The answer is simple; use, use and use. Use is possibly the most important factor in terms of the property's value. For your investment to be a success, you need to think of the building's use for you as well as for your tenants. Hence, you need to also put yourself in the shoes of your customers, i.e. your tenants. To kick start things, first attain information on the demographics of the area in which you want to invest in. This should give you a basic idea of who your target audience is and will also allow you to build a general profile of your typical tenant.

With that profile in mind, think then of what the average tenant would need if he/she lives in your building. For starters, regardless of who you rent out to, people will always need basic amenities near by. Thus, you have to ensure that the apartment building you buy is located near a grocery store, entertainment facilities, medical facilities and the like. You should note that although people might have cars, they won't like driving for more than 10 minutes to get the basic necessities. For example, in an emergency situation, no person would like to drive more than 10 minutes to get to a hospital.

Following the universal needs, you need to look a little more closely into the profile you have outlined. The more you breakdown this profile, the greater will be chances for success. For instance, if currently you feel that your building will primarily be occupied by families, then you should study the demographic data carefully to figure out what kind of families are we talking about. Will the families be newly married couples or families with school-going children? If it's the former of the two cases, then your building should ideally be located near a good quality daycare center. Meanwhile, if it's the latter of the two cases, then you will be best positioned if the building is a near a good quality school.

Use is possibly the most important factor when one is to make a purchase. Combine that with customer profiling, and you have the recipe for success. However, always remember that you shouldn't venture outside your comfort zone unless you absolutely have to. Comfort zone here refers to areas with which you are familiar and have possibly had experience in previously. This point is important always but even more when you are initially starting out as a real estate investor. When starting out, stick to what you know and try out new things only when you feel you have a handle on the situation. And always, always, keep your eyes and ears open to absorb whatever information you can about your location so that you are never left in the dark.