With a recently heralded financial Armageddon in the rear view mirror, people are looking around the ruins to see if there are any opportunities to make money, and that’s where commercial real estate investing courses come into play. These courses and others like them are gaining popularity as people want to diversify their investments, find a new, more secure line of work, or replenish their now woeful 401Ks. Like any other money-making opportunity, commercial real estate investing courses range from awesome to worthless. So how can you separate the trash from the gold? Come grasshopper, let me show you.

Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous people who have taken advantage of people’s increased desire and need to find alternative sources of income. Many of these so-called gurus and experts are great marketers of themselves and their systems, but they lack any real in-depth knowledge of the market. Some have that knowledge but don’t want to open the curtain 100%. They’d rather put together some pictures, tables, and basic information and let you bang your head against the wall thinking you’re a failure because you can’t follow their “easy road to riches.”

The first step in evaluating one of the commercial real estate investing courses you are looking at is to look at the source of the information. Can you independently verify what they are saying? Do they have a good reputation among investors? What does Google have to say about them? Here’s a good litmus test; If you’re bombarded with photos of their mansions, hot cars, and even hotter women, then you’re better off just spraying a stack of cash in lighter fluid and setting it on fire. Are they giving you the hard sell? Do you have a limited time frame to decide? So again, just walk away buddy.

Start by doing some basic research on commercial real estate or the specific topic of commercial real estate investing courses you are considering. Check the information and see for yourself if they are just talking in circles or if they know what is really going on. Join or sit in a real estate investing club and ask what they studied to get to where they are now.