Key Takeaways: Apartments are overcrowded, overpriced, and not the guaranteed path to financial freedom many believe. Alternative investment strategies like self-storage, flex spaces, industrial outdoor storage, and triple net properties can offer: More stable cash flow Less management hassle Lower tenant turnover Potentially higher returns Real investment success isn't about accumulating the most "doors" but finding the right assets that: Generate consistent income Require minimal day-to-day ma...
Jun 23, 2025•13 min•Ep. 323
Key Takeaways: Advice on leaving W2 job for real estate syndication: Don't leave your W2 job too quickly Start small and gradually build your portfolio Fees from initial deals likely won't cover living expenses Have a backup income source while growing your real estate business Challenges of starting a syndication: Raising capital is difficult Initial deals may not generate significant income Need to be prepared for 2-3 years of limited earnings Requires careful deal selection and strategic plan...
Jun 16, 2025•32 min•Ep. 322
Key Takeaways: Alec transitioned from residential to commercial real estate, focusing on industrial and flex space development. His first commercial deal was a 54,000 sq ft industrial property in a tertiary market, purchased through creative financing with partners. Raising capital is often the most challenging part of development, more so than the construction process itself. Alec chose New Braunfels, Texas for development due to faster site plan approval times and favorable building regulation...
May 29, 2025•26 min•Ep. 321
Key Takeaways: Economic Uncertainty: There are potential signs of a recession, with five major economic forces potentially suppressing US economic growth through 2025-2026. Commercial Real Estate Outlook: The market is unpredictable, with potential both positive and negative impacts across different asset classes (retail, office, multifamily, industrial). Investment Strategy Advice: Don't make decisions based on fear Look at investments with a long-term perspective (5+ year horizon) Keep cold ca...
May 22, 2025•32 min•Ep. 320
Key Takeaways: Creative Capital Matters More Than Cash You don't need all the money upfront to invest in commercial real estate Focus on controlling the deal and finding creative financing options Explore strategies like seller financing, lines of credit, and investor partnerships Financing Strategies Consider 100% seller financing for commercial properties Use lines of credit strategically if investment returns exceed interest rates Partner with experienced investors to leverage their track rec...
May 15, 2025•28 min•Ep. 319
Key Takeaways: Relationship Building Maintain constant communication with property owners (quarterly or at least annually) Reach out with market updates, recent deals, or just to check in Prospecting Strategies Lead with specific tenant requirements Track potential tenants and market movements Use AI tools like ChatGPT to analyze property data and narrow down prospects Deal Flow Techniques Build relationships across different market segments Leverage tenant representation to create deal opportun...
May 12, 2025•30 min•Ep. 318
Key Takeaways: Create deals, don't just find them Reputation compounds faster than capital Chasing cash flow can keep you poor - focus on equity and value creation Control is more valuable than ownership One great relationship can change everything The first deal is the hardest Scale faster by focusing smaller (inch wide, mile deep) Brokerage is the best entry point for beginners If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room Build your brand now - content is credibility Dev...
May 08, 2025•29 min•Ep. 317
Key Takeaways: Tailor your pitch to your audience: Institutional investors want rigorous data and professional decks Private investors are more relationship-driven and emotionally influenced Focus on key investor motivations: Stability (durability through economic cycles) Passive growth (minimal management headaches) Impact and legacy Downside protection and risk mitigation Pitch delivery tips: Be comfortable and authentic Don't read slides word-for-word Understand your subject matter deeply Hav...
May 05, 2025•30 min•Ep. 316
Key Takeaways: Contractor Selection Strategy: Always be networking and meeting contractors before you need them Not all contractors are skilled in every type of project (e.g., house builders aren't necessarily restaurant builders) Look for contractors with specific experience in your project type Contractor Engagement Approaches: Design-Bid-Build: Fully design project first, then get contractor bids Design-Build: Bring contractor in early to consult during design process Each approach has pros a...
May 01, 2025•16 min•Ep. 315
Key Takeaways: Leverage Your Existing Network Share what you do professionally Have one-on-one conversations Tell stories about successful clients Ask for specific referrals Hyper Local Farming Focus on a manageable geographical area Walk and know your target market About 5% of properties may be interested in trading at any time Door knocking, cold calling, and direct mail can be effective Position Yourself as an Online Expert Use platforms like LinkedIn, podcasts, blogs Share valuable market in...
