5 Real Estate Moves Grant Cardone Used To Build His Billion-Dollar Fortune
Grant Cardone is an investor and author who popularized the "10X Rule" of financial freedom. Although he has a net worth of over $1 billion, it didn't get there without hard work and a rigorous determination and wealth mindset.
Here are eight strategies Cardone used to turn just a few thousand dollars into a fortune.
Read More: 10 Ways To Quickly Build Your Net Worth in 2026, According to Humphrey Yang
Find Out: Start Growing Your Net Worth With Smarter Tracking
1. Invest in Real Estate
In a popular video on his YouTube channel, Cardone's first piece of advice was that you have to start investing in real estate. He said this is the only investment he's ever made that's allowed him to turn $3,000 into billions.
Real estate prices have tended to rise over long periods, despite cycles. That's why Cardone and other experts like Barbara Corcoran have focused on it almost exclusively as they built their initial fortunes.
However, not all real estate investments are equally lucrative. Cardone will only buy properties that fit the careful criteria he's established over his 20+ year career. The remaining points in this article cover Cardone's unique approach to real estate.
Keep Financial Literacy Month going — learn how the MoneyLion app helps you track, manage and move your money in one place
2. Focus on Multi-Unit Properties
Cardone started his real estate journey by looking at single-family homes. However, he quickly saw that the money wasn't in these properties -- it was in multi-unit buildings.
Over the years, Cardone has typically only buy properties with at least 32 units. He also looks for buildings in areas that have positive migration. So instead of purchasing a single-family home in your region, you may need to look at larger properties outside of it to reach the same level of success Cardone has had.
3. Look for Investing Partners
Perhaps Cardone's most important strategy is investing in real estate with partners. This is how he managed to turn $3,000 into a very high net worth. With partners, Cardone doesn't have to come up with all of the upfront capital needed for a deal on his own. He can put in as little as a few thousand dollars and end up owning a stake in a massive apartment building with hundreds of units.
The key is attracting wealthy partners to the deals you're considering. Having connections makes that much easier to do. However, you don't necessarily need them. You just need to get in meetings with the right people and show them a detailed investment strategy that can give them great returns.
This process becomes easier once you've established your efficacy as a real estate investor. When you can show someone you've made money for your investors in the past, they may be more likely to join your next deal.
4. Debt Is OK
Cardone has said he always uses debt to finance his group's real estate purchases. However, he's careful to avoid over-leveraging himself, noting, "Putting too much leverage on a property will always result in problems."
That's why Cardone tries to keep his debt leverage around 65%. This allows him to take advantage of bigger deals without putting his capital at serious risk in the event of a market correction. Cardone said thanks to this strategy, he's never lost a property, even when his peers lost everything in the 2010 housing market collapse.
5. Get Paid To Buy
Finally, Cardone has noted that his ultimate goal in every real estate deal is getting paid to purchase the property. He means that he looks for buildings that will be cashflow positive -- not just appreciate in value over time.
For example, you could buy a duplex and find renters who cover your mortgage. Yet, you may not earn any extra cash until you sell the property in the future. Cardone prefers properties that put money in his pocket every month by having space for enough renters to surpass his mortgage payment.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
More From MoneyLion: