Ever notice how some people who are "in real estate" never seem to do any work? Want to be one of those people?

Let's start by revisiting an old maxim (psst – don't get excited, it means cliché): less is, in fact, more. When it comes to real estate investing, you don't need to own 50 properties to retire, you need to own 5 FREE & CLEAR properties.

Let's take a closer look at that concept. Every rental property you own is a liability, leaving you exposed to lawsuits, expensive maintenance and repairs, tenant vacancies, or any number of other expensive headaches. Likewise, every real estate contract you try and flip is a liability, and exposes you to risk. The answer, ladies and gentlemen, is not to be a Volume Investor, but a Smart Investor. Do fewer deals, own fewer rental properties, and make them more lucrative.

How does one go about finding these lucrative deals? Through people, of course, which means you need to put on your grownup pants and start networking – aggressively.

Networking is tricky, and takes an effort at first. But here's the good news: the more people you get to know, the more people you meet, and thus an upward spiral is formed. A great place to start is by joining a few real estate investment clubs, because they exist precisely to offer a venue for real estate investors to get to know one another.

As you get to know these fellow real estate investors, ask them about some of the contacts they use in their business. You'll need to establish relationships with several hard money lenders, for quick settlements, and several small, neighborhood banks for permanent financing. You'll also need at least one aggressive, expert realtor, to sell your properties when necessary (and, of course, to help you find good deals).

Contractors and handymen are something you ALWAYS want to meet through referrals, because there are so many crooked and incompetent ones out there. Ask around among your fellow real estate investors and see who they're using, who they've had bad experiences with, and benefit from their collective knowledge.

Property management companies are another group you'll want to know, as you may someday need their services, and in the meantime they can turn you on to good contractors and handymen.

Lastly, many of these real estate investors are landlords, who may have or know tenants who are looking for a new place to live due to a sale or some other circumstance, so you may be able to find great tenants without advertising. If you do decide to go the landlord route, here's a free rental application to get you started.

Don't worry, we're circling back around to the main point here. Every single one of these people, from the rich and haughty hard money lender to the foul-mouthed handyman, can inform you about good deals, because they're in the trenches all day every day with real estate deals. Contractors and tenants actually live in the neighborhoods you're investing in, and can tell you what's happening there, or when a neighbor needs to sell quickly. Most hard money lenders know a LOT of wholesalers, who can get you great deals. And so on.

The point of all of this? The best deals aren't listed on the MLS, just like the best jobs aren't found on Monster. You have to know someone, and preferably a lot of someones, in order to find the best real estate deals, and when you know enough of the right people, the deals find you.