How to Scale Commercial Real Estate Sam Wilson

Today’s guest is Jay Conner.
 
Jay Conner has been buying and selling houses since 2003 in a town of only 40,000 people with profits now averaging $78,000 per deal. He has Rehabbed over 475 houses and been involved in over $118 Million Dollars in Transactions.
 
Show summary:
In this episode, Jay Connor discusses the advantages of using private money and private lending over traditional banking methods for real estate investments. He shares his personal success story of raising $2.15 million in private funds within 90 days. Jay also highlights the importance of mastermind groups, building a strong team, and the transition from mobile homes to single-family houses. Additionally, Jay promotes his book "Where to Get the Money Now?" which offers a step-by-step guide to funding real estate deals, and he provides a special offer for listeners to receive an autographed copy.
 
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Mastermind Groups (00:00:00)
 
Background and Journey (00:00:45)
 
Transition to Private Money (00:02:22)
 
Deployment of Private Money (00:03:49)
 
Protection for Private Lenders (00:04:38)
 
Applicability to Commercial Real Estate (00:05:59)
 
Building a Strong Team (00:06:52)
 
Automation and Delegation (00:10:03)
 
Efficiency and Growth (00:11:48)
 
Raising Capital Strategies (00:14:31)
 
Raising Private Money (00:16:35)
 
Mindset and Rejection (00:21:40)
 
Book Recommendation (00:22:24)
 
Offer for Listeners (00:22:46)
 
The giveaway (00:22:55)
 
Raising money principles (00:23:39)
 
Thank you and closing (00:23:56)
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Connect with Jay:
Web: www.JayConner.com
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jay.conner.marketing
 
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/privatemoneyauthority/
 
Free Book: https://www.jayconner.com/book
 
Connect with Sam:
I love helping others place money outside of traditional investments that both diversify a strategy and provide solid predictable returns.  
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HowtoscaleCRE/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwilsonhowtoscalecre/
Email me → sam@brickeninvestmentgroup.com
 
SUBSCRIBE and LEAVE A RATING. Listen to How To Scale Commercial Real Estate Investing with Sam Wilson
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-scale-commercial-real-estate/id1539979234
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4m0NWYzSvznEIjRBFtCgEL?si=e10d8e039b99475f
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Want to read the full show notes of the episode? Check it out below:
Jay Conner (00:00:00) - My business started to skyrocket, like overnight when I started joining really good mastermind groups, mastermind groups of where I, fellow like minded individuals are in real estate investing and have been doing it a while. I'm not listening to advice from somebody that hasn't even done their first deal yet, right? I'm listening to advice from fellow mastermind members that are doing 50 plus deals a year. Welcome to the how.
 
Intro (00:00:33) - To Scale Commercial Real Estate show. Whether you are an active or passive investor, we'll teach you how to scale your real estate investing business into something big.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:45) - Jake Connor has been buying and selling houses since 2003, in a town of only 40,000 people, with profits now averaging $78,000 per deal. He has rehabbed over 475 houses and been involved in over $118 million in transactions. Jay, you've been on the show before. It's really great to have you back for round two. Thanks for coming on today, Sam.
 
Jay Conner (00:01:08) - Thanks so much for having me back. Talking about my favorite subject in topic. And that's private money and private lending, because quite frankly, that in and of itself has had more of an impact on our real estate investing business ever since 2003.
 
Sam Wilso

Today’s guest is Ryan Smolarz.
 
Dr. Joseph Ryan Smolarz is the founder of STOR, leveraging his experience as an entrepreneur and Otolaryngology practitioner to guide people toward financial sovereignty.
 
