Best Real Estate Investing Advice Ever With Joe Fairless

On this episode of Best Ever CRE, Slocomb Reed interviews Lee Yoder, a multifamily owner-operator based in Cincinnati, about the transformative impact of bringing property management operations in-house. Lee shares how managing his own 283-unit portfolio led to lower vacancy and delinquency rates, a drop in turnover expenses, and significantly improved cash flow. He also details how internalizing operations enabled him to build a reliable team and scale his business more confidently—culminating in a recent acquisition that nearly doubled his portfolio. The conversation emphasizes the long-term strategic and financial benefits of aligning management incentives with ownership goals. Lee Yoder Current role: Founder of Threefold Real Estate Investing Based in: Cincinnati, Ohio Say hi to them at: threefoldrei.com or on LinkedIn Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at ⁠https://www.stamps.com/cre⁠. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Post your job for free at

On this episode of Next Level CRE, Matt Faircloth interviews Michael Episcope, co-founder of Origin Investments, about his journey from trading commodities to building a real estate firm with over 10,000 multifamily units transacted. Michael shares how his grandfather's scrappy approach to West Side Chicago buildings shaped his foundational real estate mindset, and how he applied those principles to launch Origin during the 2008 financial crisis. The conversation dives deep into why Origin focuses exclusively on Class A multifamily in high-growth markets, avoiding overleveraged deals and emphasizing risk management and rent-growth forecasting. Michael also discusses the current opportunity for savvy operators in the wake of the capital slowdown, highlighting the contrarian advantage in development today and the power of specialization in long-term success. Michael Episcope Current role: Co-Founder, Origin Investments Based in: Chicago, IL Say hi to them at: origininvestments.com Get

On this episode of the Best Ever CRE Show, Pascal Wagner interviews Christian Busch, a seasoned real estate investor and managing partner at Glass Cube Investments. Christian shares insights from his 12-year journey navigating both active and passive commercial real estate investments, starting with crowdfunding platforms like Fundrise and eventually building direct relationships with sponsors. He breaks down his thesis on market selection, the risks of single-tenant assets, and his preference for multifamily and diversified debt investments over volatile or luxury assets. The conversation also covers portfolio construction, GP/LP dynamics, and the long-term migration trends shaping Miami’s appeal. Christian Busch Current Role: Managing Partner at Glass Cube Investments Based in: Miami, Florida Say hi to them at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianbusch/ Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at https://www.stamps.com/cre. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the sh

On this episode of the Best Ever CRE Show, Amanda Cruise and Ash Patel interview Suja Shyam, Managing Partner of Lux Capital Investment Group. Suja shares how her firm has expanded beyond multifamily real estate into alternative assets, including private equity and small business acquisitions. She explains the appeal of cash-flowing businesses amid rising interest rates, the underwriting and due diligence involved in these deals, and her preference for durable, low-volatility industries. Suja also discusses a recent healthcare brokerage investment targeting a 5X equity multiple and emphasizes risk-bucket thinking for investors seeking higher growth. Suja Shyam Current Role: Managing Partner, Lux Capital Investment Group Based in: Portland, Oregon Best Way to Reach Her: Website: https://www.luxe-cap.com Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at ⁠https://www.stamps.com/cre⁠. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Post your job for free at https://www.link

On this episode of Best Ever CRE, Joe Cornwell interviews Michael Kramer, founder of Freed by Real Estate. Michael shares his deeply personal journey from losing his father and building businesses to ultimately discovering a more balanced, family-centered life through real estate. He discusses how a life-altering accident and a failed first marriage reshaped his priorities, leading him and his family to scale a vertically integrated multifamily investment and lending firm. Michael also explains how his leadership philosophy—rooted in empathy and influenced by Chris Voss’s negotiation tactics—drives both his family business and investment strategies. Michael Kramer - Founder - Based in: Omaha, Nebraska - Say hi to them at linkedin.com/in/michaelkramerfbrefreedbyrealestate.com  Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at https://www.stamps.com/cre. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Post your job for free at ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/BRE⁠. Terms and conditions apply.

