I spoke with Amy Rubenstein, CEO of Clear Investment Group, about how she built a thriving real estate platform by focusing on one of the most overlooked areas of the market: distressed C-class multifamily housing.
Amy didn’t come from institutional real estate — she taught herself everything from Excel to underwriting by reverse-engineering models, and built a company that now serves both high-net-worth and institutional LPs. Today, her firm consistently delivers 30%+ IRRs by stabilizing mismanaged assets and restoring them to market performance.
We talk about her journey from buying a single six-unit property to leading a vertically integrated investment platform, her thoughts on risk and inflation, why C-class housing remains resilient, and how she thinks about scaling her team and her impact.
Highlights:
- Why Amy believes C-class multifamily is the most resilient and alpha-rich real estate strategy
- How Clear Investment Group creates value by stabilizing mismanaged assets
- The learning curve of becoming a solo GP with no institutional background
- Amy’s approach to managing and growing a high-performing team
- Her philosophy on impact investing — and why they never needed to label it as ESG
- Institutional fundraising: the 18-month grind and what comes after the first big check
- How her firm stress-tests for interest rate shocks and avoids market speculation
- The strategic vision for a one-stop-shop multifamily investment platform
--
Guest Bio:
Amy Rubenstein is the CEO and co-founder of Clear Investment Group, a real estate investment firm focused on distressed, workforce multifamily housing across the U.S. Under her leadership, Clear has grown from small syndicated deals to managing institutional capital and generating 37%+ average IRRs. She has over two decades of experience in real estate investing, is a self-taught operator, and remains deeply involved in every aspect of the firm’s strategy and execution.
Our Podcast now receives more than 300,000 downloads a month. Are you interested in sponsoring an episode? Please email David Weisburd at david@weisburdcapital.com.
#VentureCapital #VC #Startups #OpenLP #AssetManagement
--
Stay Connected:
X / Twitter:
David Weisburd: @dweisburd
LinkedIn:
David Weisburd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd/
Amy Rubenstein: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-rubenstein-a0514698/
Links
Clear Investment Group: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clear-investment-group/posts/?feedView=all
--
Questions or topics you want us to discuss on How I Invest? Email us at david@weisburdcapital.com.
(0:00) Episode preview
(1:24) Management and tenant issues in distressed properties
(3:02) Amy Rubenstein's industry beginnings and real estate asset performance
(5:26) Forecasting interest rates and market conditions
(7:59) Interactions with LP base and institutional investors
(11:11) Institutional interest and tax benefits in C class real estate
(14:07) Essentials of being a successful GP
(17:09) Team management and the role of humility
(21:22) Delegation, high achievers, and trust
(24:19) Growth strategy and future business outlook
(26:07) Multifamily real estate and market volatility
(29:13) Investment lessons and self-taught skills
(33:06) Impact investing and ESG perspectives
(35:24) Closing remarks