Show summary:
In this podcast episode, Dr. Joseph Ryan, a former otolaryngologist and founder of Store Partners, shares his transition from medicine to commercial real estate, focusing on self-storage facilities. He highlights the importance of team building, relationship-driven negotiations, and ethical business practices. Dr. Ryan also discusses his podcast, "Medicine and Money Show," and invites listeners to connect with him for educational discussions on investing.
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Building Successful Teams (00:00:00)
 
Introduction to the Show (00:00:31)
 
Dr. Joseph Ryan's Background (00:00:44)
 
Transition to Real Estate (00:01:10)
 
MBA and Transition to Real Estate (00:02:08)
 
Challenges and Enlightenment from Higher Education (00:04:27)
 
Transition to Self-Storage Focus (00:09:42)
 
Staying in Self-Storage Lane (00:11:41)
 
Decision-Making and Deal Selection (00:11:47)
 
Managing Capital and Acquisitions (00:13:57)
 
Challenges in Business Growth (00:15:51)
 
Remote Operations and Team Building (00:19:51)
 
Finding Deals and Relationship Building (00:20:59)
 
Building Rapport and Deal Cycles (00:23:26)
 
Conversation with Potential Investors (00:25:03)
 
Conclusion and Call to Action (00:26:19)
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Connect with Ryan:
Web: https://storpartners.com/#/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-ryan-smolarz-4803a81/
 
Connect with Sam:
I love helping others place money outside of traditional investments that both diversify a strategy and provide solid predictable returns.  
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HowtoscaleCRE/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwilsonhowtoscalecre/
Email me → sam@brickeninvestmentgroup.com
 
SUBSCRIBE and LEAVE A RATING. Listen to How To Scale Commercial Real Estate Investing with Sam Wilson
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-scale-commercial-real-estate/id1539979234
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4m0NWYzSvznEIjRBFtCgEL?si=e10d8e039b99475f
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Want to read the full show notes of the episode? Check it out below:
*Ryan Smolarz * (00:00:00) - Where I think the, you know, the Alpha lies in building the teams. we have a big focus on that. And, trying to find people who were who were all rowing in the same direction with. I find that super important. you know, the when you know, you have a good team, when one person on the team doesn't like the decision, but everybody else does, and they are rowing even faster in the same direction that everybody else is.
 
Intro (00:00:31) - Welcome to the how to Scale Commercial real Estate show. Whether you are an active or passive investor, we'll teach you how to scale your real estate investing business into something big.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:44) - Doctor Joseph Ryan is the founder of store. That's. That's spelled excuse me store. He leverages his experience as an entrepreneur and otolaryngology practitioner to guide people toward financial sovereignty. Ryan, welcome to the show.
 
*Ryan Smolarz * (00:00:59) - Hey, thanks for having me. Sam, this is going to be great.
 
Sam Wilson (00:01:02) - Absolutely. The pleasure's mine. Ryan. There are three questions I ask every guest who comes on the show in 90s or less.
 
Sam Wilson (00:01:07) - Can you tell me where did you start? Where are you now? And how did you get there?
 
*Ryan Smolarz * (00:01:10) - I started in 2017. I realized that, going from room to room as a doctor wasn't going to allow me to retire. And, once I decided that I ended up in a month, I was sitting at a desk in the in an MBA pr

Today’s guest is Mark Podolsky.
 
Since 2001 Mark has completed over 6,000 raw land deals with an average return on investment of over 300% on cash purchases and over 1000% on land deals that he financed.
 
Free Book: https://landgeek.samcart.com/products/dirt-rich?utm_source=how-to-scale&utm_medium=podcast
 
October 2021 podcast:  https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/21693923
 
Show summary: 
In this episode, Mark shares his journey from hands-on management to overseeing his business in just 30 minutes a week by building a capable team, establishing efficient systems, and utilizing technology for automation. He stresses the importance of delegation, staying focused on high-impact activities, and operating at a strategic level. 
 
