Meet Cheri Zink, a St. Louis local and the founder of Cheri Buys Houses. After spending 30 years working in corporate management, Cheri decided to go all in on building her real estate investing business three years ago.
In this member spotlight, you’ll learn how Cheri was able to find success by leveraging the right resources to help her overcome challenges that most new real estate investors face early in their careers. We’ll also share how Cheri utilized our Done-For-You Services to help her more than double her deal flow in her first year as a member with us!
After getting advice from a friend who was also a real estate investor, Cheri recognized the potential to start a business of her own that would allow her the personal and financial freedom she desired. So, when the company Cheri had tenure with began downsizing its team, she decided it was time to seize the opportunity to take them up on a voluntary layoff package they were offering.
One of the first things Cheri did when building her real estate business three years ago was hire a real estate investing coach. By hiring a coach, she quickly scaled past the knowledge and confidence hurdles that most new real estate investors must overcome.
Cheri’s coach helped her learn the ins and outs of wholesaling and flipping houses. And since she reviewed each of her deals with her coach, she avoided many of the rookie mistakes that new investors often make early on in their careers.
Thanks to her coach’s advice, Cheri learned about the importance of consistent marketing early on. And since she knew that direct mail was one of the most consistent means of marketing to sellers in her market, Cheri began sourcing lists and building and managing her direct mail campaigns on her own.
“My coach told me, “Never stop marketing! The problem people have is they start marketing, get leads, feel good, and start making money. But then, they decide they don’t want to spend the money on marketing anymore. So, they pause their marketing for a while, and that gap catches up with them later when the deals slow down or come to a full stop.” So, I knew never to stop marketing, but it was a struggle because I was busy, and life happens. Getting the postcards out was my least favorite thing, but it had to happen,” Cheri shares.
While Cheri closed ten deals in her first year as a real estate investor, she soon realized that doing lead generation and marketing alone was keeping her from doing the things she loves the most. She loves going on appointments and talking to sellers, not doing paperwork. So, she began searching for a solution that would enable her to do more of what she loves.
Cheri received several referrals to REIComplete from trusted people within her network. And after doing her homework, including reading our customer testimonials like this one, she became a Done-For-You Services member with us in early 2021.
Since becoming a REIComplete member, Cheri’s deal flow has more than doubled. In addition, her husband Mike has been able to quit his job and work with her full-time in her real estate business since they’re so busy.
Cheri’s timeline and results since starting her real estate business:
2019- Left her corporate career and began learning real estate investing
2020- Closed 10 deals in her first full year as a real estate investor
2021- Joined REIComplete in early 2021 and closed 26 deals that year.
2022- Closed 19 deals in the first half of the year and is on track to meet or exceed her goal of 35 deals this year!
We asked Cheri if she had any concerns before becoming a member with us, and she shared that money was her primary concern. She knew it would be a financial investment and wanted to ensure she was investing her money in the right place. Here’s more on what she had to say about this:
“I had to trust the process. I had to trust that you don’t necessarily get a deal in the first 30 or 60 days, and the reason why we mail postcards frequently is because it takes time. I knew postcards work because they have a shelf life. I’ve been called a year later on postcards!”
What advice does Cheri have for prospective REIComplete members who are on the fence?
“You’ve just got to trust the process, and you have to believe in it,” Cheri shares.
We asked Cheri what she loves the most about our services, and she shared that it’s “the simplicity of our services.” She loves that her campaigns go out weekly no matter what and that everything gets put into her CRM for her, which saves her even more time. Here’s more on what she had to say about this:
“The simplicity is worth every dime because now I’m able to make more deals. I was the hold-up in the process of getting postcards out when I didn’t do it timely. And I feel like if you want to be successful, you shouldn’t be doing all that yourself. You have to find what you’re best at. And I’m best in the houses, talking to people. It’s what I enjoy and love to do.”
Cheri got some of the most helpful advice early in her career from her first coach. He taught her about the importance of having the right mindset – a mindset of abundance and positivity. She shared that even though there are many other investors in her city, many of whom she networks with and even coaches today, understanding that there are enough houses for everybody has enabled her to make wise choices and succeed.
“It’s all about your mindset. Success breeds success. You’ve got to believe in yourself, take risks, and know there are enough houses for everybody. If you don’t believe that, you will attract scarcity. But if you believe in abundance, you will attract it.”
Cheri recently started a women’s real estate investing group in St. Louis called Empowered Women in Real Estate Investing. While her group is primarily women, they have some men who attend as well. They meet monthly to have group discussions about everything from coaching tips and investment strategies to analyzing deals.
Cheri’s dream is to pass her real estate investing business on to her three sons one day. She wants to teach them that there are other ways to earn a living than the traditional corporate path that can lead to burnout. And she wants her sons to enjoy the freedom she and her husband have achieved thanks to their real estate investing business.
When Cheri’s not working, you can find her traveling to national parks with her husband, where she loves to hike, breathe in the fresh air, and take in nature’s beauty.
Schedule your complimentary discovery call with us today to learn more about how our Done-For-You lead generation and marketing services can help you grow your real estate investing business.
