Today, I welcome Heather Ewing to The Investing Secrets Podcast. Heather is the founder of Abstract Commercial Real Estate, a boutique advisory and brokerage firm focused on retail, restaurants, and mixed-use development. Today she shares why she chose to go independent instead of aligning with a major brand - and how staying in one highly specialized lane has helped her build deeper relationships, stronger deal flow, and cleaner execution for developers, landlords, and tenants. Heather also breaks down what most investors miss when they evaluate retail and mixed-use projects: the real backbone isn’t the flashy projections - it’s the lease structure. She dives into the mechanics of triple-net leasing, lender-driven pre-leasing requirements, and the nuanced details that can make or break deals - everything from parking ratios and ceiling heights to HVAC tonnage, attorney selection, and why using a true triple-net specialist matters if you want to avoid expensive mistakes. With over a decade in this niche and “tennies on the ground” market knowledge, Heather distills the core lesson that applies to both operators and passive investors: relationships still run commercial real estate - and your results are only as strong as the quality of your inputs. She shares how off-market opportunities are actually sourced, why market data alone can’t replace local intelligence, and why working with a niche broker can be the difference between a stable performer and a deal that never crosses the finish line. Welcome Heather, to The Investing Secrets Podcast.... Follow Heather: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathermewing/ Website: ABSTRACTCommercialRealEstate.com Follow Me: LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3L2sTc7 Instagram: https://bit.ly/3soYxtW Looking to build lasting wealth through alternative investments? You’re in the right place. If you’re new here, my name is Danny Gould. I’m the founder and CEO of Gould Capital, a private equity firm specializing in exclusive commercial real estate and other alternative investments. We connect investors with elite opportunities - investments that aren’t public, aren’t cookie-cutter, and most importantly, aren’t what your financial advisor is pitching. Here’s how I got here… 1) Started as a pre-med student at Stanford University, but a lifelong dream of building the biggest hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip ignited my passion for real estate. 2) Transitioned to residential real estate, driving over a quarter billion dollars in sales, and became an industry leader in one of the most competitive markets in the world. 3) Decided to finally pursue my Hotel dreams and founded GMS Ventures alongside two experienced Hoteliers, with a total Hotel Portfolio Size of over $300M 4) Leveraged my expertise and relationships to build Gould Capital - which empowers investors to access transformative commercial real estate deals and alternative investments. FULL DISCLOSURE I create content to connect with ambitious investors - people who want to take control of their financial futures. If that’s you, let’s build something extraordinary together - I invite you to take the first step by connecting with me via a 20 minute Zoom Call. Here’s my calendar: https://bit.ly/3rVfqwn