Real Estate Investor Success Stories: From $600 to $15M Monthly

Hey everybody, Toby Potter here with Global Integrity Finance. We are here today at LeverageCon in Dallas. This is a real estate expo. If you're a real estate investor or a broker and you're not here, you're missing out. Uh, there is lenders here, there's appraisers, attorneys, everything you need to launch or take your real estate investing to the next level. But right here, right now, I have this amazing opportunity to talk to my good friend Solomon Roth with REI Lending. Solomon, how are you, buddy?

I'm good. Thank you for having me here.

So, hey, Solomon, Tell everybody a little bit about you, where you started, where you're at, where you're going.

All right, everybody, so my name is Solomon, and, uh, I came to this country in 2018. I used to work, uh, for dealer, and then, uh, COVID hit, traveled to Texas, and started applying for Global Integrity Finance. I met Tobia the first day. And the first time he asked me, like, you never have experience for mortgage or the private money. I was like, just give me an opportunity. So that's where I started. Like, that one opportunity we started together.

And so I tell everybody, they say, hey, how did, how did you meet Solomon? I said, well, he was in California, he worked for a dealership. They were going to transfer you to Texas or something along that line. Yeah. When you got here, that deal didn't work out. We had posted some ads. And you came in and, uh, you barely spoke clear English. You had zero mortgage real estate background, but you said, if you'll just show me, I'll be your number one sales guy. And I think just the, the, the tenacity for you to say that to me was the deal that I said, you know what, I got nothing to lose. I'll invest in this guy. And if he does, great. If he doesn't, no big deal. Right?

Right.

That's how I remember it.

Yeah, that's true. That is very true. I did come here for a different opportunity, which didn't really work out. So I did see the ad, and I do really remember the first meeting me and you had, and I asked you for the opportunity and you did give me the opportunity.

Yeah, you're right.

My English was no good.

It was terrible.

I didn't even know what the LTV means. And I was running to Richelle's office. I was asking like, what's LTV mean? Like loan-to-value, what does that mean? And what's LTC mean? Loan-to-cost, how's that work? So didn't have a single knowledge of real estate, nothing else, nothing. But, um, within a year, it's— it— everything changed.

It took you, if I remember right, uh, I think the fourth month you started closing loans. You might have closed like $300,000 or $400,000. The next month you might have hit $1 million, and then from there on, I don't think you closed anything less than $2 million a month, $2, $2.5 million a month.

Yeah, that's true. Like, uh, October was the first time I closed the first loan, which was $400-something thousand. And after October, we did the next month like $700,000, and after that it took off and built the pipeline.

Yep.

And we did take off really well. We did hit like 10, 11, 15 million a month.

Yep.

And that was an amazing time.

So let me ask you this. Why do you think you were so successful with little to no knowledge?

So there are multiple factors to that, but I would say like I learned a lot from you. I was asking every question. The first day I asked you like, what do I need to learn? You say like, ask me anything you want. So I was asking questions and you were answering it. So you did really coach a lot of them to us. And also it's really about the work ethic. When I came here, my focus was like, get the work done.

Well, you had to, you had to make it happen. You didn't have anything to fall back on. You didn't have you know, a ton of money in the bank. You had to get it and make it happen.

That's true. When I came first to this country, I just came with $600.

Right.

I spent the $400 in the first day buying, opening the bank account and getting a SIM card to start running my phone and then book a taxi from San Francisco Airport.

Yep. You are definitely a unicorn in the industry. Uh, so where is Solomon today? What do you, what do you got going on today? So, um, you were with the company for 3, 4 years?

Uh, 3 and a half years.

3 and a half years? Yeah. And then what'd you do from there?

So once I was, uh, like, I left Global, I was just thinking to do some other business, but I was keep getting calls and messages and stuff.

You got into, uh, import-export? I did.

Yeah, I'm still doing that.

I'm still waiting on my sheela, dude. Where's that at?

That's coming.

So there's a container of shiitake that's been in customs for almost a year now.

So it's coming.

Yeah.

So because it's like it was something new, like I remember you told me, like there is a lot of other lenders that we do have here and there's a lot of other business. Like what sets us apart is like how unique we are and how we solve solutions to problems, right? Like how we find solutions for problems. So that's what really hit me hard. Like, okay, so if there's a problem, I have to be someone to find a solution. And once I start, I worked more on the export and import side. I was getting a lot of calls and again and again. So I decided like, let me get back to the lending side again.

Right.

And then I reach out to you like, hey, Toby, this is what I want to get back and this is how we can start this together.

Yep.

So we did take We did start our own lending company, you know, and I started—

and, and I'm going to interrupt because, you know, we met last night at the, at the cocktail mixer and, uh, saw all your cousins and brother-in-laws, right? Yes, cousins and brother-in-laws. There's what, 5 of them?