On this episode of the Best Ever CRE Show, 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 inbound investor interest through consistent LinkedIn content and engagement, powered by AI for scalability and authenticity. Adam Gower - Founder - Based in: Beverly Hills, California - Say hi to them at gowercrowd.com ⁠linkedin.com/in/gowercrowd Tim Mai - Fund Manager - Based in: Sugar Land, Texas - Say hi to them at linkedin.com/in/timmai HEROWealthFund.com  Irwin Boris - Senior Managing Director - Based in: New York City, New York - Say hi to them at https://www.linkedin.com/in/irwinbor

On this episode of The Horizon, John discusses key insights from a high-level meeting with ten of the nation's top commercial real estate investors. Topics included the rising threat of stagflation driven by tariffs and shifting trade policies, and the broader implications for inflation, interest rates, and apartment demand. Despite macroeconomic uncertainty, John notes that investor sentiment remains bullish, with many planning to be net buyers in 2025. He emphasizes that this is a cycle where strong operations matter most, and experienced operators will likely thrive as weaker investors exit the market. Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at ⁠https://www.stamps.com/cre⁠. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Post your job for free at ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/BRE⁠. Terms and conditions apply. Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you mus

On this episode of Best Ever CRE, Slocomb Reed interviews Gary Holloway Jr., CEO of GMH Communities, to discuss how his second-generation company evolved from local syndications to large-scale institutional student housing developments. Gary shares insights on identifying top-tier markets for student housing, the economics behind $100K+ per bed projects, and the importance of partnering with experienced operators for success. He also introduces GMH’s “Innovative Living” model—a flexible blend of student and conventional housing designed to serve emerging life science hubs. Gary emphasizes the continued resilience of student housing as an investment class, even through market downturns. Gary Holloway Jr. - CEO & President - Based in: Newtown Square, Pennsylvania - Say hi to them at www.gmhcommunities.com/ Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at https://www.stamps.com/cre. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Post your job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/BRE. Terms and

On this episode of Next Level CRE, Matt Faircloth interviews Neal Bawa, known as the “mad scientist of multifamily,” live from Best Ever Conference. They dive into Neal’s preparation for the BEC real estate debate on whether the Fed has stuck a soft landing, highlighting key data points like wage growth outpacing rent growth and the Fed’s dual tools for market intervention. Neal also shares his actual market outlook—separating his debate stance from his real views—stating he is bullish on rent growth but cautious on cap rates and interest rates due to fiscal pressures. He ends with a tactical nugget: target markets like Indianapolis with strong rent growth, low property taxes, and limited new supply. Neal Bawa -CEO - Based in: San Francisco, California - Say hi to them at multifamilyu.com/ Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at https://www.stamps.com/cre. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growi

On this episode of the Best Ever CRE Show, Pascal Wagner interviews Jeremy Roll, a full-time passive investor since 2002 with active investments in over 60 deals. They discuss how to strategically read market cycles, why Jeremy prioritizes predictability and cash flow over chasing high returns, and how his portfolio has evolved to favor asset classes like multifamily, mobile home parks, and senior living. Jeremy also shares his approach to cycle timing, his cautious stance since 2016, and specific tips for LPs to better vet sponsors and opportunities. This is a deep dive into patient, conservative investing and avoiding common LP pitfalls. Jeremy Roll -President - Based in: Newport Beach, California - Say hi to them at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-roll-655107 Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators,

On this episode of the Best Ever CRE Show, Amanda Cruise and Ash Patel interview Jaimee Keene, founder of Peaks Commercial Real Estate. Jaimee shares her journey from commercial real estate appraiser to top-performing broker and now investor, focusing on Colorado’s resort markets. She discusses building a specialized commercial brokerage, navigating the nuances of resort town investments, and lessons learned from the appraisal world that shaped her cautious investing philosophy. Jaimee also highlights the opportunities in value-add retail and strategies for building presence and credibility as a broker. Jaimee Keene - Founder & Commercial Real Estate Broker - Based in: Breckenridge, Colorado - Say hi to them at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimeekeene/ https://www.peakscre.com vikingcapllc.com Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the

On this episode of Best Ever CRE, Joe Cornwell interviews Phillips Wagner of Mill Street Partners. They dive into how Phillips is making ground-up multifamily and industrial development deals work in today’s challenging market, including creative land entitlement, vertical integration to control construction costs, and the use of steel framing to save on insurance and build times. They also discuss the importance of municipal incentives, the long-term outlook for DFW development, and advice for new developers looking to avoid common pitfalls. Phillips Wagner COO and Partner Say hi to them at https://millstreetpartnersllc.com/ vikingcapllc.com Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Appl

On this episode of the Best Ever CRE Show, 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 spreadsheets into semantic data, and helps underwrite deals more accurately and efficiently, while also acknowledging its limits in replacing human decision-making and deal sourcing relationships. Paul Hopkins COO and Partner https://cpicapital.ca/ Perry Zheng Founder and CEO https://www.cashflowportal.com/ Lance Pederson CEO and Co-Founder https://www.passiveadvantage.com/ Bo Barron CEO https://barroncommercial.com/ vikingcapllc.com Join the Best

