It is Legit. Investing in real estate has been a path to wealth for a very long time, but it wasn’t until the release of popular TV shows like A&E’s “Flipping Vegas” that the strategies used by these business people—and the trials and tribulations they experienced—were on display for all to see (and perhaps learn from).
Based on the TV show’s success, “Flipping Vegas” star Scott Yancey launched his line of real estate investing seminars hosted all across the country, so that he could help others achieve success. How? By teaching proven investment strategies about how to make “your money work for you.” While each of these seminars can teach vastly different content, Scott typically focuses on four key areas:
- Residential real estate
- Commercial real estate
- Tax liens & tax deeds
- Multiple income streams
Is this what you’ll really get, though? If you just started researching Scott Yancey and his seminars, we’ll be totally upfront: you’re going to come across a lot of negative reviews—including here on HighYa, many of which continually reference the same problems. But is this feedback necessarily warranted? What can we learn from it (here’s a hint: If your main goal is to get a free lunch or learn everything you need to know from the free seminar, you might end up disappointed.)? And using this information, who might these seminars work best for?
We’ll address all these important questions—and explain why we came to the conclusions we did—in this review. Let’s begin by talking about Scott Yancey himself.
Who Is Scott Yancey?
As we mentioned above, Scott Yancey originally rose to fame as star of the A&E TV show “Flipping Vegas,” which follows him and his wife Amie (a designer by trade and prolific real estate agent in her own right) around the city as they buy, renovate, and then sell different homes for profit. Currently, the show is in its fifth season (on air since 2011).
Before becoming a reality TV personality, Scott was involved in real estate at a very early age. In fact, he purchased a second deed of trust for a home mortgage when he was just 14, and became a runner for real estate attorney Walter J. Plumb III while in college.
Although he’s lived in Las Vegas since 1994, it wasn’t until 2008 that Scott founded his real estate brokerage and investment firm Goliath Company, which “focuses on investment properties buy and hold approach,” including retail department stores Las Vegas, NV, Provo, UT, and Tempe, AZ.
What about Scott Yancey’s seminars, though? We had a unique opportunity to attend one, take some notes, and speak with the man himself, which is what we’ll discuss next.
Our Scott Yancey Seminar Experience
Based on the amount of customer feedback here on HighYa (we’ll talk more about this in a second), Scott Yancey and his team invited us out to one of their seminars in January 2016, with the goal of giving us a better idea of what they’re all about, what their attendees experience, and more. We’ll cover some of the highlights in this section.
Note: In the interest of full disclosure, the company paid for our airfare and hotel stay, although some of the students in attendance may have received the same. And other than a little extra time with Scott, we were afforded no special treatment and we received no compensation in return.
Different Types of Events
Before we dive in, it’s important to outline that there are two basic types of Scott Yancey events: free (also known as “preview”) events and paid events, each of which focuses on different information. For example, preview events concentrate on:
- Getting your real estate investment off the ground
- Choosing the best areas to invest in
- Ensuring your investments always remain profitable
- Generating passive monthly income, or “big monthly paydays”
On the other hand, Scott’s paid events and services focus on a much broader range of topics, including:
- Boots on the Ground
- The Buying Summit
- Inner Circle
- On-Demand Training, which includes:
- Seller Financing Boot Camp
- Residential Rentals Boot Camp
- Quick Cash Boot Camp
- Cash Flow Boot Camp
- PropTrend Real Estate Software
Of these, we were invited to attend a Buying Summit event.
Buying Summit Event, Day 1
During the initial meet and greet/networking session, our first impression was that everyone attending the event seemed friendly, optimistic, and energetic. The vibe was laid back and a lot of people were smiling and laughing.
Important note: Even though these seminars bear his name, Scott Yancey is not the main spotlight. Instead, they’re operated by a company based out of Utah, who utilizes Scott’s strategies and brand for marketing purposes.
During this time—as well as other times throughout the day—we noticed a fair amount of upselling, although we always found it relevant to the topic. In addition, the room adjacent to the conference room was filled with more relevant resources (different companies had their own booth to help you expand your business), so attendees could visit at their leisure. Here, it appears the parent company partnered with Lear Capital, so there was a lot of talk about precious metals, IRAs, insurance—and even brain supplements!
But here’s our take: Personally, the HighYa team is pretty tough on upselling, so we’re especially sensitive to when it’s occurring. In this instance though, we didn’t feel pressured to buy at any point, and the vibe remained laid back.
