Investing in real estate can be one of the most effective ways to build wealth. But it can also be a difficult thing to get started in, with often-prohibitive down payments and marketplace competition driving up prices to unattainable heights. The process can also be intimidating to first-time investors financially, legally, and in terms of time commitment.

But real estate investing doesn’t have to be exclusive and convoluted: there are tried and true strategies investors can use to begin building a portfolio of properties even if they don’t have a pile of cash ready to deploy. We know because we’ve talked to people who have put them into action.