The Best Ever CRE Show

Marshall Sykes served in the U.S. Navy as a Civil Engineer Corps officer, where he built and maintained military bases. He retired after 25 years as a captain, moving on to a career in the oil and gas business with ExxonMobil. In 2021, after eight years in that role, he decided to launch a full-time career in multifamily real estate.  Today, Marshall is the president and owner of Capitano Investing Group, which focuses on multifamily real estate syndications with 100 or more units. He is a GP of over 2,600 units across 13 properties. In this episode, he shares how he acquired so many units in his first 14 months as a syndicator, why he feels that rising interest rates can be used to his advantage, and his projections for how increasing expenses will impact the multifamily space.    Marshall Sykes | Real Estate Background President and owner of Capitano Investing Group, which focuses on multifamily real estate syndications with 100+ units. Portfolio: GP of 2,600+ units across 13 properties valued at $330M LP in nearly every property that he has raised on Based in: Houston, TX Say hi to him at: capitanoinvestinggroup.com Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Best Ever Book: Halftime by Bob Buford Greatest lesson: Develop your strategy before you start implementing it.   S​​tay in touch with us! Sign-Up for the Best Ever CRE Newsletter: www.bestevercre.com/access www.bestevercre.com YouTube Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Click here to know more about our sponsors: | Cornell Capital Holdings | PassiveInvesting.com | DLP Capital Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Kogut got his start in the commercial real estate space as a broker in 2004. He pivoted to syndications in 2017, joining HJH Investments. Today, Ben is a partner and the Director of Investor Relations at HJH, which specializes in triple-net, cash-flowing investment properties including shopping centers, office buildings, industrial, medical, and QSR. In this episode, Ben compares and contrasts triple-net commercial real estate syndications with multifamily syndications. He also discusses the two major components of management and the strategy he and his team use to take down one deal every month. Ben Kogut | Real Estate Background Partner and director of investor relations at HJH Investments, which specializes in NNN cash-flowing investment properties like shopping centers, office buildings, industrial, medical, and QSR. Portfolio: GP of 80 acquisitions, totaling $500M in AUM LP of 10 deals Based in: Austin, TX Say hi to him at: hjhinvestments.com @benkogut on all socials Best Ever Book:  Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl Greatest Lesson: Relationships are the most important part of business! Relationships with our investors, lenders, brokers, vendors, etc. S​​tay in touch with us! Sign-Up for the Best Ever CRE Newsletter: www.bestevercre.com/access www.bestevercre.com YouTube Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Click here to know more about our sponsors: | Cash Flow Portal | Cornell Capital Holdings | PassiveInvesting.com | dip capital Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lisa Landry started her interior design firm specializing in residential and commercial properties more than 20 years ago. Today, she is the CEO of Above & Beyond Multifamily and Landry Designs. She is a multifamily syndicator and asset manager as well as an interior designer specializing in adding value to multifamily properties across the country, particularly in class B and C assets.  When it comes to syndications, Lisa stresses that design is incredibly important. “Our job as designers for multifamily is to do whatever we can to boost the NOI,” she says. “It’s just amazing how quickly the value of the property can increase.” In this episode, Lisa shares her top interior design tips property owners can use to increase their NOI.  Lisa Landry | Real Estate Background CEO of Above & Beyond Multifamily and Landry Designs. She is a multifamily syndicator and asset manager, as well as an interior designer specializing in adding value to multifamily properties across the country, particularly class B and C assets. Portfolio: GP of 108 units Recently had an LP property go full cycle She has won 35 International Design Awards, been published nationally 18 times, and is a 10-time winner of Living Magazine's Best Interior Designer award. Based in: Ft. Worth, TX Say hi to her at: growaboveandbeyond.com landrydesigns.com Facebook Instagram Best Ever Book: Best Ever Apartment Syndication Book by Joe Fairless & Theo Hicks Greatest lesson: Real Estate: I have learned how rewarding it is to transform B & C properties into safe, beautiful places to live and work. Also, to provide multifamily investment opportunities to regular, everyday people who weren't aware of the multifamily space prior to introducing it to them. Interior Design: I have learned that people's moods, happiness, and productivity can be extremely affected by their surroundings and that people like to live in unique spaces. That's what Landry Designs is known for. S​​tay in touch with us! Sign-Up for the Best Ever CRE Newsletter: www.bestevercre.com/access www.bestevercre.com YouTube Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Click here to know more about our sponsors:  dlp capital | Cash Flow Portal | Cornell Capital Holdings | PassiveInvesting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Travis explores a hypothetical situation many investors have thought about: What if you lost everything and had to start over again? This is a typical, fear-based thought many investors experience in the early stages. Travis shares why he knows he’ll be okay regardless of what the future holds for him, how avoiding the “success cycle” is crucial, and the two things you should always keep in mind as a passive investor. S​​tay in touch with us! Sign-Up for the Best Ever CRE Newsletter: www.bestevercre.com/access www.bestevercre.com YouTube Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Click here to know more about our sponsors: | Cash Flow Portal | Cornell Capital Holdings | PassiveInvesting.com | dip capital Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John McGeown is a self-described old soul in real estate. He grew up in Chicago and joined the U.S. Navy after graduation, where he served from 1999 to 2003. At age 24, he decided to enter the world of real estate.  