If you’re thinking of investing in commercial real estate, but assume that you need to be worth millions to do so, take heart – you don’t need to be a real estate tycoon to get started in CRE. Triple-net lease (NNN) investments are a great place to start, as they have a lower barrier to entry than most and an equally appealing return on investment.

Commercial Real Estate on a Budget

Here’s a list of 10 ways you can make money in commercial real estate, even if you’re on a budget:
1. Consider NNN lease properties. These can start as low as $350,000 and financial institutions typically lend for them as they are leased by reliable, investment-grade tenants.
2. Join with another investor to buy an absolute NNN lease property.
3. If you own a home then decide to rent it for two years, after the two years, you can sell it and use the profits in a 1031 exchange (deferring all capital gains tax) to purchase a commercial NNN property. This allows many people with residential rentals to become commercial real estate investors who realize a better ROI, with fewer expenses and responsibilities.
4. Buy a pre-foreclosure commercial income property; these are properties where the owner is behind several mortgage payments and is about to be foreclosed.
5. Buy real-estate owned properties (REOs), which are bank-owned properties that were taken back in foreclosure.
6. Take over the commercial mortgage and lease agreements for a property owner who just wants out. Often, these types of deals are high-maintenance properties. However, at a later date, you could sell the property and re-invest into something more stable, like a NNN property, with little or no maintenance.

7. Buy properties being auctioned “at the courthouse steps.” These are in the process of being foreclosed on, so they are auctioned off to the highest bidder (cash-in-hand). If nobody bids, these properties go back to the bank and become REOs.