Where Can You Find Real Estate Investment Opportunities?

‘Driving for dollars’

Some real estate investors drive around targeted neighborhoods to scan for potential investment properties. If they find a potential fixer-upper opportunity that they believe would be a worthwhile investment, they conduct research and contact the property owner to see if he or she is interested in selling.

Web tools for real estate investors

If you’re not into driving around to search for potential cash flow properties, you can stay put and use helpful internet resources to find investment properties. To save you some time, here are some of the online sources:

• Real Estate Investing Hub – Looking for a starting point? The Real Estate Hub is your one-stop destination for guides, checklists, provider connections, and tools to help you invest in real estate with your retirement account. Whether you’re just getting started or expanding your real estate portfolio, the Hub makes it easier to take the next step.
• Investment District – Investment District is Equity Trust’s online marketplace featuring potential providers and platforms across a variety of asset classes, including turnkey real estate, private lending, crowdfunding, precious metals, and more. It’s a centralized resource to help you discover investment opportunities that can be held in a self-directed IRA.
• WealthBridge – WealthBridge is an online platform that connects Equity Trust clients with providers offering real estate and alternative investments that can be held in a tax-advantaged account. Use WealthBridge to browse available investments and communicate with providers, all while keeping the transaction inside your self-directed IRA.
• Real Estate Reports – Looking to invest out of state? Explore our investor reports on five key real estate markets, and discover insights into rental performance, foreclosures, and growth trends.
  • Florida
  • Ohio
  • Texas
  • California
  • North Carolina
• Property Finding Tools – Access real-time and annual data to help evaluate properties and markets:
  • Foreclosure Reports: ZIP code–level trends and metrics
  • Rental Insights: County-level yields, trends, and price-to-rent ratios
  • Smart Tracker Reports: Address-level values, short-term rental estimates, and purchase analysis
• Property listing sites – Other online sources for potential investment properties include:
• Connected Investor – Find investment options through Connected Investor. You can browse off-market properties, wholesale opportunities, and turnkey rentals, all designed to be compatible with self-directed IRAs.
• Zillow – A well-known real estate website, Zillow lists millions of residential properties across the U.S., including for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) homes and foreclosures. It’s useful for market research and price comparisons.
• realtor.com – Backed by the National Association of Realtors®, this site features MLS listings and is a trusted source for residential property searches, including single-family homes, condos, and townhomes.
• trulia – Trulia offers property listings with added neighborhood insights like crime maps, school ratings, and commute times which can be helpful for investors evaluating long-term rental appeal.
• LoopNet – Focused on commercial properties, LoopNet is ideal for investors interested in multi-family, retail, office, and mixed-use buildings. Listings often include cap rates, lease terms, and income potential.

Consider expanding your property search

If your local real estate market isn’t buyer-friendly, consider investing in another market. Equity Trust clients have shown it can work, even at long distances. (Read about Michigan resident Arnold’s investment in South Carolina.)

Something to keep in mind during your real estate hunt

Some of these resources may produce more potential investment properties than you’re interested in pursuing. Before making any decisions, perform your due diligence to make sure you choose the right opportunities for your comfort and experience level.

Share your go-to sources for investment properties

Where do you find your real estate investments? Email us and let us know!

As Equity Trust Company (“Equity Trust”) is a directed custodian, like any investment, it is your responsibility to conduct your own due diligence before investing and before choosing a provider that is right for you. Equity Trust may, from time to time, establish independent contractor relationships with third-party providers, as described above, whereby you, as the IRA owner, can have access to third-party providers for services that may be beneficial to you. Equity Trust is not an affiliate of any such provider. Equity Trust makes no recommendation or representations as to any provider and service or the needs generally of any IRA owner or any IRA. Any service available from any provider that offers investment education or advice solely reflects the views of such provider and in no way represents any recommendation or advice from Equity Trust. Opinions or ideas expressed by third parties, their affiliates, and employees are not necessarily those of Equity Trust nor do they reflect their views or endorsement. IRA owners are in no way obligated to purchase services and IRA owners are free to choose a provider with services as they deem appropriate. IRA owners should consult with their financial and legal advisors before choosing to work with any provider.