Apr 28, 2025•26 min•Ep. 314
Key Takeaways: Commercial Real Estate Investment Insights: Returns vary based on risk and market conditions Long-term real estate investing is more stable than short-term speculation Look for risk-adjusted returns, not just raw percentage numbers Current Projects: Salt Ranch boutique hotel is near completion Started construction on a 350-unit self-storage facility in Chattanooga Restructuring his company with more back-office support Investment Advice: Real estate has historically appreciated 3-...
Apr 24, 2025•32 min•Ep. 313
Key Takeaways: The $370K underwriting mistake that changed everything How Marcus scaled from one car wash to a multi-property empire Why strong banking relationships are a growth cheat code The power of treating tenants like partners • How he’s setting his kids up to run the family portfolio
Apr 21, 2025•34 min•Ep. 312
Key Takeaways: Commercial Real Estate Misconceptions: Making money is not just about rent exceeding expenses Commercial real estate investing is not 100% passive Bigger numbers shouldn't scare investors Having the right sales team can help get better deals Advice for Investors: Treat commercial real estate like a business Build strong systems to manage properties Network with brokers and use strategies like mailers to find off-market properties Don't leave your W-2 job too quickly, as it helps w...
Apr 17, 2025•25 min•Ep. 311
Key Takeaways: Embrace Adversity Challenges are constant in commercial real estate View obstacles as opportunities for growth Always be prepared to solve problems Build Your Personal Brand Become an expert in your specific market or asset class Use social media to provide valuable, authentic content Network within industry associations and communities Add Value Consistently Focus on helping clients beyond just closing deals Provide strategic insights and genuine support Play the long game in rel...
Apr 14, 2025•30 min•Ep. 310
Key Takeaways: Tariffs will significantly impact commercial real estate, especially industrial and retail sectors, by increasing construction and material costs. Manufacturing relocation back to the US will take 4-5 years minimum, with full impact potentially taking 10+ years. Businesses are likely to face immediate price increases due to tariffs, potentially causing economic uncertainty and reduced transactions. Coastal cities and port-heavy markets may be hit hardest by import/export disruptio...
Apr 10, 2025•54 min•Ep. 309
Key Takeaways: Occupancy dropped from the seller's claimed 93% to as low as 58%, but has now climbed to the high 70s. Partnering with a moving company (Six Demand Movers) provides unique advantages in filling units and getting above-market rates. Major operational challenges included: Transferring property management software Onboarding a call center Fixing maintenance issues (gate, HVAC, doors) Tenant retention strategy focuses on: Responsive maintenance Flexible fee policies Building relations...
Mar 31, 2025•32 min•Ep. 308
Key Takeaways: Location Matters: Choose a location that fits your specific investment strategy and asset class. Cash Flow is Critical: Aim for properties that can cover debt service, especially in the current interest rate environment. Environmental Due Diligence: Always conduct a phase one environmental report to identify potential contamination risks. Property Age Considerations: Older properties can have expensive maintenance issues, particularly with plumbing, HVAC, and infrastructure. Zonin...
Mar 27, 2025•30 min•Ep. 307
Key Takeaways: Tyler hosted a successful CRE Accelerator Mastermind event in Birmingham, Alabama, where they covered topics like developing flex space, underwriting, and case studies from members. Tyler is planning the next in-person mastermind event in Nashville, which will focus heavily on underwriting practice and property tours. Tyler is under contract to purchase a 4,000 sq ft building in East Nashville to convert into an event space and YouTube studio for his business. Owner-occupying comm...
Mar 20, 2025•35 min•Ep. 306
Key Takeaways: Unconventional ways to monetize commercial real estate include renting out parking spaces, using excess land for storage containers, implementing digital billboards/signage, and leveraging technology and experiential elements. In the industrial sector, there is a "tale of two cities" scenario, with oversupply in big box warehousing but high demand for smaller manufacturing spaces. Retail faces challenges due to supply constraints and high construction costs, making it difficult fo...
Mar 17, 2025•31 min•Ep. 305
Key Takeaways: Being a generalist in commercial real estate is better than being a specialist, as it broadens your investment skills and opportunities. The numbers alone don't make a deal - you need to consider operational capacity, management ability, and local market conditions as well. Real estate doesn't always go up in value, and can experience significant drops in the short-term. Just because you find a good deal doesn't mean the money will automatically come - raising capital is an ongoin...