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The importance of focusing on your comparative advantage (00:00:00)
 
Introduction to the show (00:00:39)
 
Mark Podolsky's impressive track record (00:00:52)
 
Mark Podolsky's return to the show (00:01:04)
 
Recent developments in land investing (00:02:08)
 
Automation and scalability in land investing (00:03:30)
 
Different methods of buying land (00:05:27)
 
The value of cash flow in financial security (00:08:51)
 
Adapting to economic cycles and mitigating risks (00:10:54)
 
Land as an inflation-resistant asset (00:13:44)
 
Strategies for land acquisition and investment focus (00:14:55)
 
Time management and life philosophy (00:16:37)
 
Scalability and automation in land investing (00:18:26)
 
Achieving business efficiency and learning from past experiences (00:19:35)
 
Leveraging comparative advantage and delegation (00:21:10)
 
Mark's offer (00:22:31)
 
Link in show notes (00:23:06)
 
Contact information (00:23:39)
 
Closing remarks (00:23:53)
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Connect with Mark:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thelandgeek
Web: https://www.thelandgeek.com/
 
Connect with Sam:
I love helping others place money outside of traditional investments that both diversify a strategy and provide solid predictable returns.  
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HowtoscaleCRE/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwilsonhowtoscalecre/
Email me → sam@brickeninvestmentgroup.com
 
SUBSCRIBE and LEAVE A RATING. Listen to How To Scale Commercial Real Estate Investing with Sam Wilson
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-scale-commercial-real-estate/id1539979234
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4m0NWYzSvznEIjRBFtCgEL?si=e10d8e039b99475f
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Want to read the full show notes of the episode? Check it out below:
Mark Podolsky (00:00:00) - Let's say, for example, you are, you know, the best at finding deals, right? Right. Like that's how you're making your money. You're, you're you're finding these deals, but you also type 135 words per minute. Right. And so you're like, well, I can I can hire someone at 80 words per minute. But they're not. I mean, they're fractionally as good as me. I might as well type it for myself. But the answer is no. You're comparative advantage, even though you're might be the best typer is going to be you're only should be focusing on deals, right? And letting everything else go.
 
Intro (00:00:39) - Welcome to the how to Scale Commercial Real Estate show. Whether you are an active or passive investor, we'll teach you how to scale your real estate investing business into something big.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:52) - Since 2001, Mark Podolsky has completed over 6000 raw land deals, with an average return of over 300% on cash purchases and over a 1,000% return. That sounded like I just hit puberty.
 
Sam Wilson (00:01:04) - My goodness, Mark, where did that come from? 1,000%. Let's try that again. A thousand. Hey, whatever. We're going to leave it in there. I like th

Today’s guest is Ben Lapidus.
 
Ben Lapidus is the Chief Financial Officer for Spartan Investment Group LLC, where he has applied his finance and business development skills to construct from scratch a portfolio of over $500M assets under management, build the corporate finance backbone for the organization, and organize over $200M of debt capital from the firm. In addition to completing over 50 real estate transactions at and prior to Spartan, Ben is also the founder and host of the national Best Ever Real Estate Investing Conference and managing partner of Indigo Ownerships LLC.
 
Best Ever Conference Code
Use code “INVEST” for $300 off any ticket type at https://www.besteverconference.com/
 
Show summary: 
In this episode, Ben Lapidus joins Sam to discuss the nuances of the commercial real estate market, with a focus on self-storage and investment strategies. Lapidus shares his expertise on navigating the current market, the importance of robust business plans, and the challenges of finding attractive yields. They also talk about the Best Ever Real Estate Investing Conference, detailing how it adds value for passive investors and the innovative strategies used to attract them. 
 
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Self-Storage Market Insights (00:00:00)
 
Introduction and Background (00:00:37)
 
Current State of Self-Storage Market (00:02:03)
 
Investment Strategies and Passive Investors (00:03:34)
 
Conversion Deals and Opportunities (00:05:18)
 
Shift from Office to Self-Storage (00:06:00)
 
Interest Rates and Debt in Self-Storage (00:07:14)
 
Pricing Mechanism and Market Response (00:08:36)
 
Commercial Real Estate Market Overview (00:10:33)
 
Alternative Investments and Portfolio Allocation (00:11:57)
 
Best Ever Real Estate Investing Conference (00:13:46)
 
Strategies for Attracting Passive Investors (00:15:41)
 
