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- Year: 2007
- Author: Jeffrey D. Fisher, Robert S. Martin
- Pages: 546
Best Real Estate Wholesaling Books
Real estate wholesaling is an investment strategy in which an investor acquires a purchase contract for a property and then later sells this for a premium to another investor.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | If You Can’t Wholesale After This: I’ve Got Nothing For You…
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- Year: 2017
- Author: Todd M Fleming
- Pages: 163
2 | The Real Estate Wholesaling Bible
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- Year: 2014
- Author: Than Merrill
- Pages: 272
3 | The Wholesaling Blueprint
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- Year: 2020
- Author: Luke Weber
- Pages: 164
4 | The Beginner’s Guide To Wholesaling Real Estate
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- Year: 2019
- Author: Jeff Leighton
- Pages: 86
5 | The Art Of Wholesaling Properties
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- Year: 2015
- Author: Aram Shah, Alex Virelles
- Pages: 188
Sustainability
Best Real Estate Sustainability and ESG Books
Sustainability is one of the most important topics for real estate in the 21st century. Buildings must follow strict guidelines to reduce emissions and energy consumption, while also being profitable for investors. This is one of the greatest challenges these days.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | Sustainable Construction: Green Building Design and Delivery
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- Year: 2022
- Author: Charles J. Kibert
- Pages: 656
2 | Frank Lloyd Wright: Natural Design, Organic Architecture: Lessons for Building Green from an American Original
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- Year: 2012
- Author: Alan Hess
- Pages: 224
3 | Green Building Illustrated
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- Year: 2020
- Author: Francis D. K. Ching, Ian M. Shapiro
- Pages: 336
4 | Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Real Estate
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- Year: 2021
- Author: Sara Wilkinson, Tim Dixon, Norm Miller, Sarah Sayce
- Pages: 446
5 | From Green to ESG: How Data-Driven Transparency Changed Real Estate for Good
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- Year: 2022
- Author: Matt Ellis
- Pages: 194
Technology
Best Smart Building Books
Smart Buildings are houses that use sensors and connectivity to improve energy efficiency, security, as well as tenant well-being. They can also reduce costs and add value to the property.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | Smart Buildings: Technology and the Design of the Built Environment
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- Year: 2020
- Author: Ron Bakker
- Pages: 160
2 | Smart Building Systems for Architects, Owners and Builders
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- Year: 2009
- Author: James M Sinopoli
- Pages: 248
Best Smart City Books
Smart cities are seen as the future of urban living. They use data and the internet of things to connect processes in the entire city. This increases efficiency but also creates new problems.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | Smart Cities – Big Data, Civic Hackers, and the Quest for a New Utopia
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- Year: 2014
- Author: Anthony M. Townsend
- Pages: 416
2 | The Smart Enough City: Putting Technology in Its Place to Reclaim Our Urban Future (Strong Ideas)
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- Year: 2020
- Author: Ben Green
- Pages: 240
3 | Smart Cities For Dummies
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- Year: 2020
- Author: Jonathan Reichental
- Pages: 384
4 | Smart Cities: Introducing Digital Innovation to Cities
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- Year: 2019
- Author: Oliver Gassmann, Jonas Böhm, Maximilian Palmié
- Pages: 368
5 | Uneven Innovation: The Work of Smart Cities
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- Year: 2020
- Author: Jennifer Clark
- Pages: 328
Best PropTech Books
PropTech or Property Technology is one of the major trends in the real estate industry in this and the upcoming decades. Technology is changing the way we search for apartments, buy houses, live in them, and much more.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | PropTech 101: Turning Chaos Into Cash Through Real Estate Innovation
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- Year: 2019
- Author: Aaron Block, Zach Aarons
- Pages: 232
2 | Rethinking Real Estate: A Roadmap to Technology’s Impact on the World’s Largest Asset Class
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- Year: 2020
- Author: Dror Poleg
- Pages: 327
3 | Make Real Estate Great Again: Proptech, Real Estech, Construction Tech
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- Year: 2018
- Author: Robin Rivaton, Vincent Pavanello
- Pages: 153
4 | #PropTech: A guide to how property technology is changing how we live, work and invest
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- Year: 2018
- Author: Richard W J Brown
- Pages: 217
5 | The PropTech Guide: Everything You Need To Know About The Future Of Real Estate
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- Year: 2018
- Author: Lawin Chandra
- Pages: 190
Taxes
Best Real Estate Tax Books
Taxes are an important part of every real estate investment project. If you know how to deal with them in the most efficient way, you will be able to improve return and profitability.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | Every Landlord’s Tax Deduction Guide
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- Year: 2020
- Author: Stephen Fishman J.D.
- Pages: 472
2 | How To Do A Section 1031 Like Kind Exchange
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- Year: 2017
- Author: Michael Lantrip
- Pages: 257
3 | Loopholes of Real Estate
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- Year: 2013
- Author: Garrett Sutton
- Pages: 352
4 | The Book on Tax Strategies for the Savvy Real Estate Investor
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- Year: 2016
- Author: Amanda Han, Matthew MacFarland
- Pages: 198
5 | The Book on Advanced Tax Strategies
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- Year: 2020
- Author: Amanda Han, Matthew MacFarland
- Pages: 223
Law
Best Real Estate Law Books
Understanding the legal regulations and requirements for real estate transactions or processes will be helpful knowledge for every property professional. These differ significantly between countries, therefore we only focus on the US in this book list.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | Essentials of Practical Real Estate Law
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- Year: 2015
- Author: Daniel F. Hinkel
- Pages: 560
2 | Real Estate Law
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- Year: 2014
- Author: Robert J. Aalberts
- Pages: 704
3 | A Practical Guide to Commercial Real Estate Transactions
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- Year: 2016
- Author: Gregory M. Stein, Morton P. Fisher Jr., Michael D. Goodwin
- Pages: 638
Other Topics
Best Real Estate Negotiation Books
As an investor or home-buyer, you always want to get the best price for your properties. In order to get these deals, negotiation skills are essential in the real estate industry. This also applies to many other careers, such as asset management or development.
Here are our top recommendations for this category:
1 | The Book on Negotiating Real Estate
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- Year: 2019
- Author: J Scott, Mark Ferguson, Carol Scott
- Pages: 271
2 | The Art and Science of Real Estate Negotiation: Skills, Strategies, Tactics
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- Year: 2020
- Author: Gabrielle Dahms
- Pages: 213
3 | Tips & Traps for Negotiating Real Estate
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- Year: 2010
- Author: Robert Irwin
- Pages: 256
