Real Estate Rookie Podcast

Episode: “This Online Side Hustle Pays for My Rentals (And Could Fund Your First Deal)”

Host: BiggerPockets (Ashley Kehr & Tony J. Robinson)
Guest: Cody Berman
Date: December 17, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode is designed for aspiring and entry-level real estate investors who are feeling capital-constrained. Hosts Ashley Kehr and Tony J. Robinson bring on Cody Berman—a digital income expert—to deliver a step-by-step masterclass on how digital product side hustles can generate passive income, providing the cash many rookies need to buy their first (or next) rental property. Cody walks listeners through turning ordinary skills and tools into digital products (especially those with a real estate twist), launching a shop on Etsy, and scaling profits to meaningful levels that can help fund real deals.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Is a Digital Product? (00:53)

• Definition & Examples:
  Cody: “It is a product that is digital. Think spreadsheets, trackers, planners, templates, guides, invitations, labels, wall art… there are thousands of digital products out there.”
  • Real estate-specific: tenant handbooks, income trackers, rental property templates.
• Ashley’s Example:
  Ashley previously sold a tenant handbook for $1.99 on Etsy—illustrating how simple templates can be monetized.

2. Why Digital > Physical on Etsy? (02:25)

• Ease & Profitability:
  Cody notes digital products are 15% of Etsy sales but growing, and much less hassle than physical: “No shipping, inventory, packaging—just so much easier. Light years easier, Tony.”
• AI’s Impact? (03:02):
  Despite AI’s rise, the average consumer still prefers pre-made, attractive digital products over using AI tools for custom creation.
  Ashley: “I’d rather pay $9.99 for an invitation than try and figure it out myself on Canva or ChatGPT.” (04:42)

3. Cody’s Origin Story & The “Lake Tahoe Turning Point” (07:13)

• Experimented with “over 20” side hustles before digital products stuck, primarily for their passivity and low ongoing time investment.
• A-ha moment:
  Cody created love coupon templates for Valentine’s Day and, while at a ski event, kept hearing the Etsy “cha-ching.”
  • “By lunchtime I’d made over $100… By the end of that week, I’d made over $718… and I had not spent more than 10 minutes that week besides answering customer questions, working on my Etsy shop. That was the turning point. My big ski week in Lake Tahoe.” (08:06)

4. How Much Could a Beginner Realistically Make? (09:18)

• Cody is now at “over $15,000 per month,” but cautions:
  • “This is not a get-rich-quick overnight scheme.”
  • Example: In a new shop experiment (zero audience, 5–10 hrs/wk):
    • Month 1: $185
    • Month 2: $400
    • Month 3: $900
    • Month 4: $4,000
  • “Start small…$500/month is a great goal—life-changing for many.”
    Tony: “$500/month is $6,000/year—imagine how much faster that gets you to your first deal.” (13:51)
  • Cody: “An extra $1,000 per month is just $33/day. That’s 8 x $4 products or 4 x $8 products.” (17:04)

“These numbers might not sound like that crazy flipper who comes on and says ‘I made 150k on my first deal,’… but a consistent $1,000/month can seriously change your financial future and give you a lot more money to start investing in deals.” —Cody (17:04)

5. Startup Costs, Tools, & Tech Stack (20:30)

• Minimal Startup Costs:
  • Etsy shop: $15 and ID upload to prove you’re a human (anti-bot measure)
  • Canva (free or Pro: $12/mo)
  • Erank (for keyword research: $10/mo)
  • “[It’s] very capital unintensive. The biggest investment is your time.” (22:11)
  • Tony: “So, for $40 you could create a side hustle that’s producing four figures a month?”
  • Cody: “Yes, that sounds sensationalized, but you’ll have to invest your time.”

6. Step-by-Step: How to Launch Your First Product (22:37 – 34:16)

A. Generate Ideas

• Brainstorm widely—your own needs, notebooks, or let ChatGPT suggest variants using prompts.
• “Look around your room, look at your computer files. What are you already using?” (22:52)
• Use AI (“thought partner”) for ideation.

B. Keyword Research

• Use Erank, EverBee, or Insight Factory.
• Plug all ideas in; eliminate those with poor search demand or crazy competition.
• “80% of ideas are junk—double down on the 20% that have proven demand.” (23:57)

C. Creation - The Template (Stacking) Method

• Start with a “base template” for a product (e.g., meal planner, tracker, tenant handbook).
• “Never just create one. Always turn it into a template and see how many niches you can populate.” (28:04)
• Examples:
  • Tenant handbook—create variants for duplex, single family, Airbnb, etc.
  • Meal planner—keto, paleo, vegan, etc.
• “The more you niche down, the less competition, and your product will better match the buyer’s search, increasing conversions.”

