Blog | Real Estate

The Real Estate Blueprint for Freedom

Jaren Sustar shares his tips to become financially free

Summary

• Be sure to be clear on what you actually want before starting your journey

• Scaling up doesn't always mean you need to work harder

• Financial freedom is only the beginning of your goals

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Most of the time, successful real estate investors start with a much different path ahead of them. They often start in a corporate job, grinding away, day after day. Until one day, they look at their boss’s boss and think, “Is this what my life will look like in five years? More meetings, less freedom, and even less time to enjoy the things I love?”

What a terrifying thought.

So then, a choice is made. A choice to escape the comfort zone and take control of their future. It’s never easy, and never happens overnight. But if you’re willing to plan, hustle, and stay the course, financial freedom is possible for anyone.

Define your vision, plan your escape

One of the biggest mistakes people make is failing to define what they truly want. Sure, everyone says they want financial freedom, but what does that actually mean to you? Is it traveling the world? Spending more time with family? Starting a business?

When Rich Dad advisor, Jaren Sustar started his journey, he began by writing down his goals. This gave him clarity and a target to aim for. Studies show that people who write down their goals are significantly more likely to achieve them, and those who share their goals with others increase their odds even more.

Clarity isn’t just motivational—it’s essential. Without a clear destination, you’ll drift, chasing opportunities without direction. So, take the time to define your freedom and what it will look like when you get there.

The three-phase journey: survive, arrive, thrive

Financial freedom doesn’t come all at once. It’s a journey with clear stages. Jaren breaks it down into three phases: Survive, Arrive, and Thrive.

The Survive phase is about covering your basic expenses. This is where you hustle to pay the bills—your mortgage, utilities, and groceries. There’s no room for luxuries here, just the bare essentials.

Once you’ve mastered surviving, you move to Arrive. Now you have a little breathing room. You can afford some discretionary spending, like dining out or buying things on Amazon. It’s still modest, but it feels like progress.

Finally, you hit Thrive. This is where your passive income fully replaces your living expenses. You have the freedom to do what you want, when you want. For many, this phase feels like the ultimate goal; but as you’ll discover, it’s really just the beginning.

The framework: money, knowledge, hustle

If you want to succeed in real estate—or any venture, really—you need two out of three things: money, knowledge, or hustle.

Jaren shares his experience:

“When I started, I didn’t have money or deep knowledge, so I leaned on hustle. I cold-called, knocked on doors, attended every local real estate event, and worked tirelessly to find deals. That sweat equity helped me acquire knowledge.”

If you’re just starting out, hustle is free. You don’t need a dime to work hard, network, and learn. Once you’ve built up your hustle and knowledge, you can partner with someone who has the money. That’s how deals come together.

This framework works for deals big and small. It’s simple, but it works.

Systems over sweat

Many people think that scaling up means working harder. But it doesn’t. Scaling is about systems, not sweat. The process for acquiring a 2-unit property is nearly identical to buying a 2,000-unit property. The difference isn’t in the work itself but in how you delegate and manage it.

“In the beginning, I did everything myself. I cold-called leads, managed tenants, and handled the finances. But as I scaled, I learned to delegate. I hired people to take over the tasks I used to do, freeing up my time to focus on bigger opportunities.”

The key is learning to manage others and trusting your team. That’s where true scalability happens.

The power of delayed gratification

Financial freedom doesn’t just happen. You have to be intentional about creating it.

The goal here isn’t to sit back and do nothing; it’s to have the freedom to do the work you love. And that’s an important distinction. Freedom isn’t about escaping work—it’s about choosing work that excites and fulfills you.

But that also means you have to make sacrifices early on. It’s easy to want instant gratification, especially when you start making more money. But delaying gratification is what separates those who build wealth from those who don’t. The differentiator that gets you to ultimate financial freedom.

Money isn’t the goal

Here’s the truth: money alone won’t make you happy. Once you hit your financial goals, you’ll find yourself asking, “what now?”

“That’s when I realized the purpose of money isn’t to accumulate wealth—it’s to create opportunities to live a life you love.”

Real estate and financial freedom are incredible tools to build the life you want. But the journey isn’t just about reaching a dollar amount or escaping the 9-to-5 grind. It’s about who you become along the way.

Set clear goals. Hustle hard. Learn continuously. And when you finally reach freedom, remember—it’s just the beginning. Use that freedom to create something meaningful, for yourself and for others. That’s the real blueprint for success.