Conference Organization and Team Management (00:18:28)
 
Closing Remarks and Special Discount (00:20:16)
 
Best Ever Conference (00:20:30)
 
Contact Information (00:20:50)
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Connect with Ben:
Web: https://www.benlapidus.com/
 
Connect with Sam:
I love helping others place money outside of traditional investments that both diversify a strategy and provide solid predictable returns.  
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HowtoscaleCRE/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwilsonhowtoscalecre/
Email me → sam@brickeninvestmentgroup.com
 
SUBSCRIBE and LEAVE A RATING. Listen to How To Scale Commercial Real Estate Investing with Sam Wilson
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-scale-commercial-real-estate/id1539979234
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4m0NWYzSvznEIjRBFtCgEL?si=e10d8e039b99475f
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Want to read the full show notes of the episode? Check it out below:
Ben Lapidus (00:00:00) - If your business plan can survive 2 or 3 years of negative leverage, because you can take a low enough IRR that you can store enough cash on the side, then it is a great time. If your business plan is overly aggressive or you're trying to seek a very high IRR at a at a velocity of capital deployment, that's unachievable, then now is a bad time to make an investment. You might want to wait 12 or 18 months to do so. Welcome to the How to Scale Commercial Real Estate show. Whether you are an active or passive investor, we'll teach you how to scale your real estate investing business into something big.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:37) - For those of you that don't know Ben Lepidus, you need to know him. I've known Ben. Now. What? Man? What's been seven, eight years at this point? Yeah. About to go about that. I met you normally, Ben. I love to do a long winded introduction about how great the guest is. You are a great guest. I'm. It's my honor to have you on the sh

Today’s guest are Alex Morrison and Andrew Runnette.
 
Alex Morrison has broad experience across real estate, capital markets and startups. Alex currently is the founder and CEO of Portal Warehousing, an innovative real estate operating company in the flex warehousing space.
 
Show summary: 
In this podcast episode, Andrew and Alex, co-founders of Portal Warehousing, discuss their innovative flex warehousing business. They detail how they provide small industrial spaces to various businesses, emphasizing the flexibility and services they offer, such as logistics support and community building for their members. They share their strategic approach to market underwriting, building selection, and the importance of location in gentrifying areas. Despite challenges in scaling and logistics, they highlight their efficient systems and the high demand for their spaces, evidenced by rapid occupancy rates. The co-founders invite building owners to consider management deals with Portal Warehousing, which seeks to expand its unique model nationwide.
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Intro (00:00:00)
 
Concept of Flex Warehousing (00:02:17)
 
Finding Properties and Plugging Tenants (00:07:17)
 
Membership Perks and Differentiation from Self-Storage (00:12:27)
 
Challenges in Scaling and Overcoming Them (00:17:08)
 
Underwriting Deals and Selecting Locations (00:18:17)
 
Underwriting Markets and Demand Generation (00:18:59)
 
Building Criteria and Location (00:20:12)
 
Real Estate Cost and Client Opportunities (00:21:34)
 
Minimum Building Size (00:23:07)
 
Conclusion and Contact Information (00:23:55)
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Connect with Alex and Andrew: 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/portalwarehousing 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portalwarehousing/  
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/portal-warehousing/
Web: https://join-portal.com/
 
Connect with Sam:
I love helping others place money outside of traditional investments that both diversify a strategy and provide solid predictable returns.  
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HowtoscaleCRE/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwilsonhowtoscalecre/
Email me → sam@brickeninvestmentgroup.com
 
SUBSCRIBE and LEAVE A RATING. Listen to How To Scale Commercial Real Estate Investing with Sam Wilson
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-scale-commercial-real-estate/id1539979234
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4m0NWYzSvznEIjRBFtCgEL?si=e10d8e039b99475f
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Want to read the full show notes of the episode? Check it out below:
Alex Morrison (00:00:00) - They have very limited options after they outgrow their first space, which maybe is a garage, maybe a bedroom as they get to that next level., the options drop off. They need to sign a five year lease, and there's not a lot of space that's available sub 5000ft². So what portal is doing is being an institutional level provider of small warehousing space.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:19) - Welcome to the how to scale commercial real Estate show. Whether you are an active or passive investor, we'll teach you how to scale your real estate investing business into something big.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:32) - I've got Andrew and Alex with me here today from Portal Warehousing. Andrew and Alex, welcome to the show.
 
