Rental Property: The Forgotten Asset Class in Financial Advice

I became a financial advisor more than twenty years ago for a specific reason. I was working at a tech company that was sold. I had stock options, I had rental property, and I needed advice. What I found was that nobody could advise on both. The advisors I spoke with didn't understand rentals, and the real estate people didn't do financial planning. So I became the person I couldn't find.

That's where my credentials come from. My CFP® certification provides a foundation in comprehensive financial planning, while my CCIM designation reflects specialized education and expertise in commercial real estate analysis and investment.

A forgotten asset class

In my experience, many advisors are kind and patient when a client brings up a rental property. But it isn't part of their world. Securities licensing gives rental property little attention, and in my experience so do financial services designations. Yet for many clients, a rental property is one of the largest and most personal assets they own.

Who is guiding the decision?

When an advisor steps back, the client still makes the decision, just with different help. Real estate agents, mortgage lenders, title and escrow officers, and exchange intermediaries all play important roles. Their work, though, is generally aimed at completing a transaction, not at asking whether buying, selling or holding makes sense in the first place. They aren't typically engaged to act as the client's fiduciary.

What's often missing is someone on the client's side who looks at the whole picture: cash flow after all costs, the tax consequences of selling or holding, how the property fits into retirement income, and what the alternatives look like. An advisor who brings that framework helps balance the scale.

Why it matters

As a longtime educator, I've seen the impact of both good and bad advice on this asset class. A decision to buy, hold, exchange or sell a property can affect a household's cash flow, taxes, retirement income and estate plan for years. In my experience, many investors, and some tax professionals, treat a 1031 exchange as the only option when it's time to sell. It's one of several, and the right choice depends on the client's broader plan. Careful analysis doesn't guarantee any particular outcome, but it can help clients make more informed decisions that support their broader financial goals.

What these programs are designed to do

These programs are built for professional advisors: financial planners, tax professionals and estate planning professionals. Investors interested in a deeper understanding of their own properties are welcome too. The goal isn't to turn anyone into a real estate specialist. It's to help you:

• Become more familiar with rental property and the conversations clients want to have about it
• Support those conversations with a clear framework
• Recognize when to help directly, using a process and resources
• Recognize when to delegate, and how to choose the team you delegate to

Programs are approved for CFP®, CPA and EA CE credit. Additional continuing education approvals may be pursued for CIMA® and CPWA® professionals. Participants should confirm the current credit eligibility of each program before registering.

The six programs

• The Numbers Behind Your Client’s Rental Property

  A practical guide for advisors who suspect there’s more to the story

  Download program outline

• When a Client Asks About a DST

  What advisors should know about Delaware Statutory Trusts, from the 1031 exchange to the fine print

  Download program outline

• Critical Insights for Advising Clients on Rental Income Properties

  Bringing the same depth of advice to a client’s real estate as to the rest of their plan

  Download program outline

• Strategic Tax Planning for Selling Appreciated Real Estate Investment Property: 5 Methods

  Because the 1031 exchange isn’t the only option

  Download program outline

• Rental Property to Stocks, Tax-Deferred: A Guide to IRC Sections 1031-721

  A path for clients who are ready to step away from managing property

  Download program outline

• Opportunity Zone 2.0: New Rules, New Planning Opportunities

  Download program outline

Interested in a program?

If one of these programs fits your chapter, association or firm, I'd be glad to share more details, including format, length and scheduling. Reply to the email that brought you here, or click here to schedule 20 minute Zoom call to discuss bringing a program to your group.