Real Estate Investing with Coach Carson #453: Make $5,000/Month from 1 Duplex?! (Student Rental Strategy)
Oct 20, 2025
Will Gaston, an experienced college student rental investor from Columbia, SC, shares his journey from bartending to scaling a 150-unit portfolio. He discusses how renovating properties can lead to higher rents and happier tenants. Will explains his screening philosophy that hinges on market fit rather than formal checks, and recommends improving property quality instead of dropping rents. He also shares unique marketing strategies and insights on managing student rentals effectively, making them profitable cash flow machines.
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Student Rentals Multiply Rent Per Property
- Student rentals can produce far higher rents per square foot by splitting units into multiple bedrooms rather than traditional single-family rents.
- Will observed students are less price-sensitive when cost is split across roommates, unlocking much stronger cash flow.
How Will Scaled From A Few Houses To 150 Units
- Will grew his portfolio to about 150 units and manages ~300 student tenants with a small in-house team while living an hour and a half away.
- He scaled by using an unsecured line of credit and learning construction financing, then leaned into development.
Property Trumps Manager For Tenant Experience
- Property quality is the dominant factor in student satisfaction and management ease.
- Will now prefers building or gutting to control design and reduce recurring headaches from old stock.
