Antonio Edwards used to be a truck driver and janitor. Today he is a real estate entrepreneur with $20 million in real estate capital and the CEO of REI Rich and Famous.
With a baby on the way at age 17 and almost nothing to his name, Edwards knew that he had to grow up fast. The young single dad started driving trucks for $6.50 an hour, on twelve-hour shifts and cleaned bank floors on the weekends. Yet Edwards soon realized that he couldn’t live life on the edge forever. Desperate to change his story and to forge a new life for his son, Edwards’ drive to succeed soon kindled a fire in his heart that would fuel him on his long, hard road to success and fame.
“I knew I didn’t want to live the life I was living until I turned 65,” recalls Edwards. “So, I had to figure out how to make a change for my present and future. I started poring over YouTube and book curriculums, continuously searching for that opportunity that would let me – and my son – get ahead in life. That’s when my mom gave me the book ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ by Robert Kiyosaki & Sharon Lechter, and the wheels in my head started turning.”
Fascinated by the prospect of real estate investing, Edwards became completely obsessed with finding out everything about the real estate business that he could; studying, Googling, watching YouTube videos, and devouring investment books. Edwards moved back into his parents’ home at 26 with barely any money to his name to start his real estate investing career. In a matter of months, he had closed his first deal with no money out of pocket for $12,500. Six months later, Edwards closed his first six-figure deal and, by the end of year, the young entrepreneur had closed 26 deals.
“Most people think you need a license to practice real estate,” Edwards explains, “but a license is irrelevant in the real estate investing business. With the right kind of specialized knowledge, you can flip and/or buy real estate all day long, risking none of your own money or credit. In fact, the wealthiest real estate investors rely chiefly on OPM (Other People’s Money).”
Since beginning his career in real estate, Edwards has closed more than 400 deals, controlled over $40 million in real estate assets, and has travelled the country as a speaker, appearing on everything from CBS and NBC, to ABC and FOX affiliates. Since the beginning of COVID-19 shutdowns, Edwards has continued to grow his business and shares his strategies for resilience in his new Amazon bestseller, “Be You, Be Great!” As a completely self-made real estate millionaire and entrepreneur, Edwards has truly built himself up from the bottom to the top, creating a new life for himself and his family in the process.
When asked about the keys to his success, Edwards points to five key factors:
Stay out of bad debt
Buy assets, not liabilities
Be persistent
Continue to grow
Surround yourself with people you admire
“By combining these five traits,” Edwards claims, “anybody with the right attitude can start making money in real estate. The key is learning the ropes and measuring your risks before jumping right in; you need to understand your field and be able to play it like a pro before you turn your first profit.”
When you look past the real estate jargon and the investment know-how, Edwards has a story of breakthrough that is both inspiring and humbling. His family was under constant financial stress while he grew up, while Edwards struggled continuously in school and work. Reading wasn’t his strong suit, yet through a combination of hard work, perseverance, and growing self-confidence, he has risen to the top of his field – an inspiring lesson in working furiously for what one wants in life.
Edwards now tries to give back to those in similarly tough life-situations through his philanthropy projects in Haiti and Nepal, where he works with kids in need of food, clothing, and shelter, while teaching them how to pursue their true passions in life. In addition, Edwards continues to help thousands of professional students build wealth in real estate investing through courses and his new book, “The Secret to Flipping Houses with No Money.”
“I know there are times that are challenging, and it may seem like you can’t get out of it,” says Edwards. “I’m living proof that you can.”