Uh, 5 of them.

Yeah, 5 of them. One of the things that sets you apart from everybody else is your support. These gentlemen that are here with you today are your lifeline to success. They're always there to lift you up, to kick you in the butt when you don't do what you need to do. But you've got an amazing support group there that has your back regardless, and they believe in you. Holy shit, they believe in you. I don't know why, but they believe in you to the death. I mean, and I don't mean that in a negative way. These guys know that you make shit happen.

And that's why we have "We Make It Happen." That's right.

Yeah. That's the truest statement I've ever read on a shirt.

"You Make It Happen." That's something like really come to my mind. Like I was so about these guys, like 5 of them, it's 5 of them. And they had like really successful careers that they started. And I approached them, I was like, hey, we might not make any money right now. We might not even make anything for next 3, 4 months or 6 months. And this is what we need to do, this is how we need to get to the work. And they were okay with it. I didn't believe that they would do that, but they left their jobs, they left their things that they were doing and they started with me. And as you say, like they believed in me and the system, right? So the system that we created, that was something that, uh, really helped us to get us where we are right now.

It's, it's, it was amazing. Angie and I were talking about it last night on the way back and how devoted and dedicated. And the, and the, and the amazing thing is they have your same work ethic. It's not like you're trying to, to do a culture mix and get everybody up. You've seen with Global, you know, We've had a few loan officers come and go, but you're a testament to that. Every person that's come and go with Global had the same exact opportunity you did, and you made it work beyond success. I mean, you were cashing $40,000 checks each month. I know I'm wearing that shit. Yeah. And yet, you know, and it was so what you have going now I believe in because you have a culture that supports you. And if they have the same work ethic, the same passion, the same dream, then you'll have nothing stop you.

Uh, we are from Afghanistan and, uh, we don't have all these opportunity back home.

Right.

So when we get here, we see this opportunity, we jump on it. And, uh, yes. Uh, as you said, like there were a lot of other loan officers. That joined the team and they couldn't make it because, uh, I don't know the reason, but, uh, what I believe was like, uh, it's about like discipline and work ethic and what's your future, like how you want to get to where you want to get, right? Like, uh, you want to set a goal for yourself. It's not just setting a goal, wake up in the morning, just set a goal and then go back to sleep. It doesn't work that way. Yeah, like to find a way to find a path how to get to that goal.

And not— and never quit.

Never quit. There have been times, I tell you, there will be times, uh, there were times, so many times that I was thinking like to stop all these things and get back to something else. But I like, if I quit right now, it's not gonna work for me.

It's never— and I've always preached, if you don't quit, you can't lose.

You can't lose.

When we talk about things And, and, and the disciplines that you talk about, that's what this book is all about. The Unshakeable Self, basically creating a discipline, a daily discipline that instills spiritual, mental, and physical daily routines so that when life gets tough, not if, but when, when you have a foundation that you will help you not quit, not give up. Because if you don't quit, you can't lose.

You can't lose.

You cannot lose.

You cannot lose. I want to share a story. Like a few days ago, we were building a house and I met a plumber. Amazing guy, master, been in the business for 20 years. I asked him like, hey, why don't you start your own business? Like, why you never start your own business? I'm like, that's really tough, you know, like, uh, it takes a lot of hard work and it's not really easy. I was like, uh, what you do right now, you can do exact same thing that you're doing, but you'll do for yourself instead of working for someone else. Like, oh, it's easy to say, not easy to get it done. I was like, I'm right in front of you, right? Right. Like, you can— there will be hard times.

So scared.

They're scared.

Failure.

They're scared. And also they're very like, uh, They like their comfort zone.

Yep.

They dream big, but they like their comfort zone. I have a lot of friends, they're in this industry, uh, they can't even think of working for themselves for one day.

Nope.

Just because they're scared that if— what if they fail?

Well, if they fail, it's on them. If they're employed and it fails, they can blame somebody else. And so that's the unique characteristic. And this is why most businesses fail. People quit on themselves. And they're so easy to blame the economy, blame interest rates, blame, you know, the administration, the governmental administration, instead of looking at the mirror and saying, I'm the one that quit. They didn't quit. I quit. So because I quit, I failed.

That's true. That's very true.

You know, this is what this book is about, our courses are about, finding people like you that say, I want to be better, I want to be bigger, I want to grow, I want to evolve, and I want to change lives. And from that, you build a discipline, a routine, and you'll impact everybody around you. You know, you have a core group that will support you through thick and thin And, and from that, they're gonna— you guys are gonna impact so many other lives. Where are you going now? Where's— what's next for Solomon Roth?