Today, John is the president of High Fidelity Property Management, a third-party property management company that has 1,000 apartment units under management throughout Chicago’s North Side neighborhoods. In this episode, he shares his top five Best Ever tips for property managers, as well as his experience as a GP in the Chicago MSA. 1. Don’t Underestimate the Time It Will Take John says that many people who self-manage underestimate the time it takes to properly manage a building, which is why they often come to him for help. “I think the mistake is people try to do too much too fast too soon,” he says.  2. Make Sure You Have the Right Resources Others who self-manage their properties tend to struggle because they haven’t yet established reliable connections. “Having a good cast of vendors is one of the hardest things for property owners who are managing themselves,” John says.  3. Your Existing Portfolio Is the Gold John admits that he is often in “go” mode and forgets this one thing: “Your existing portfolio is the gold, and new people are silver,” he says. He sees many third-party property managers flip those priorities around, making the mistake of devaluing their existing client base and overvaluing new business.  4. Know What You Know — And What You Don’t When asked why he hasn’t ventured into short-term rentals, John answers candidly: “I’m a Navy guy, and I’m very cautious,” he says. “I know what I know, and I know what I don’t know.” It took him a considerable amount of time to discover who he is, what he wants to offer, why he is different, and why people should work with him. Now that he has that figured out, he prefers not to deviate from his plan.  “There’s always going to be a shiny object that somebody is shaking in front of you,” he says. “For me, it never really felt like something that I wanted to do. So I didn’t do it.”  5. Three Things to Look for When Evaluating Vendors “Communication, trust, and competency are the things that we look for when we’re evaluating new vendors,” John says. Additionally, he prioritizes getting the best possible price for the best service he can.  John McGeown | Real Estate Background President of High Fidelity Property Management, a third-party property management company that has 1,000 apartment units under management throughout Chicago's North Side neighborhoods. Portfolio: GP of 100 units LP of 36 units Based in: Chicago, IL Say hi to him at: hifipm.com LinkedIn Greatest lesson: Never give up! This business doesn't slow down for me, so I have to work hard to keep up. Sometimes tomorrow is about learning from yesterday. S​​tay in touch with us! Sign-Up for the Best Ever CRE Newsletter: www.bestevercre.com/access www.bestevercre.com YouTube Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Click here to know more about our sponsors: | Cash Flow Portal | Cornell Capital Holdings | PassiveInvesting.com | dip capital Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brenda Mas got her start in multifamily in 2002 working in asset management for a developer/operator/builder. After transitioning to the development side of the business, she oversaw acquisitions, entitlements, subdivision, stabilization, and financing for properties in the LA market. She left the company in 2019 to work independently, venturing into syndications with her husband, a construction expert.  Today, Brenda is the founding and managing partner of VestWell Ventures, a group of multifamily operators and developers focused on value-add strategy. In this episode, she shares why she and her husband are shifting their focus back to development, their strategy for selecting land deals, and the biggest lesson she learned during the market collapse in 2008. 1. Focusing on Development When it comes to development, Brenda and her husband have a competitive edge. They have access to consultants, structural engineers, and architects, and they know construction inside and out. Plus, the high demand for housing right now combined with current economic uncertainty made the decision to go back to development a no-brainer.  “Demand is there, and we have the know-how,” Brenda says. “Why not bring that to our investors and allow them to make money alongside us?” 2. Strategy for Selecting Land Deals Brenda and her husband have partnered with an architecture firm to help them determine which deals will work best for them. The size of the land isn’t as important to Brenda as how developers are treated in the town and what regulations are in place.  “Those are things that we really take into consideration,” she says. “Right now our focus is on the Houston market because they have fewer zoning restrictions there, and that expedites our development timeline.” 3. Learning from the 2008 Market Collapse During the collapse, Brenda and her team had property in downtown Los Angeles under construction. Their construction lender folded, and they were on the brink of losing the buildings. Many developers handed over their keys, but she refused. This led to litigation and a settlement. While they didn’t lose any money in the process, they lost valuable time.  “There are times that you have to walk away,” Brenda says, “and understand what’s going on in the economy. The indicators were there that this was going to happen with the construction lender, and we should have paid attention a little sooner.” Brenda Mas | Real Estate Background Founding and managing partner of VestWell Ventures, multifamily operators and developers focused on a value-add strategy. Portfolio: GP of 167 units LP of 1,070 units Based in: Los Angeles, CA Say hi to her at: vestwellventures.com Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Best Ever Book: Measure What Matters by John Doerr Greatest lesson: You have to be engaged in your business, take a proactive approach, and exhibit a great amount of grit, especially when faced with economic uncertainty. I don’t look at multifamily investing as a pastime; it’s my business and I expect to see it succeed. S​​tay in touch with us! Sign-Up for the Best Ever CRE Newsletter: www.bestevercre.com/access www.bestevercre.com YouTube Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Click here to know more about our sponsors: | Cash Flow Portal | Cornell Capital Holdings | PassiveInvesting.com | dip capital   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jennings Smith and his cousin Yeadon Smith are business partners who collectively own approximately 48% of their portfolio, which they were able to achieve through BRRRR-style apartment buying. Jennings got his start as a contractor after earning his builder’s license at 19 and began slowly building wealth through real estate. He took Michael Blank’s Ultimate Apartment Buyer Guide online course, which helped him syndicate his first 12-unit deal in 2019.  