The Best Ever CRE Show - podcast cover

The Best Ever CRE Show

Joe Fairlesswww.bestevercre.com
Welcome to the Best Ever CRE Show, the world’s longest-running daily COMMERCIAL real estate podcast. Founded by Joe Fairless, a co-founder of Ashcroft Capital who went from buying $35,000 homes to controlling more than $2.7 billion in real estate assets, the Best Ever CRE Show provides commercial real estate expert insights, education, and timely information to our community of active and passive investors who want to build wealth, build a legacy, and do more good in the world. So if you want the real stories behind the good, the bad, and the worst ever deals — plus, insights into what really goes on in commercial real estate investing — you’re in the right place. Our hosts interview commercial real estate experts every day to uncover secrets and strategies YOU can use to become a better, more informed investor. This is the Best Ever CRE show.
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Episodes

JF 4143: How to Buy International Real Estate Without Costly Mistakes ft. Michael Cobb

Ash interviews Michael Cobb, exploring how Michael built an international real estate, lending, and development platform across Central and South America by identifying gaps in foreign buyer financing and leaning heavily into community-centric development. Michael shares why legal systems, zoning assumptions, and cultural norms differ dramatically outside the U.S., and how misunderstanding those nuances can derail overseas investments. He also explains his long-term strategy of creating purpose-...

Jan 07, 202642 min

JF 4142: Introducing Tribevest: The Future of Capital Raising and Fund-of-Funds ft. Seth Bradley

Matt and Seth unpack how capital raising has evolved from informal, often non-compliant co-GP arrangements to a more structured, scalable fund-of-funds model. Seth explains why private markets are growing roughly twice as fast as public markets, tracing the shift from the JOBS Act to today’s AI-enabled infrastructure. The conversation dives into SEC compliance pitfalls, why transaction-based compensation is risky, and how separating capital raisers from operators protects both sides. They also e...

Jan 06, 202643 minEp. 4142

JF 4141: The Creative Treadmill and What Winning Ads Really Need ft. Matt Drouin

Richard McGirr interviews Matt Drouin about what actually makes paid ads work for high-ticket offers—and why most people fail when they try to bolt ads onto capital raising without the right infrastructure. Matt breaks down the core “go/no-go” checklist (starting with a crystal-clear offer), choosing the right channel for your ICP (Meta for older, Facebook-group-heavy investors), and why your CRM, follow-up, and speed-to-lead matter as much as the ads themselves. They dig into lead-quality filte...

Jan 05, 202655 minEp. 4141

JF 4140: How Jobs and Institutions Will Shape CRE in 2026 with John Chang

John Chang shares a deep-dive outlook on the major forces shaping commercial real estate investing in 2026. He explains why job growth is expected to slow significantly, how policy uncertainty and AI-driven productivity are restraining hiring, and what that means for absorption and vacancies across property types. Chang also breaks down interest rate expectations, inflation risks, and why pricing is likely to remain relatively flat despite improving liquidity. He closes with a detailed look at i...

Jan 04, 202635 minSeason 1Ep. 4140

JF 4139: 1031 Exchanges Explained, Rules, Risks and Real-World Strategies ft. Dave Foster

John interviews Dave Foster, breaking down how investors can legally defer capital gains using 1031 exchanges and why timing, preparation, and the right intermediary matter more than most people realize. Dave explains common misconceptions around the 45-day identification window, how overlapping closings and contingencies can dramatically extend real decision time, and why many investors fail simply by waiting too long to plan. He also covers red flags when choosing a qualified intermediary, lim...

Jan 03, 202646 minSeason 1Ep. 4139

JF 4038: How to Build a 2026 Success Roadmap ft. Joe Fairless

Matt Faircloth interviews Joe Fairless, sharing a practical and personal framework for goal setting heading into 2026. Joe breaks down how he’s used vision boards and written goals for more than a decade, evolving from image-based inspiration to clear, trackable outcomes that keep him focused daily. They discuss the importance of involving family and peers for accountability, tracking progress visually, and distinguishing between goals and commitments so growth isn’t derailed by perfectionism. T...

Jan 02, 202628 min

Best of 2025 Replay: Main Street Capitalism, Industrial CRE, and the End of Fake Equity ft. Russell Gray

*Previously aired episode* Pascal Wagner interviews Russell Gray, the long-time co-host of the Real Estate Guys Radio Show and a seasoned LP investor. Russell dives deep into the critical role macroeconomics plays in investment success, sharing his personal crash-and-burn story from the 2008 mortgage crisis and the economic warning signs he missed. He breaks down the shift from Wall Street to Main Street capitalism, the flaws of financialized markets, and the need to value investments based on r...