After watching a few clips of ”Flipping Vegas,” Scott and Amie walked onstage, he began talking about how he got started, why he does what he does, along with explaining his “your network is your net-worth” motto, all in a nice, humble manner.
The “Meat” of Scott Yancey’s Seminar
After his introduction, Scott dug into the meat of his presentation, where he discussed buying low, selling high, what factors trigger the housing market to go up and down, as well as riding massive waves of growth. He also talked about diversifying your real estate portfolio between options like single family homes, land, apartment buildings, and even stock options.
Then, Scott moved on to discussing real estate fundamentals, like:
- Location
- Quality
- Price
- Market stability
- Unemployment rates (if there are jobs, then the housing market goes up, and vice-versa)
- The housing industry (new to old)
- Rentability
- Comparables in the area
- Rising sale prices
- Shrinking inventory
Sprinkled here and there, attendees also learned about tax regulations, dos and don’ts, how to file for non-profit status, and more. There were lenders on-hand to help attendees finance different deals (regardless of credit score), and other tools to help them obtain their first property.
Our takeaway was that, even as non-real estate investors ourselves, this information really helped put things in perspective.
Our Time with Scott Yancey
After lunch, which was flavorful and delicious (the dessert was phenomenal!), we were able to meet with Scott for 20-30 minutes, where we were able to hang out, hear about his events in his own words, and share what we do here at HighYa. He’s definitely not a jerk like “Flipping Vegas” often makes him out to be (hey, drama sells!), and he seemed humble, down to earth, and genuine, yet high-energy.
When we inquired about the useful of real estate seminars like his, Scott likened his service to a gym membership. By paying for one, you’re gaining access to a suite of professionals who can provide coaching, mentorship, and accountability, which can truly help people achieve their goals.
But in order to achieve these goals, you have to put in the effort; you have to work out. If you choose to pay for your membership but not utilize all the tools it provides access to, you won’t get results. And it’s the exact same with Scott’s seminars and other services.
Talking With Other Seminar Attendees
Finally, everyone was able to have a Q&A with Scott, where we discussed just about anything real estate-related, along with a few members from the Creative Wealth team and co-stars from the TV show “Renovate to Rent.”
I also had a few opportunities to talk with other attendees and see what they thought about the overall experience:
- One woman in her late 40s mentioned that about 20% of the seminar provided valuable information, but the remaining 80% was hype and motivation. She said she didn’t need the motivation (but could see where it might be useful for some people), and felt that it was a good overall value and she didn’t have any regrets. Her only recommendation would be to cut down on “all that yelling.”
- Another woman in her mid-60s with no real estate background mentioned that she was happy as well, but that should would like more “literature.” She said she also felt out of the loop and a little lost, and wished the information was a bit more “digested” and “tangible.”
- Two ladies in their late 40s or early 50s who came together told me that this was their first real estate experience, and so far they thought it was informative. There were happy with no regrets.
- A man in his 60s who was attending the even with his daughter, claimed that he had 35+ years of experience in real estate. Overall, they were both happy and found the information valuable.
Our Final Thoughts About Scott Yancey Events & Seminars
When you’re searching for Scott Yancey reviews online (including here on HighYa), you’re sure to encounter a lot of complaints about his events, the most common of which seem to reference:
- High-pressure sales tactics.
- Basic information you could probably find elsewhere for free (or for a minimal amount of money, such as the cost of a book).
To this first complaint, although there was admittedly a lot of upselling (even one of the attendees we spoke with mentioned it), none would be what we’d consider “high-pressure.” To the second complaint, although we’re not real estate investors, we definitely didn’t find the information basic. In fact, unless you’ve got some solid experience already, you might feel left behind, as one of the others who we spoke with mentioned.
However, the Buying Summit we attended is a higher-level event, and there are dozens of packages and tiers that would probably act as a solid foundation building up to this point.
Could you find this information elsewhere? We don’t think Scott claims that his methods and strategies are proprietary, so it’s certainly possible. But if you’re not the DIY type, are looking for built-in mentorship (again, depending on the package) and networking opportunities,--and have the money, we think his events and seminars could provide a decent bang for your buck, even compared to other real estate mentorship programs we’ve reviewed.
Again though, anything you learn at these events won’t generate money on their own; you have to utilize the tools and work the system.
Bottom line? There is certainly a lot of selling going on at some of Scott Yancey’s seminars, which, based on personal preference, might not be your cup of tea. But in our opinion, they’re definitely not a scam and could very well help you get your real estate investing career off the ground, or take it to new height—you just have to commit to putting in the work.
