4 Reasons why Real Estate Investing should be taught in High Schools
Why isn't real estate investing taught in high schools?
One of the basic needs in life is shelter, so why do most people learn about real estate and real estate investing as an adult?
Imagine learning the concepts of real estate and generational wealth as a teenager or working to buy your first real estate property before the age of 18.
Imagine what your life would be like now if you had that knowledge and successfully purchased that property.
Think of the skills you would need to succeed like saving and budgeting, building credit, research, finance, communication, and community prospecting, to name a few.
During these times, aren't those skills just as necessary as writing a great essay or completing an algebra problem?
For that reason, I say Real estate investing has to be taught in schools, and here is why:
1. Owning real estate is a tried and true way to build long-term wealth. Unlike stocks and other investments that can go up and down in value, well-located real estate typically appreciates over time. This provides a hedge against inflation and enables investors to build equity that can be tapped for other purposes, such as funding retirement or financing education.
2. Real estate investing is relatively simple to understand and implement. With the help of a qualified professional, even a novice investor can get started with a reasonable amount of capital.
3. There are myriad opportunities in the real estate market, ranging from fixer-uppers to luxury properties. This means that there is an investment option for every budget and risk tolerance level. For these reasons, real estate investing should be taught in high schools so that students can start building their wealth early on.
4 Finally, think of the owner's mindset versus the renter's mindset. You take pride in what you own compared to the mentality that this is someone else's problem with what you rent. Imagine if all teens had the ownership mindset where they took an ownership interest in their community and the people in it.
In some cases, parents may feel that their teens are not ready for that type of responsibility, but I beg to differ, and I also believe the world begs to differ. We've asked our teens to take ownership of their education and mental well-being during COVID. We've asked them to manage their time between school and work, and deal with the pressures of getting into college. So why can't they understand the basics of real estate and take a vested interest in building and owning a piece of their community?
Am I saying for a 16-year-old to go out and buy a house tomorrow? No, but I am saying that giving them the knowledge and tools to do so is the right thing to do. Our responsibility is to set them up for true success by allowing them to develop an owner's mindset—ownership of their community, financial future, and well-being.
Like teen athletes who practice and play to earn a college scholarship or achieve the dreams of becoming a pro athlete, why aren't we treating ownership of our basic needs the same way? Why aren't our teens learning and practicing the skills of communication, financial literacy, researching, community building, and most importantly, the ownership mindset?
I will finish with this. I went to college with a young man who, at 18, bought his first house, which he rented out to other college students. By the time he graduated, he had owned six properties and a small apartment building. Let's say his focus after graduation was not on looking for a job but on looking for his next property and building a business that provided jobs. This could be your teen, but it has to start early. More importantly, it has to start now.
So, I ask the question again, why isn't real estate investing taught in schools? I think it is time.
Do you want your teen to own their own home one day or know how to build generational wealth through real estate?
Sign them up for a Free real estate investing workshop for Teens, where they learn by doing, gain on-the-job experience, and develop the skills needed to succeed in real estate investing, life, college, and beyond.