Aamir Waheed

Aamir Waheed of Orlando Florida is the president of Real Track Inc, a real estate company with over 25 years’ experience in the industry. Through this company, he buys and sells property, while holding some for rental. Aamir has achieved massive success thanks to his real estate skills, and the wide variety of services he offers. These include assisting clients understand tax deed sales, foreclosure sales, lender note sales, short sales, and REOs. His deep understanding of all things property have made him a favorite among those looking to invest in, lease or sell property. Aamir also serves on several company boards. Over the years, he has leveraged his success to give back to society through philanthropy for his Orlando Florida community. Aamir is also an avid environmentalist and spends whatever time he can spare, creating awareness on climate change. He has over the years contributed significant sums of money towards organizations working on combating climate change. His company, Real Track Inc., also takes environmental issues very seriously, and has adopted environmental conservation measures such as the use of solar energy. Besides work and philanthropy, Aamir likes to spend time with his family. He has visited numerous tourist destinations with them, and wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

Where did the idea for Real Track Inc come from?

The idea was more of a lightbulb moment. In the 2000s, there was a drop in interest rates. This saw buying homes become extremely lucrative. That is when an idea struck me that I could actually buy and flip homes in this low rates environment. That is how Realtrack Inc was born. We started out buying and selling, then realized that we could make a more reliable income by including a rental portfolio. Besides the interest rates drop, I would also credit my family background for Realtrack. There are lots of people who got the same opportunity that I got in the 2000s, but didn’t capitalize on it. The thing with me is that I was taught at a very young age how to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. This was repeated so many times that it kind grew on me, and it has become second nature to me as an adult. As such, when the opportunity to make money through real estate came up, I did not hesitate to take it up. I always feel thankful to the support systems I have had since childhood.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

My typical day starts at around 6 a.m. I check and respond to client emails before heading to the office at 8 a.m. Here I spend about two hours meeting up with staff to review the day’s activities. By noon, I am usually off for meetings either with clients, or other players. I usually try and make sure that I spend a good chunk of my afternoons networking. It’s the trick to growth in business. To make my day productive, I try and delegate most of the day-to-day aspects of the business. This frees my time to deal with what’s most important, and that’s driving the strategic vision of my business. Before I discovered this, I used to spend a lot of time on repetitive tasks, and the business stagnated for quite a while. This has since changed though, and my business is now on a growth trajectory. Technology too has also been quite instrumental in making my average day very productive. I can keep tabs on what is happening at my business in real-time, without the need to be there. This has been most instrumental to the business since the pandemic started.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I tend to jot down nice ideas whenever they come to mind. I do this to avoid forgetting about them while caught in my day-to-day business. Then when I have some free time, I invite my strategic team and we discuss these ideas. We mostly do this on weekends, while also catching up on other things. If we brainstorm and the idea comes out as a viable one, then I implement it immediately. So far, I have implemented a couple of successful ideas by taking this approach. In fact, most of my other companies came into existence this way.

What’s one trend that excites you?

I am most excited by the entry of cryptocurrencies into the real estate space. Just recently, a multimillion dollar penthouse sold for crypto in Miami. However, it is not just the mode of payment that I find exciting, it is the fact that blockchain technology could unlock lots of value in the real estate space. For instance, I foresee a future where tokenization of real estate could become a dominant trend. This could see people own a fraction of a property through digital tokens. Home sharing technologies such as Airbnb have transformed the industry a big deal, but this could be much bigger.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I would say it’s my ability to delegate. When I first started out, I used to do a lot of things by myself. By the end of the day, I would be extremely tired, and yet have achieved so little. Then one of my friends in business told me about the power of delegation. Since then, my productivity has shot up exponentially. Not only do I get to achieve a lot in a day, I have also managed to open, and successfully run multiple companies simultaneously.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell my younger self to find something they are good at, and pursue it with singular purpose. When young, you are so energetic and want to try out multiple things at once. While it is good to experiment, do not overdo it. Otherwise, you will end up wasting a lot of time. Everyone has something that they are very passionate about. That is what you should put your emphasis on. One of the advantages of doing this that, you will likely go all the way no matter the challenges. Being able to persevere, and grow at something is one of the factors that set apart successful people from the rest.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

That’s a tough one. I tend to be very open to the idea that there are no absolute truths. This basically means there is always a new angle, or something we don’t know about something that we believe to be true. As such, if there is something that I think is true, and someone disputes it, I am always ready to listen. In fact, I encourage such debates because they open my mind to new ideas that can help me become a better person in the long run.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

I am always looking to learn new things. I discovered long ago that life is always changing. The only way to stay ahead in anything is to make learning a part of your life. Since I started this company, a lot has changed in the real estate world. Had I not made learning a part of my everyday life, I would not have achieved the success I have today. I would recommend that everyone, regardless of the field of operation, make learning a continuous journey. It’s the only way to grow.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

I always make sure that the company is liquid at all times. This has helped us take advantage of opportunities as they arise. For instance, during the 2008 crisis, we had the liquidity to buy lots of properties at deep discounts. This gave us a huge boost when the markets rebound.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

I am lucky enough to not have gone through any failures that I would deem catastrophic. What I experience are every day challenges that are easy to tackle with the right mindset, and people in place.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

None really. Entrepreneurship is all about capitalizing on good ideas. If I had a good idea that I believe could make me money, I would work on it.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I bought my mom lunch recently, and it was a nice feeling catching up with her after a while.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

I use multiple software, but one of my best is Zoom. Zoom allows me to easily interact with my clients, and employees from anywhere. It is such an awesome piece of technology.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is my favorite book. It has given me very useful tips on how to think strategically when running my business.

What is your favorite quote?

My favorite quote is, you only have to do a few things right in your life so long as you don’t do too many things wrong by Warren Buffet. This is one quote that I hold dearly in every business that I do.

Key Learnings:

• Risk taking
• Strategic thinking
• Passion