REIT Investing Book Review: Why This Passive Income Guide Caught My Attention

So I picked up this book called Real Estate Investment Trust Investing: The Secret to Passive Income from REITs by Mike Hartley (published 2023), and honestly? It changed how I think about building wealth through real estate.

Here’s the thing. Most of us hear “real estate investing” and immediately picture buying a house, dealing with tenants, fixing toilets at 2 AM, and praying the property value goes up. That sounds exhausting. And expensive. And like a part-time job you didn’t sign up for.

But what if you could invest in real estate without actually owning property? That’s exactly what REITs let you do. And that’s exactly what this book is about.

Who Is Mike Hartley?

Mike Hartley didn’t come from money. He grew up in a modest background and built his way to over a million dollars through smart investing. Not through crypto moonshots or day trading or any of that. Through steady, disciplined investing, with a big focus on REITs and dividend income.

The book is basically him sharing everything he learned along the way. How REITs work, what types exist, how to pick good ones, and how to build a portfolio that pays you while you sleep. He writes in a straightforward way that doesn’t assume you have a finance degree. Which I appreciate, because I don’t.

What Are REITs, Quickly?

I’ll get into the full details in the next post, but the short version: REITs are companies that own income-producing real estate. Think shopping malls, apartment complexes, hospitals, office buildings, warehouses. You buy shares in these companies just like you’d buy shares of Apple or Nike. And because REITs are required by law to pay out at least 90% of their taxable income as dividends, you get regular cash payments just for holding the shares.

No tenants. No maintenance. No massive down payment. Just dividends hitting your account.

That’s the pitch, at least. And the book does a good job of showing both the upside and the risks.

Why I’m Writing This Series

I wanted to break this book down into a blog series for a few reasons.

First, the information is genuinely useful. A lot of people my age are looking for ways to build passive income, and REITs are one of the most accessible options out there. You can start with way less money than buying actual property.

Second, the book covers a lot of ground. Types of REITs, how to evaluate them, tax implications, diversification strategies, historical performance. That’s too much to cover in one post without it becoming a textbook. So I’m splitting it up into digestible pieces.

Third, I learn better by writing things down. If I can explain it clearly to you, that means I actually understand it. And if I got something wrong, someone will definitely let me know in the comments.

What You’ll Get From This Series

Over the next several posts, I’ll walk through the key ideas from each chapter of Hartley’s book. Here’s what to expect:

The basics. What REITs actually are, where they came from, and how they make money. If you’ve never heard of REITs before, you’ll have a solid foundation by the end of the first few posts.

The different types. Not all REITs are the same. Some own buildings. Some invest in mortgages. Some do both. Each type has different risk profiles and income potential, and knowing the difference matters.

How to actually invest. The book doesn’t just explain theory. It walks through the practical steps of researching REITs, opening a brokerage account, buying shares, and building a diversified portfolio. I’ll cover all of that.

The real talk. Every investment has risks. Hartley doesn’t sugarcoat this, and neither will I. Market downturns, interest rate changes, and sector-specific risks are all part of the picture.

Who Is This Series For?

If you’re someone who wants to build passive income but doesn’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy rental property, this is for you.

If you’re already investing in stocks and ETFs but haven’t looked into REITs yet, this is for you.

If you just want to understand how people make money from real estate without being a landlord, this is for you.

You don’t need any prior investing knowledge. I’ll explain things as we go, the same way Hartley does in the book.

A Quick Note

This series is a retelling and review of the book’s content, mixed with my own thoughts and takeaways. It’s not financial advice. I’m just a person who read a book and found it helpful enough to share. Always do your own research before putting money into anything.

Let’s Get Into It

The book starts by introducing the world of REITs and explaining why they’ve become such a popular investment vehicle. In the next post, I’ll cover what REITs actually are, how they got started back in 1960, and how they’ve performed through decades of economic ups and downs.

If you’ve ever been curious about investing in real estate but felt priced out of the market, stick around. This might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

This is Part 1 of a blog series covering “Real Estate Investment Trust Investing: The Secret to Passive Income from REITs” by Mike Hartley (2023).

Next: What Are REITs? Discovering Real Estate Investment Trusts