D. Listing & Selling

• Use keyword-optimized product titles and robust product descriptions with all relevant features and sizing.
• Up to 20 images to showcase the product.
• Etsy takes care of delivery; “95% passive” (just answer the occasional customer question).
• Use auto replies to handle routine questions.

7. Marketing & Scaling Up (34:16, 44:38)

A. Getting Your Shop Rolling

• Cody’s Zero-to-$1k/Month Case Study:
  • Started a fresh shop in 2025, no audience, for “a hater” who said it couldn’t be done anymore.
  • “I just focused relentlessly on keyword research and SEO.”
  • Listed ~350 products in four months by using the template method to batch variants.

B. The Scaling Levers

1. Email List:
   • Offer a free related download in product delivery PDFs to collect emails.
   • “It’s a free lead generator—people who already bought your thing are primed for higher-value stuff.” (44:38, 49:30)
2. Pinterest:
   • Huge crossover between Etsy users and Pinterest users, both searching for unique solutions.
3. Ads:
   • Only use once you have proven products and traction. “Ads only buy eyeballs. If your product’s not converting, more eyeballs won’t help.” (44:38)
4. Social Media:
   • Optional but helpful; do only what brings you the least resistance.

C. Advanced Moves

• Use back-end sales and up-selling: “Etsy becomes a free lead generator. Sell a $5 printable, nurture the relationship, and eventually offer coaching or higher-ticket services.” (49:30)

“If you have someone who downloaded your $10 Airbnb income tracker, you think they’re going to be interested in a real estate course or community? Heck yeah!” —Cody (49:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You don’t need an audience, a following, or money to get started. You could have an Etsy shop up within an hour if you just…do it.” —Cody, 51:17
• Ashley: “Especially the more passive it is… it’s almost like you’re getting royalties.”
• Tony: “$500 per month is $6,000 a year—life changing money for a lot of folks.” (13:51)
• Cody: “95% passive… 1 in 20 customers needs help, and most can be solved with a canned response.” (34:16)
• On Action:
  “So many people have endless business plans and a list of a hundred ideas, and they never take action. Just do it—the first step is everything.” (51:17)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Topic | Timestamp (MM:SS) | |-------------------------------------------------------------------|:--------------------:| | What Is a Digital Product? | 00:53–01:28 | | Physical vs Digital Products on Etsy | 02:25–03:02 | | How AI Impacts Digital Products | 03:02–06:01 | | Cody’s Origin Story & $718 Ski Week Breakthrough | 07:13–09:05 | | Realistic Earnings & Timeline | 09:18–17:04 | | Startup Capital Needed | 20:30–22:11 | | Step-by-Step Product Creation Process (Template Method) | 22:37–34:16 | | Marketing: SEO, Keyword Research, Platform Traffic | 34:16–37:18 | | Cody’s 2025 New Shop Case Study | 38:06–41:32 | | How to Scale Beyond $1k/Month | 44:38–48:52 | | Using Etsy as a Lead Generator for Higher Value Offers | 49:30–50:52 | | Action Step for Listeners | 51:17–53:04 |

Actionable Takeaways

• Start with What You Have: You may already have a digital product idea sitting on your computer—turn your own trackers, templates, or guides into a digital product.
• Niche Down and Stack Products: Use templates to churn out multiple products within specialized niches—lowering competition and increasing conversion rates.
• Focus on Keyword Research: Use tools like Erank or EverBee to validate demand before creating.
• Take Action Today: The biggest barrier is starting; “just do it,” even if you only list one product.

Final Thoughts

This episode offers both inspiration and a tactical playbook for listeners looking to solve their “I’d invest if I had the money” problem with a proven, low-startup side hustle. The sharing is open, relatable, and balances honesty about the time and learning curve with genuine encouragement—plus real monetary and case study examples. Cody’s roadmap demystifies digital products for real estate rookies—and may change how you think about funding your next deal.

Find Cody Berman:

• Website: GoldCityVentures.com
• Social: @codydberman (Videos chronicling $1k/month challenge)

Hosts:

• Ashley Kehr (@wealthfromrentals)
• Tony J. Robinson (@tonyjrobinson)