Today, Jennings is the co-founder of Live Oak Capital and My First Million in Multifamily. Live Oak Capital is an investment firm focused on multifamily, and MFMIM aims to build networks and communication that help people close multifamily deals. In this episode, Jennings explains why he prefers syndications to JV deals, why he chooses to structure his deals with a 70/30 split with 70% going to the GP, and how identifying his strengths and weaknesses helped him to scale.    Jennings Smith | Real Estate Background Co-founder of Live Oak Capital and My First Million in Multifamily (MFMIM). Live Oak Capital is an investment firm focused on multifamily. MFMIM aims to build networks and communication that help people close multifamily deals. Portfolio: GP of: 1,000 units 500 self-storage units Based in: Summerville, SC Say hi to him at: my-first-million-in-multifamily.mykajabi.com Facebook Instagram Podcast YouTube Best Ever Book: Flip the Script by Oren Klaff Greatest lesson: Borrowed belief. Understand that achieving goals is not difficult, it can just be different than what you initially thought. Surround yourself with people that inspire that same belief and are able to unlock your potential. S​​tay in touch with us! www.bestevercre.com YouTube Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Click here to know more about our sponsors: | dlp capital | Cash Flow Portal | Cornell Capital Holdings | PassiveInvesting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Danté Belmonte is a 24-year-old real estate broker based in Syracuse, New York. Four years into his career, Danté decided to venture into multifamily syndications in the Charlotte, North Carolina MSA.  Today, Danté is the managing partner at Victory Capital Group, which acquires and operates multifamily properties. He is a GP of three syndications totaling 100 units and an LP of approximately 1,200 units. In this episode, Danté shares how he and his business partner find deals in the competitive Charlotte MSA, how they pulled off a 30-day close, how he approaches broker relationships as a broker himself, and the importance of professional property management.  Danté Belmonte | Real Estate Background Managing partner at Victory Capital Group, which acquires and operates multifamily properties in North Carolina. Portfolio: GP of three syndications totaling 100 units LP of about 1,200 units Based in: Syracuse, NY Say hi to him at: victorycapgroup.com Facebook Instagram Greatest lesson: It’s incredibly important to have a partner that fills your voids and that you can trust.   S​​tay in touch with us! www.bestevercre.com YouTube Facebook LinkedIn Instagram   Click here to know more about our sponsors: | dlp capital | Cash Flow Portal | Cornell Capital Holdings | PassiveInvesting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Badri Malynur has invested in various startups and across asset classes, including auctions, stock, commodities, and bonds. After entering semi-retirement, a friend asked him to help co-found Avestor Inc., a technology platform focused on an end-to-end solution for sponsors to build customizable private funds.  Today, Badri serves as VP at Avestor in addition to his role as co-founder. In this episode, he shares why he and his friends decided to create Avestor, why both the syndication and fund industries are ripe for disruption, and how customizable private funds are changing investing as we know it.   Badri Malynur | Real Estate Background Co-founder and VP at Avestor Inc., a technology platform focused on an end-to-end solution for sponsors to build customizable private funds. Portfolio: LP of over 50 deals across multiple asset classes including multifamily, self-storage, industrial, mobile home parks, and student housing Based in: Beaverton, OR Say hi to him at: avestorinc.com LinkedIn Greatest lesson: Build a diversified portfolio that spans multiple asset classes using a dumbbell approach for managing risk. S​​tay in touch with us! www.bestevercre.com YouTube Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Click here to know more about our sponsors:  dlp capital | Cash Flow Portal | Cornell Capital Holdings | PassiveInvesting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Passive Investor Tips is a weekly series hosted by full-time passive investor and Best Ever Show host, Travis Watts. In each bite-sized episode, Travis breaks down passive investor topics, simplifying the philosophy and mindset while providing tactical, valuable information on how to be a passive investor. In this episode, Travis expands on his famous saying: “It’s simple, but it’s not easy.” He explains how most passive investors begin their journey with a modest investment that might not seem impressive at first, but it’s important to keep in mind that it’s only the beginning. The journey takes time, patience, and self-discipline.  While it is simple to invest, Travis stresses that real estate, in most cases, is not a way to get rich quickly. It’s a wealth-building strategy. However, once you study the fundamentals, get the right education, and lay out your roadmap, it will simply be a matter of time before you reach your financial goals.   S​​tay in touch with us! www.bestevercre.com YouTube Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Click here to know more about our sponsors:  | dlp capital | Cash Flow Portal | Cornell Capital Holdings | PassiveInvesting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices