In my role as educator for the "Buy Your First Apartment Building E-Course" I have many prospective students email me to ask, "Where can I find motivated sellers of apartment building?"

My first response is to find out if the new investor is actually ready to begin looking for an apartment building to purchase. The biggest mistake that I see new commercial real estate investors make is to start shopping for a property before they have done their homework to determine what constitutes a profitable investment.

However, after the new investor has educated him or herself on what constitutes a profitable commercial property investment then I recommend the following methods to locate motivated apartment building sellers.

There are two basic methods that the investor can use to find apartment buildings for sale. The first method is the traditional one of contacting a commercial realtor and having him or her represent you and your interests while locating suitable properties. The second method would involve all non-traditional methods such as internet searches, commercial real estate websites, community bulletin boards and local investment clubs.

When searching for a commercial realtor to handle an apartment building purchase or sale it is highly recommended to procure the services of a commercial realtor who specializes in apartment buildings and income properties. It is also advisable to find a realtor who has the CCIM designation. This ensures that the realtor has the education and knowledge to properly analyze the financial fundamentals of the property.

Many apartment building investors choose to contact sellers directly by either placing ads, sending letters or phoning them.