Jan 01, 20261 hr 16 minSeason 1Ep. 4137

Best of 2025 Replay: Inside Cardone Capital: Portfolio Growth, Investment Strategy, & Bitcoin Integration ft. Ryan Tseko

*Previously aired episode* Ryan Tseko, Executive Vice President of Cardone Capital, shares insights from managing a 15,000-unit portfolio valued at over $1.6 billion. Drawing from his unique journey from commercial airline pilot to Grant Cardone's right-hand man, Tseko discusses their strategy of combining fixed-rate financing with 10-year hold periods to weather market cycles. He reveals details about their innovative approach of bundling Bitcoin with multifamily investments, their focus on sim...

Dec 31, 202548 minSeason 1Ep. 4136

Best of 2025 Replay: Creative Deal Structuring Insights, Seller Financing Strategy, & Leveraging Low-Rate Mortgages for Portfolio Growth ft. Casey Mericle

*Previously aired episode* Amanda Cruise and Ash Patel talk with Casey Mericle about his innovative approach to commercial real estate investing through creative financing. Mericle shares his strategy of acquiring properties at higher prices in exchange for favorable seller financing terms, which he then leverages by moving the mortgages to other value-add properties. He explains how he structures deals to solve multiple parties' problems simultaneously, particularly in helping 1031 exchange inv...

Dec 30, 202531 minSeason 1Ep. 4135

Best of 2025 Replay: Housing Starts, Rising Wages & AI: Three Major Market Forces That Will Shape Multifamily in 2025 ft. J Scott

*Previously aired episode* J Scott, Partner at Bar Down Investments and Host of the Drunk Real Estate Podcast, discusses the current state of the multifamily housing market, focusing on trends, challenges in new construction, the impact of wages on rent growth, and the dynamics of supply and demand. They explore the implications of low housing starts, the importance of tenant affordability, and innovations in construction methods, including modular housing. The discussion highlights the complexi...

Dec 29, 20251 hr 9 minSeason 1Ep. 4134

Best of 2025 Replay: Authenticity Over Clickbait, Generational Funds Myths and Infinite Banking Exposed with Ash Patel

*Previously aired episode* Ash Patel goes full-send on authenticity in real estate and social media, calling out clickbait growth hacks and the hollow vanity metrics behind them. He unpacks why “generational funds” and decade-long holds often mask weak deals, and why infinite banking is just expensive life insurance dressed up with fancy marketing. Ash also takes aim at sloppy capital raising, urges investors to prioritize net worth over door count or passive-income theatrics, and shares how bei...

Dec 28, 202529 minSeason 1Ep. 4133

Best of 2025 Replay: AI in Capital Raising ft. Dr. Adam Gower, Tim Mai, and Irwin Boris

*Previously aired episode* Joe Fairless interviews Dr. Adam Gower, Tim Mai, and Irwin Boris to explore how AI is transforming capital raising in commercial real estate. The panel shares their most effective AI tools and how they use them for investor outreach, appointment setting, and content creation. Tim explains how he automates prospecting via Facebook and LinkedIn, while Irwin details his lead generation workflows through LinkedIn scraping and email campaigns. Adam emphasizes building inbou...

Dec 27, 20251 hrSeason 1Ep. 4132

Best of 2025 Replay: Off-Market Wins, Market Resilience, and Capital Strategy ft. Brad Johnson

*Previously aired episode* Amanda Cruise and Ash Patel interview Brad Johnson, co-founder and CIO of Vintage Capital. Brad shares his journey from institutional private equity to building a $200M+ mobile home park portfolio and discusses why he’s doubling down on the asset class today. They dive into due diligence strategies, creative seller financing structures, and why Brad prefers long-term holds with strong operators over short-term flips. The trio also tackles current legislative risks, how...

Dec 26, 202552 minSeason 1Ep. 4131

Best of 2025 Replay: Multifamily Investing, International Expansion, and Market Cycles ft. Jonah Bamberger

*Previously aired episode* Matt Faircloth interviews Jonah Bamberger of Aulder Capital, diving into his journey from growing up in Maryland, serving in the Israeli military, and transitioning into real estate investing. Jonah shares how he started with rent-stabilized multifamily in Brooklyn, expanded to suburban areas along the East Coast, and recently ventured into development in Portugal. The conversation covers the importance of networking, regulatory challenges in different markets, and the...