So, uh, from here or the, uh, in life? In life.

So let's talk about your newborn. How old's your child?

Uh, she is, uh, 4 months.

4 months. And you and I made a bet last night, and if you lose the bet, I become her grandparents, right?

I'll tell you, I'm not— I never lose. I never lose, you know. I love it. And, uh, Uh, so if you go to my Instagram page or, um, LinkedIn page, so the first thing you see is like, uh, I never, I never quit and I never lose. These are the two things.

Yep.

Even if I lose, I go back and I do the same thing but in better way.

Learn from the mistakes.

Learn from mistakes and get it done better.

Yep.

Get it done better. And as you said, like, uh, people are there that blame the economy and stuff. So, uh, we are building, uh, 11 units in Richardson and townhomes. So we were working with, uh, some construction companies and, uh, working with architects and the other people. Everyone was asking me like, you're not scared of tariff, Alec? If it comes, it will come on everyone.

Nothing you can do about it.

Nothing you can do. Nothing you can change. And It's not gonna only affect me, it will affect the whole industry, the whole country. It will be the whole country, you know, like, uh, you have to go with, uh, the flow and you, um, you can't be scared. You can be scared. Like, I hear a lot of scary stories about the 2008. We did feel it a little bit when we were back home. Yeah, but, uh, not the way that people felt it here. But yeah, I did see it and during COVID COVID, everyone was waiting, everyone was waiting to get the, uh, unemployment. Yeah, the PP, PPP funds, PP, or some unemployment. But, uh, I wanted the handout, and I was the one, I was like, uh, no, I need to get this done. Like, I was working for one of the biggest, uh, dealers in California, and I called the GM, I was like, sir, I really want to work. Like, I can't sit at home. We did really had a good time, like first few weeks. First week, you were sleeping, like I was sleeping, waking up, go eat, sleep, wake up. So I did that for one week and I was like, I'm done with this.

This is ridiculous.

I called him, I was like, what are the other opportunities? He was like, we can't sell a single car here in California, it's illegal. But I do have an opportunity for you in Dallas if you want to go there. I was like, okay, sure. So next morning I wake up, I start driving to Dallas and I call him, I'm like, 'Oh, you already left?' I was like, 'Yeah.' So he called the, uh, the other, uh, dealership that they were partnered with. And when I got there, so things didn't work out for some reasons.

That's a godsend, buddy.

It is. And I see that always, like, there's always opportunity. Like, I'm a big believer, like, uh, I have a lot of faith in God. And when I look into these things and I said, like, everything happens for a reason, and that happened for a really good reason. I was really upset at the first few hours I was really upset, but I think about it and I was thinking about it, I was like, this happens for a reason, maybe there's something good behind it. It really happened, a really good thing happened that I met you, I learned a lot from you, your coaching, your training, uh, some yelling. Yes, yes, but that was all learning more than anybody else.

That was all learning, you know, and I try to tell everybody, if I'm yelling at you, it's because I know you're not giving yourself 100%, that you're, you're starting to quit on yourself. Now most people take that personal. Yeah. And then they really quit. But it was never to be mean. It was never to be a jerk. It was say, come on, I believe in you and I know you can achieve great things. So stop giving up on yourself and get your head outta your butt and let's go. And that was pretty much my temperament. A lot of people took it personal, like, oh my God, he's so mean, I can't make any money here. Well, everybody else does.

Yeah, um, that's up to you, like, how you want to take it.

That's right, that's right. Hey everybody, so how do they— how do the people find you?

Um, they can find me on, uh, LinkedIn, Instagram.

Okay, reilending.com.

Uh, it's reilending.com. Reilending.

Re— I apologize.

Yeah, reilending.com. And, uh, Instagram, Instagram, uh, we also started our TikTok videos and mostly on Instagram. We have our website up and I do want to say and share it here, like, uh, I've been through broker shoes, I've been through investor shoes and everyone. So we find solution for all these investors. We find solution for the brokers. And what sets me apart from the other lenders here It's just because I know the feel of— I know the pain that the broker goes through.

You've been there, done that. You've walked in their shoes so you can empathize with them and really make this thing a value add to them personally.

That's true. And that's why we build it the way we build it. And I do really love my support team. And so like I'm reaching out to you every time, like if I have a question and if I want to do something, I reach out to you and I ask you questions. And, um, I do appreciate that.

Uh, you know what, somebody asked earlier, what's my biggest success story? I point at you standing right there.

Thank you.

You're different and you are amazing.

Thank you.

So it's been an honor and a pleasure to have this gentleman on this deal today. Uh, go find him, relending.com. Solomon Roth, buddy, appreciate you. Thank you. Love you as a family member. Thank you. All right, buddy. Thanks.