Introduction to Commercial Real Estate
Your on-ramp to the biggest asset class most investors never touch
The complete beginner's guide to commercial real estate. You'll learn what CRE actually is, the five major asset classes, who the players are, how CRE differs from residential, and why commercial properties build generational wealth faster than almost any other investment.
Download the Introduction to Commercial Real Estate Workbook
Printable PDF with exercises, worksheets, and fill-in notes designed to go alongside every lesson in this course.
What you'll learn
- Define commercial real estate and explain how it differs from residential
- Identify the five major CRE asset classes and their key characteristics
- Explain the roles of brokers, investors, developers, lenders, and tenants
- Describe the primary ways investors make money in commercial real estate
- Decide whether CRE investing is the right fit for your goals
Lessons
- 01
What Is Commercial Real Estate?
The clear definition of commercial real estate, what makes it "commercial" vs. residential, and why the distinction matters for every investor.
12 min - 02
The Five Asset Classes of Commercial Real Estate
A guided tour of multifamily, retail, office, industrial, and specialty — the five major CRE asset classes, how they differ, and what drives returns in each.
15 min - 03
The Players in a CRE Deal
Brokers, investors, developers, lenders, tenants, attorneys, and everyone else who touches a commercial real estate deal — plus how each one gets paid.
12 min - 04
How Commercial Real Estate Investors Actually Make Money
The four profit centers of every CRE deal — cash flow, appreciation, loan paydown, and tax benefits — and why the rich get richer by stacking all four.
14 min - 05
Commercial vs. Residential — The Differences That Matter
Every way commercial real estate differs from residential — financing, valuation, taxation, lease law, and more — and why each difference is an opportunity.
12 min - 06
Why CRE Beats Stocks, Bonds, and Single-Family Rentals
A clear-eyed comparison of commercial real estate against every other major asset class — what CRE wins on, where it loses, and why the rich favor it.
11 min - 07
Is Commercial Real Estate Right for You?
A realistic self-assessment — capital, timeline, temperament, and goals — to decide if CRE investing is actually the right fit for your situation.
10 min - 08
Your First Steps in Commercial Real Estate
A concrete 90-day action plan to go from zero to your first commercial real estate deal — what to learn, who to talk to, and what to do in what order.
11 min
Up next — Course 02
CRE Terminology & Key Metrics
The vocabulary and formulas every CRE investor must know cold