Transitioning from real estate to ETA

Member resources:

Frequent asked questions:

What is Searchfunder.com?

Searchfunder.com is an online community of searchers, investors, lenders, brokers and other professionals. Over 80% of those involved in searchfunds maintain a Searchfunder account to help them network, hire, and mentor others.

What are the benefits of membership?

In addition to accessing the most active online network of business buyers, Searchfunder licenses research that is simply not cost effective for individuals. Access over 15,000 industry reports and 50,000 transaction financials. You also get monthly credits for contact information for your company sourcing campaign with the option to purchase more at drastically discounted rates. Searchfunder has pre-purchased access from these data providers in order to empower individual buyers and to help searchers level the playing field versus private equity.

Do you have deals?

While we are primarily a buy-side network, we do have hundreds of brokers that regularly post deals to the community.

Can I find an internship on Searchfunder?

Absolutely! We have the industry's largest intern job board. If you are considering a search, the first step is to help another business buyer so you can hit the ground running.

What does it cost?

Searchfunder is a subscription service. We offer flexible monthly, annual and lifetime memberships.

Monthly

$79 / month

Annual

$19 / month

Lifetime

$432 / once

Those who maintain an account with us for over 4 continuous years are permanently added to the community without the need for a membership.

Do I need an MBA to join?

While a large number of our members come from dedicated programs at Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, Chicago Booth, and other top programs, searching is no longer reserved for the elite. With the current abundance of dry powder in private equity, and an increasing number of business owners reaching retirement age, good deals rarely go unfunded.

Post a question, deal, job, etc...

Make a post...

Complete registration to post.

by a searcher from University of California, Berkeley - Haas School of Business
in Oakland, CA, USA

10mos ago

Transitioning from real estate to ETA

I was wondering if anyone who has come from a real estate background would be interested in talking. My background has been acquiring/ managing properties and I recently started looking at ETA b.c. the ROI is higher but I'm not sure if I’m prepared for the lifestyle change and additional time/ energy commitment. I’m a little stuck on whether to continue to invest in real estate or make the switch to small business and would love to talk to anyone who has made this transition or is also considering it. Thank you!

2 Likes

324 Views

reply by an investor 10mos ago
from University of Texas at Austin in Austin, TX, USA

Made this exact transition 5 years ago. Real estate PE to search funds/LMM PE investor and operator. The brutal truth: ROI matters less than ROL (return on life). Real estate is about asset optimization. ETA is about human optimization - you're betting on operators (and yourself), not just spreadsheets. Key insight that changed everything for me: Ask yourself if you want to wake up thinking about cap rates and lease negotiations, or about building teams and growing businesses. Both create wealth, but fulfillment is personal. The lifestyle shift is real - more variety, steeper learning curve. The transition isn't as scary as it seems once you're clear on what energizes you.

reply by a searcher 10mos ago
from University of South Florida in Chicago, IL, USA

I've been managing partner of a RE focused hedge fund, developed land and residential portfolios and now lead a holding co..happy to chat as I love both spaces for varying reasons