Dec 25, 202556 minSeason 1Ep. 4130

Best of 2025 Replay: Capital Market Opportunities, Multifamily Absorption Trends, & Lender Relationship Strategy for Market Distress ft. Joe Fairless

*Previously aired episode* John Chang interviews Joe Fairless, co-founder of Ashcroft Capital, about navigating today's complex commercial real estate landscape. Fairless, who manages over $2.8 billion in assets across 14,000 apartment units, shares insights on finding opportunities amid market distress by cultivating relationships with lenders seeking capable operators for distressed properties. They discuss the record-breaking apartment absorption in late 2023, the decreasing construction pipe...

Dec 24, 202531 minSeason 1Ep. 4129

Best of 2025 Replay: Land Development Strategy, Builder Demand, and Exit Options ft. Brandon Cobb

*Previously aired episode* Pascal Wagner interviews Brandon Cobb , a seasoned land developer and founder of HBG Capital. Brandon breaks down the highly misunderstood world of land development, revealing how value is created before a single house is built. He shares how his team entitles land and leverages national homebuilder partnerships to generate strong returns with mitigated risk. Brandon walks through real-world case studies, outlines the key due diligence steps LPs should take, and explai...

Dec 23, 20251 hr 8 minSeason 1Ep. 4128

Best of 2025 Replay: AI In Acquisitions ft. Paul Hopkins, Perry Zheng, Lance Pederson and Bo Barron

*Previously aired episode* Joe Fairless interviews AI-savvy investors Paul Hopkins, Perry Zheng, Lance Pederson, and Bo Barron to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping commercial real estate acquisitions. The panel shares practical tools—like Google’s Notebook LM, ChatGPT, AI21, and Claude—and strategies for deal analysis, underwriting, parsing PDFs, and even creating custom GPTs to automate offering memorandum reviews. They discuss how AI streamlines market research, transforms sprea...

Dec 22, 202546 minSeason 1Ep. 4127

JF 4126: Institutional Capital Returns, Slower Absorption and What Comes Next with John Chang

John Chang shares a year-end perspective on where commercial real estate stands after 2025 and what he’s watching heading into 2026. He breaks down the sharp slowdown in job creation following tariff uncertainty, rising unemployment among young adults, and how those trends are already impacting household formation, apartment absorption, and overall CRE demand. John also explains why institutional capital is quietly coming back off the sidelines, why retail may be the most resilient sector near-t...

Dec 21, 202531 minSeason 1Ep. 4126

JF 4125: Modular Housing, Faster Builds and Solving Affordability ft. Keith Miller

John Casmon interviews Keith Miller about scaling from small backyard ADU and infill development projects into large-scale modular and manufactured home communities as a way to solve affordability and construction bottlenecks. Keith explains how subcontractor shortages, cost overruns, and timeline risk pushed his team toward factory-built housing, which offers faster delivery, more predictable pricing, and comparable quality to site-built homes. They break down the real differences between manuf...

Dec 20, 202541 minSeason 1Ep. 4125

JF 4124: Lifestyle Design Lessons from a 2000 Unit Investor ft. Maurice Philogene

Matt Faircloth interviews Maurice Philogene about designing a life around time freedom, personal fulfillment, and intentional investing, drawing from Maurice’s journey from corporate executive, military officer, and police officer to real estate investor. Maurice explains how buying and systematically paying down small condo assets created early financial freedom, why ego-driven over-leverage nearly derailed him in 2008, and how discipline and simplicity became his long-term edge. They explore h...

Dec 19, 20251 hr 10 minSeason 1Ep. 4124

JF 4123: 2025 Lessons, Liquidity and Discipline in CRE ft. the Best Ever Hosts

Pascal Wagner interviews Matt Faircloth, John Casmon, and Ash Patel in a year-end roundtable reflecting on the biggest lessons from 2025 across their own portfolios and hundreds of investor interviews. The group digs into why distress has been slower and more “behind the scenes” than expected, how liquidity, discipline, and deal structure mattered more than macro predictions, and why many LPs are now prioritizing cash flow and capital preservation over appreciation. They also debate bridge debt,...

Dec 18, 20251 hr 7 minSeason 1Ep. 4123

JF 4122: Bonus Depreciation, Tax Deferral and Cost Seg Timing ft. Chris Streit

Amanda Cruise interviews Chris Streit, CEO of CSA Partners, about where cost segregation stands at the end of 2025—why “100% bonus depreciation is back” doesn’t remove urgency, because cost seg is fundamentally tax deferral and the time value of money still matters. Chris explains how investors can run look-back/catch-up depreciation on properties bought in prior years without amending returns, and why doing accelerated depreciation “wrong” increases audit risk (including IRS use of AI). They al...