Mar 13, 2025•29 min•Ep. 304
Key Takeaways: Industrial real estate remains resilient, with low vacancy rates, but older buildings may need upgrades to meet modern standards. The multifamily market is bifurcating, with Class A urban properties seeing more challenges, while Class B and workforce housing have stronger fundamentals in certain areas. The office market has structurally changed, with high vacancy rates, but there are pockets of resilience in medical office, Class A trophy spaces, and suburban mixed-use development...
Mar 06, 2025•34 min•Ep. 303
Key Takeaways: Leverage LinkedIn and social media to become a thought leader by creating valuable, client-focused content rather than self-promotional posts. Ensure your social media presence and brand aligns with the type of high-value clients you want to attract. Publish regular, data-driven market reports to differentiate yourself and stay top-of-mind with potential clients. Seek out speaking engagements and other opportunities to position yourself as an industry expert. Develop a system to p...
Feb 24, 2025•27 min•Ep. 302
Key Takeaways: Be very cautious of deals with extremely high cap rates (over 10%), as there are likely underlying issues with the property or tenant. Thoroughly vet the seller and ensure they are the actual owner of the property before proceeding. Verify ownership through title work. Conduct thorough due diligence, including a Phase 1 environmental study, to uncover any potential problems or liabilities. Have a commercial real estate attorney review all lease and purchase documents carefully bef...
Feb 24, 2025•25 min•Ep. 301
Key Takeaways: Explore alternative financing options like bridge loans, floating rate loans with rate caps, assumable debt, and seller financing to make deals work in the high interest rate environment. Underwrite deals conservatively, stress-testing for debt sensitivity and ensuring NOI durability. Focus on realistic rent growth and expense assumptions. Plan for longer hold periods of 7-10 years, as the 3-5 year flip mentality may not work in the current market. Look for distressed opportunitie...
Feb 20, 2025•28 min•Ep. 300
Key Takeaways: When determining the price per square foot to pay for industrial land for development, survey recent comparable sales in the area to see what the market is paying. Take into account the specific zoning as that can impact pricing. As a general rule of thumb, you'll want the land cost to be around 20-25% of your total development costs (including hard and soft costs). This can help guide what price per square foot makes sense. For a 4,000 sq ft commercial space you're looking to lea...
Feb 20, 2025•30 min•Ep. 299
Key Takeaways: Don't invest with syndicators you don't know personally. It's important to thoroughly vet and understand how a syndicator operates before investing with them. Align incentives with your investment partners. The general partner should have significant skin in the game and be taking on meaningful risk alongside the limited partners. Be very conservative in your underwriting and stress test deals for various scenarios. Don't rely on overly optimistic assumptions. Focus on getting 20%...
Feb 13, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 279
Key Takeaways: Underestimating renovation costs and working with inexperienced contractors can lead to major challenges on your first commercial deal. It's important to work with seasoned professionals who can provide accurate cost estimates. Creative financing options like investor partnerships and seller financing can help new investors get started in commercial real estate without having to put up all the capital themselves. However, you need to carefully structure these deals to ensure they ...
Feb 10, 2025•28 min•Ep. 297
Key Takeaways: Budget conservatively for unexpected maintenance costs when buying older commercial properties. Factors like HVAC issues, plumbing problems, and deferred maintenance can lead to significant unplanned expenses. Scaling up in commercial real estate can help minimize maintenance costs per square foot. Larger properties often have economies of scale compared to smaller, lower-cost properties. Prioritize finding quality tenants and building strong relationships with them. Bad tenants c...
Feb 06, 2025•55 min•Ep. 296
Key Takeaways: Thorough due diligence is crucial when analyzing potential deals, especially when reviewing rent rolls, leases, and tenant mixes. The distress in the market is compartmentalized, so understanding the specific risks and opportunities in each asset class and submarket is important. Considering alternative financing methods, such as paying cash, syndications, or using creative structures like lines of credit, can help mitigate downside risk in the current high-interest rate environme...
Feb 03, 2025•31 min•Ep. 295
Key Takeaways: Going "dark" in commercial real estate refers to when a tenant shuts down their business but is still legally obligated to pay rent. This can create opportunities for landlords to get properties at a discount. When a tenant goes dark, the landlord has to weigh the pros and cons of suing the tenant versus negotiating an early lease termination. Lawsuits often end up costing more in legal fees than they are worth. When releasing a dark property to a new tenant, it's important to neg...
Jan 30, 2025•31 min•Ep. 294