On this episode of The Horizon, John discusses his takeaways from the conference he just attended, emphasizing the resilience of commercial real estate amidst economic uncertainty. He highlights positive investor sentiment, particularly around multifamily, medical office, and necessity-based retail assets, while noting caution about tariffs, stagflation risks, and global trade impacts. John also dives into demographic trends favoring long-term rental demand, especially among millennials, and stresses the Midwest’s emerging strength in rent growth and limited new supply compared to oversaturated Sunbelt markets. vikingcapllc.com Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at www.bestevercommunity.com

On this episode of Best Ever CRE, Slocomb Reed interviews Stephen Predmore, an engineer-turned-investor and owner of Talbot Investments. Stephen shares his journey from small single-family rentals in Baltimore to JV, LP, and co-GP multifamily positions across the U.S. He highlights key lessons from a challenging 33-unit JV in Alaska and contrasts it with a more successful, nearby JV in West Virginia. Stephen also explains why he chose to syndicate a 54-unit North Carolina deal and discusses his current focus on capital raising, targeting senior engineers for investor relations as he continues scaling with trusted operators in red states. Stephen Predmore Owner Based in: Baltimore, Maryland Say hi to them at https://talbottinvestments.com vikingcapllc.com Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs,

On this episode of Next Level CRE, Matt Faircloth interviews Lon Welsh, founder of Ironton Capital and seasoned real estate investor managing over $80 million in other people’s money. Lon shares how his journey began with house hacking and fix-and-flips before scaling into brokerage, syndication, and ultimately launching multiple real estate funds. They dive deep into market segmentation, the risk-reward spectrum of different neighborhoods, and why investor matchmaking is key. Lon also unpacks the future of office space, opportunities in low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) conversions, and the rising potential of extended stay hospitality and new multifamily construction. Lon Welsh Founder Based in: Denver, Colorado Say hi to them at irontoncapital.com/ www.facebook.com/irontoncapital www.linkedin.com/company/ironton-capital/ vikingcapllc.com Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s fr

On this episode of the Best Ever CRE Show, 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 real income. He also outlines practical strategies LPs can use to evaluate deals through macro, demographic, and geographic lenses, and advocates for a return to real asset investing and productive capitalism. Russell Gray Founder and Host Based in: Phoenix, Arizona Say hi to them at www.RussellGray.com www.linkedin.com/in/russellwgray/ x.com/RussWGray vikingcapllc.com Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate inv

On this episode of the Best Ever CRE Show, Amanda Cruise and Ash Patel interview Tom Rauen, the self-branded "Fast Food Landlord" and owner of Rauen Capital. Tom shares his strategy behind acquiring Triple Net lease assets—primarily dollar stores and fast food locations—in underserved Iowa markets. He dives into the nuances of lease structures, investor returns, and risk mitigation, emphasizing why lease review and local knowledge are key. Tom also discusses the pitfalls of trendy business acquisitions, warning real estate investors about the operational complexity behind buying small businesses. Tom Rauen Owner Based in: Dubuque, Iowa Say hi to them at www.rauencapital.com www.linkedin.com/in/tomrauen/ vikingcapllc.com Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and

On this episode of Best Ever CRE, Joe Cornwell interviews Jesse Sells, co-founder and COO of Impact Growth Capital. Jesse shares how he transitioned from the Air Force into real estate by diving headfirst into mobile home park syndications, using his background in flipping and rentals to raise capital from personal connections. He discusses the challenges of managing mid-sized multifamily properties and how that experience led his team to shift toward larger deals and capital partnerships. Jesse also outlines their latest venture: a $300M public-private development project to redevelop public housing into 600 new units, backed by government incentives. Jesse Sells Co-Founder Based in: Texas Say hi to them at www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-sells/ www.instagram.com/thejessesells/ vikingcapllc.com Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  

On this episode of the Best Ever CRE Show, Joe Fairless interviews John Casmon of Casmon Capital and Kent Ritter of Hudson Investing to explore the current state of multifamily investing and development. John shares insights on exiting value-add multifamily assets in the Midwest, strategic refinancing, and how he doubled NOI on a key property by identifying hidden upside. Kent dives into public-private partnerships as the secret to making development deals pencil in today’s environment and highlights a mixed-use project in Westfield, Indiana, backed by city support and creative financing. They also discuss investor sentiment, capital raising challenges, and how to identify stalled listings that can be repositioned into winning deals. John Casmon Managing Partner Based in: Cincinnati, Ohio Say hi to them at https://www.linkedin.com/in/multifamily-apartments-john-casmon/ Kent Ritter CEO Based in: Carmel, Indiana Say hi to them at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentritter/ vikingcapllc.com Join th