Dec 17, 202535 minSeason 1Ep. 4122

JF 4121: Self Storage Overbuild, Niche Plays and What Still Works ft. Ash Patel

Matt Faircloth interviews Ash Patel, and the two hosts do a 2025 look-back / 2026 look-forward on what they’re seeing across major commercial asset classes—plus where they think real estate operators are headed after the last couple years of “extend and pretend”. They start with why triple-net retail has stayed surprisingly strong (including the “no new supply” reality) and why office still feels “toxic” for many banks—creating an “office tsunami” of opportunities and pain as debt resets and dis...

Dec 16, 202556 minSeason 1Ep. 4121

JF 4120: Bigger Checks, Better Terms and Less Stress ft. Maria Zondervan

Richard McGirr interviews Maria Zondervan, a fund-of-funds operator who pivoted from a career as an endangered-species wildlife biologist into multifamily investing after realizing she needed to build legacy wealth for her special-needs son. Maria explains why she disliked directly operating multifamily and instead built a model where she partners with other fund managers to write larger checks, negotiate better tiers/terms, and put more “eyes on the deal” during due diligence. She also breaks d...

Dec 15, 202555 minSeason 1Ep. 4120

JF 4119: Recession Edge, Millennial Spending Wave and a New CRE Cycle Ahead with John Chang

John Chang shares a solo market update from ICSC New York City, outlining what he’s hearing from top researchers and brokers across the retail real estate world. He breaks down why uncertainty and slower job growth are stretching decision-making, while consumer debt headlines look less alarming when viewed against income levels, savings/money market balances, and delinquency trends. He also highlights tailwinds from millennials moving into prime earning/spending years and notes retail’s leadersh...

Dec 14, 202535 minSeason 1Ep. 4119

JF 4118: Depreciation Recapture, 1031 Exchanges and Opportunity Zone Strategies ft. Yonah Weiss

John Casmon interviews Yonah Weiss, a cost segregation expert known as the “Cost Seg King,” about how cost segregation works as an advanced form of depreciation and why it can be a powerful cash-flow tool for real estate investors. They break down who benefits most, plus other scenarios like the short-term rental “loophole” and income-based exceptions that can allow depreciation to offset active income. Yonah also explains depreciation recapture in plain English and shares common strategies inve...

Dec 13, 202556 minSeason 1Ep. 4118

JF 4117: Public-Private Partnerships, Industrial Growth and Urban Revitalization ft. Lindsay Greene

Matt Faircloth interviews Lindsay Greene about how the Brooklyn Navy Yard evolved from a historic shipyard into a modern 300-acre industrial ecosystem that now houses 550+ businesses. Lindsay explains the Yard’s transformation—from 1800s wooden-ship buildings to today’s mix of TV/film soundstages, food manufacturers, tech incubators, and light industrial tenants—while highlighting its deep legacy as a hub of jobs, innovation, and opportunity. She walks Matt through how public-private partnership...

Dec 12, 202540 minSeason 1Ep. 4117

JF 4116: Multifamily Meltdown Risks, Operator Red Flags, and Today’s Opportunities ft. Rod Khleif

Pascal Wagner interviews Rod Khleif, a 40-year investor who has owned thousands of units and trained operators responsible for more than 260,000 multifamily doors. Rod breaks down today’s confusing multifamily environment, explaining why conservative underwriting, realistic assumptions, and deep operator due diligence matter more than ever. He shares the biggest mistakes GPs are currently making—from aggressive rent growth assumptions to risky debt structures—and outlines the practical questions...

Dec 11, 202555 minSeason 1Ep. 4116

JF 4115: Finding Messy Ownership, Negotiating with Heirs and De-Risking Huge Spreads ft. Logan Fullmer

Amanda Cruise interviews Logan Fullmer, a Texas-based investor who specializes in distressed property acquisition and solving complex title problems. Logan shares his journey from blowing a seven-figure inheritance and getting sober, to rebuilding his life in the oil fields and then parlaying small, risk-adjusted land bets into a multi-division commercial real estate business. He breaks down how he finds “unsellable” properties with tax issues, messy heirship, and judgments, then uses common sen...

Dec 10, 202546 minSeason 1Ep. 4115

JF 4114: The Four L’s, Big Lessons and Bigger Goals for 2026 with Richard McGirr

Richard McGirr walks listeners through his 2025 retrospective using the “four L’s” framework—what he loved, learned, lacked, and longed for. He explains how abandoning distractions and doubling down on a single, high-performing debt fund produced seven to eight consecutive record-breaking months and over $24 million raised. Richard breaks down how this focus created operational mastery, recurring revenue, and a repeatable monthly closing machine that freed him and his partner to work on the busi...

Dec 09, 202545 minSeason 1Ep. 4114
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