The real estate market is an exciting one, and there’s no shortage of would-be investors drawn in by the possibility of big profits. Just like any investment, though, finding a property to flip or rent is rarely as easy as they make it look on real estate reality shows.

Although you likely know you need to conduct your due diligence before making an offer on a property, it never hurts to go back to basics to make sure your first deal goes smoothly. We asked a panel of Forbes Real Estate Council members what every aspiring real estate investor should do when searching for a property deal. Their best answers are below.

The article is written by Forbes Real Estate Council for Forbes. You can read the full article here.