Story & Lesson Highlights with Cortney Jones of Gilbert

We recently had the chance to connect with Cortney Jones and have shared our conversation below.

Cortney, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: Have you ever been glad you didn’t act fast?
Yes for sure. As an entrepreneur you have to make a boatload of decisions on a daily basis and you often don’t have time to over analyze all of them. It’s very important to know what you stand for, what your company and personal goals, beliefs, vision and objectives are. Once you have a concrete solid foundation around those items it makes each decision easier because it’s a matter of, “does this fit in to our overall vision and goals?”

I’m presented with a dozen or more opportunities to invest in deals on a weekly basis. Some from students I’ve coached around the U.S., some from networking events I attend and people I meet, and some from people who have seen me speak. There have been 2 specific situations, in the last 3 years where the numbers looked good, but I just had a feeling about the person presenting them and I delayed on making a decision on whether to invest or not. I’m not usually a procrastinator so I always know that this is my bodies way of protecting me. In one case the person became somewhat biligerant and a bit obnoxious and in the other the person just didn’t seem capable of managing that project. They were too meak. Both projects went on to fail, sadly. I know several people who invested in the one and lost all their money and the second, with the meak manager, they are in a court battle that will likely last 5+ years and who knows if they’ll ever see their money.

I learned many years ago to trust my gut and if I’m pulling back or hesitating there is very often a good reason. I have a spidy sense for these things and I’ve learned to trust it.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Cortney Jones, and I’ve been a full-time real estate investor since 1992. Over the past three decades, I’ve navigated three major market cycles, completing hundreds of deals while raising millions in private capital. Through the wins and the bruises, I’ve learned that real estate investing is one of the most powerful vehicles to build long-term wealth—but only if you do it the right way. My mission now is to teach others how to start, scale, and succeed in real estate investing without the fluff, hype, or empty promises. I combine practical strategies with real-world lessons, showing people how to find deals, negotiate with sellers, raise private money, and ultimately create both financial freedom and security.

At the heart of everything I do is my God-given gift as a trainer and coach. As real estate investors, we get paid well for adding value and providing solutions, but what really motivates me is seeing my students win—closing deals, achieving freedom, and transforming their futures. Real estate has changed my life, and now I’m passionate about using my experience to change the lives of others.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
A moment that shaped how I see the world was when I learned that wanting something and talking about doing something weren’t the same as actually doing them. For two years, I met with sellers, ran costly ads, and studied every book I could get my hands on—but I couldn’t pull the trigger and make offers because I was terrified of making a mistake with the numbers and getting stuck with a house. Looking back, it wasn’t about any one deal—it was about fear holding me back. The moment I finally decided to hold myself accountable and challenge myself, I pushed through and closed that first deal within 30 days. Then, everything changed. It taught me that success isn’t about never being afraid—it’s about taking action in spite of the fear. That lesson has carried through every market cycle and every tough season of life: don’t quit, keep moving forward, and trust your ability to handle things. That’s when I experienced and learned that growth happens on the other side of discomfort.

What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
During the 2008 crash I was experiencing major health issues along with the entire financial and real estate crises. We didn’t know if I was going to make it through the end of the year and doctors were at a loss. We were struggling financially, as everyone was and I also was paralyzed so my husband and 4 year old were having to handle all of the household and business burdens as well. We had to make some major business adjustments and ended up giving some houses back to a few sellers and a couple lenders. It was humbling and a bit demoralizing. We also had to layoff some great employees, people who helped us achieve success who we loved very much.

Up until that point my business and mind focused on growing a huge business and buying as many houses as possible. We were buying 10-20 a month and plowing forward like crazy until everything hit at once. During that time, when I was evaluating my life and thinking it was coming to an end soon, I really took stock of what was truly important and the number of houses we owned or continued to buy wasn’t even in the top 10.

After 18 months of searching for medical answers we finally got some answers and then another 2 years of gaining my strength back and getting back to a new baseline gave me time to really take stock in what was important and from that point on we decided to stay small, just buy a few houses a year, help as many people as possible learn how real estate can give them time and money freedom and enjoy life more!

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes absolutely! I’m a flip flop wearing, down to earth, opinionated, straight to the point, often cursing, crazy person anywhere and everywhere. LOL!

I’m a very curious person and I love to talk to people about their story – how did they get there, what were the things that caused them to make the choices they made, what got them started in whatever they’re doing. I ask a lot of questions, I’m genuinly interested yet I’m also a bit of an introvert these days. I’ve heard that you’re always one or the other, but I don’t think that’s true. As I’ve gotten older I have become much more introverted. I’m much better 1 on 1 or in small groups than I am in large groups, but I’m the same in all of them.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
When I’m gone, I hope that people will tell personal stories about how I positively affected their lives, either personally or professionally. My life motto is to leave things better than I found them and that primarily translates into people’s lives. If I met you and we talked, did I bring you joy? make you look at things from a different perspective? teach you something new? make you laugh? or give you the courage to stand up for something?

I hope that a decent size group of people will gather around my daughter and share positive stories of how I impacted them and changed their life! What a blessing that would be!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bestreitips.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/investorchick/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cortjones/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cortney.jones
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bestreitips