Getting into the real estate industry is hard—the field’s saturated, competitive, and largely unstable. You don’t want to jump into this with high expectations and little planning. An expert-recommended way to start is to become a licensing consultant or a real estate agent—and look for opportunities to work with experienced REITs and mentors. Do the dirty work and make your way up. Donny Gamble, founder and CEO of RetirementInvestments.com suggests a more unconventional approach, “There's no better way to get started in real estate than becoming an investor first. Start by purchasing fractional shares in a REIT. Learn about the type of properties they invest in, annual returns, and real estate markets. You’ll be ahead of your competition just by doing this.”