Creating Niche Communities with David Pere

David Pere a real estate developer with a military history, told his amazing story from a homeschooled boy in Little Rock, Arkansas, to a Marine Corps veteran and successful entrepreneur in a recent Mastermind episode with REsimpli’s CEO Sharad Mehta. David explored real estate via the powerful book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad,” despite his great military expertise as he was having financial problems.

He constructed 116 houses over five and a half years, reaching the financial independence required to quit the service. David’s web brand evolved seemingly out of nowhere. Inspired by Brandon Turner of BiggerPockets, he turned his VA loan experiences into a blog that resulted in a strong online presence featuring a podcast and a vibrant Facebook group. David notes that even a small, committed audience may have significant advantages and stresses the relevance of specialized communities in real estate. 

Building an email list will help much over time in case of a necessity as social media is an erratic and changing platform. Creating value-driven material or his brand excites him as it will really benefit real estate agents. David says at the conclusion of the episode the need of keeping integrity even in offline contacts when one travels from online to in-person encounters.

Key Takeaways:

1. Broke to Mogul:
   
   Sharad Mehta and David Pere kick off their chat with David battling a case of hiccups, before diving into David’s inspiring journey from a broke Marine to a successful real estate investor. A chance encounter with the book “Rich Dad Poor Dad” ignited his passion for real estate, leading him to build a community and brand online. He shares how online branding, which happened by accident, turned into his biggest success. David’s story of owning over a hundred doors and thriving in the real estate community offers key insights for aspiring investors. (00:01:00)
   
2. Accidental Branding Success:
   
   David Pere shares how a chance encounter with branding and community-building completely shifted his focus from real estate to helping veterans achieve financial freedom. What started as casual blog posts answering common questions evolved into a thriving online community with over 7,000 members. Now known as a leading figure in military real estate investing, David discusses the importance of being intentional and scaling his brand, which he values even more than his real estate portfolio. (00:05:50)
   
3. Community Building:
   
   Sharad and David discuss the power of building a small, dedicated community for real estate success. David highlights how his brand helped him raise funds and close deals quickly. They emphasize the importance of finding a unique niche and offer resources on Facebook groups and email marketing to help investors grow their presence. (00:10:30)
   
4. Niche Community Power:
   
   Sharad and David explore the power of building a community around a specific niche. David stresses the importance of identifying a unique niche and creating targeted content for a specific audience. He recommends starting small and expanding as the brand and following grow. Sharad agrees, suggesting that focusing on a niche like real estate investing in a specific location helps build trust and attract a loyal audience. (00:12:22)
   
5. Mastering Social Media for Local Business Growth:
   
   Sharad and David discuss the best social media platforms for business promotion. David advocates for being active on multiple platforms, noting the ease of cross-posting, but emphasizes the importance of aligning platform choices with personal style and business goals. He highlights Facebook groups for fostering local communities and YouTube for targeted local promotion, citing its strong Google search visibility. David also announces his upcoming podcast, “The Springfield Business Podcast,” as a new approach to promoting local businesses. (00:16:24)
   
6. Key to Authority:
   
   Sharad and David discuss the critical role of building an email list for business success, especially in smaller markets. Sharad notes that a large social media following doesn’t always guarantee success and suggests focusing on a smaller, engaged audience through email or phone to become a niche authority. David agrees, emphasizing that email lists are a valuable personal asset that can’t be controlled by social media platforms. Both stress the importance of encouraging followers to share their email or phone numbers for stronger offline relationships. (00:19:33)
   
7. Lead Generation Strategies:
   
   Sharad and David explore effective strategies for real estate investors to capture email addresses and generate leads. David suggests offering valuable content, like an ebook or guide, targeting potential private lenders with insights on earning better returns than the stock market or reducing taxes through real estate. Sharad emphasizes the importance of providing free resources, such as checklists or tax benefit guides, to add value for business partners. Both agree that testimonials, particularly video ones, are a powerful way to build credibility and attract new clients. (00:23:40)
   
8. Authenticity and Consistency:
   
   David and Sharad stress the importance of authenticity and consistency in social media. David advises Sharad to share his learning journey, including mistakes, to make his content relatable. They highlight the value of engagement by answering questions and fostering participation. David also recommends regular posting but emphasizes quality over quantity to avoid algorithm issues. (00:28:53)
   
9. Financing Challenges & Personal Guarantees:
   
   Sharad and David emphasize authenticity in content creation, with David recommending good audio quality using a simple setup. They discuss leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT for efficiency and highlight the need for consistent personalities across platforms, despite differences in online and in-person behavior. (00:34:54)
   
10. The Ultimate Multiplier:
    
    Sharad and David discuss the power of content as a multiplier in life, with David stressing the value of intellectual property and thought platforms. Sharad highlights the importance of marketing and online presence to amplify content reach. They explore leveraging social media for broader audiences and plan to address a question about a website in their next discussion. (00:41:18)