We recently connected with Daniel Tanasa and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Daniel, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Engaging in any aspect of life entails a certain level of risk, and it is our responsibility to assess and determine which risk-reward balance justifies taking a leap of faith. Any pencil will look sharp before it was ever used, the fear of making mistakes should not immobilize us from taking action. In my perspective, the risk associated with abstaining from real estate investment surpasses the risks of doing it. Considering the management of the national budget and the continuous printing of money to sustain governmental operations, it becomes essential to have exposure to assets to safeguard against the devaluation of money. The ongoing increase in the money supply invariably inflates asset prices, and as financially responsible individuals, it is imperative to counteract inflation by having a stake in well-performing assets.
I draw an analogy to elevator stairs to illustrate this point. Relying solely on a salaried job without investing in assets is akin to attempting to ascend on a set of descending elevator stairs. Progress becomes nearly impossible. A more prudent approach is to transition to the ascending elevator staircase at the earliest opportunity. Real estate investment facilitates this transition for those willing to embrace it. With the government continuously increasing the money supply, the prices of your assets are likely to rise, allowing you to leverage the system’s dynamics in your favor rather than perpetually struggling against a declining financial trajectory.
Consequently, I believe that refraining from real estate investment poses a greater risk (Note: This is not financial advice.)

Daniel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Daniel Tanasa, your friendly real estate agent and investor. I get a tremendous excitement out of helping clients find success and financial freedom through real estate. My journey into real estate kicked off in 2020 when I snagged my first rental property – a sweet 3-bed, 2-bath house in a nice Houston suburb. After a bit of sprucing up, I was making around $200 a month in net cash flow. That’s when I got hooked on the whole real estate investing scene.
After a few deals under my belt, I got pretty good at crunching numbers, estimating renovations, and pulling some creative moves with banks to boost my portfolio growth. It dawned on me that I should share this knowledge and help others see the magic of owning real estate. So, I got my realtor license, and now every day is about making my clients wealthier.
I mainly work with investors – from newbies dipping their toes into the real estate pool to seasoned pros snagging their 30th multifamily deal and everything in between. Sure, retail buyers make up about 20 to 30% of my business, but my heart’s in the investment game. Whether it’s friends, family, or folks I meet networking, I’m here for anyone looking to make a move.
And hey, when you think about buying a house with a realtor, it’s not just about closing the deal. Our services go way beyond that. Sometimes, out-of-state investors tap into us for managing renovations, picking the perfect color scheme, listing for rent, finding awesome tenants, and even handling property management through our in-house team.
Seeing people grow their portfolios, getting the most out of it, and inching closer to that financial freedom goal – that’s what lights us up.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Growing up in Romania, I was though that you need to save up the money to buy something cash, you can’t rely on banks because that will enslave you to the payments you need to make. And of course, the universal: “you don’t actually own it, the bank does”. Pretty much the Dave Ramsey school of thought about financing. All of these are actually teaching good principles that you don’t need to spend all your money and you need to save up for your big dream. However, as beneficial as these principles are for personal finance, they don’t necessarily align with the most effective strategies for growing a real estate portfolio. This was a lesson I had to unlearn. I had to convince myself that as long as the rental income covered the mortgage payments and I set aside an additional 20% for repairs, vacancies, and capital expenditures, while also maintaining enough money in the bank to cover payments for at least six months, the investment was reasonably secure.
That was a frightening step that I had to make. First house that I bought was 150k, and while that was a lot of money for me, I felt like I could manage to pay that off in a few years if everything goes sideways. So I did the first one and it worked out pretty good, then I felt good about doing a second one and so one. And then a bit over 3 years later, I have 12 rental properties all bought with financing, many of them with $0 out of pocket or very little out of pocket. This underscores the power of leveraging real estate, demonstrating that using financing can be a key driver in building a substantial and successful property portfolio.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I strongly adhere to the “Do What You Say & Say What You Do” principle, and I attribute a significant part of my business growth to actively engaging in the same endeavors as my clients. I don’t just talk about concepts I’ve learned from other investors or read about in books; I embody the experiences and strategies my clients are seeking. While I value books, podcasts, and other learning methods as great sources for staying informed about market trends and successful practices, my approach is to personally try out new strategies before recommending them to clients. This hands-on experience not only keeps me confident but also significantly enhances the chances of success for those who place their trust in me, particularly when making crucial decisions like purchasing their first investment property.
By actively participating in the market, I gain an empirical understanding alongside the statistical and publicly available research. This firsthand involvement allows me to provide a more informed perspective to my clients. I believe in being responsive, knowledgeable, and going the extra mile to ensure the success of a deal even after the transaction is complete. This commitment to excellence, combined with my firsthand involvement in the market, has been instrumental in building my reputation in the industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.har.com/daniel-tanasa/agent_DANIELTAN
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danieltanasarealtor?igsh=MmVlMjlkMTBhMg==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085174235979
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-tanasa-5074967b/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@analiensjourney6661