Alex Morrison (00:00:38) - Thanks so much for having us.
 
Andrew Runnette (00:00:39) - Absolutely.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:40) - The pleasure's mine. I always asked every guest who comes on the show in 90s or less. Where did you start? Where are you now and how did you get there? And, Andrew, if you don't mind kicking us off by answering that question. And then Alex, I guess we'll have you be up next after that.
 
Andrew Runnette (00:00:55) - Yeah. No problem. Thanks for having us on.

Today’s guest is Ben Fraser 
 
Ben Fraser is the Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer at Aspen Funds, where he combines his analytical nature with a passion for delivering outstanding client service and strong returns through out-of-the-box investments.
 
Show summary: 
In this episode, Sam speaks with Ben Frazier from Aspen Funds. They delve into the complexities of raising capital and the strategic shifts Aspen Funds has made to adapt to the evolving market. Ben outlines three common scenarios they encounter: providing gap funding for urgent capital needs, facilitating loan assumptions to improve leverage, and offering rescue capital in distressed situations. He explains the intricacies of negotiating with senior lenders, emphasizing the importance of understanding their motivations and the power of being the last money in. Ben also candidly discusses the current challenges in the commercial real estate market, including rising interest rates and an influx of new supply, suggesting that survival through the next few years will be key for investors.
 
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Intro (00:00:00)
 
Ben's Career Journey (00:01:14)
 
Evolution of Aspen Funds (00:02:00)
 
Challenges in Raising Capital (00:03:42)
 
Adapting to Market Changes (00:04:55)
 
Navigating Risks in Real Estate Investments (00:05:13)
 
Building Trust with Investors (00:07:13)
 
Attracting Capital through Thought Leadership (00:10:52)
 
Timeline for Capital Attraction (00:12:13)
 
Current State of Commercial Real Estate Market (00:14:05)
 
Future Opportunities in Real Estate Investments (00:17:57)
 
Conclusion of the Show (00:17:57)
 
Gap Funding (00:18:24)
 
Loan Assumption (00:19:56)
 
Distressed Rescue Capital (00:20:52)
 
Hope for Sponsors (00:23:32)
 
Negotiating with Lenders (00:26:15)
 
Conclusion and Contact Information (00:28:52)
 
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Connect with Ben: 
 
LikedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benwfraser
https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspen-funds
 
Web: aspenfunds.us
 
Connect with Sam:
I love helping others place money outside of traditional investments that both diversify a strategy and provide solid predictable returns.  
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HowtoscaleCRE/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwilsonhowtoscalecre/
Email me → sam@brickeninvestmentgroup.com
 
SUBSCRIBE and LEAVE A RATING. Listen to How To Scale Commercial Real Estate Investing with Sam Wilson
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-scale-commercial-real-estate/id1539979234
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4m0NWYzSvznEIjRBFtCgEL?si=e10d8e039b99475f
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Want to read the full show notes of the episode? Check it out below:
Ben Fraser (00:00:00) - There's something like 9 million accredited investors just in the US, right? For any one of us to be successful, I only need like a couple hundred investors. You know, if I want to go big, a couple thousand investors, that's not that many in the sea of accredited investors. And so my mindset started to shift. We started to position ourselves as thought leaders,, to attract capital to us as authorities in our space, doing a lot more content,, getting in front of audiences virtual and in person and starting to kind of build a,, an attraction mechanism to bring capital to us.
 
Intro (00:00:36) - Welcome to the how to scale commercial real estate show. Whether you are an active or passive investor, we'll teach you how to scale your real estate investing business into something big.
 
Sam Wilson (00:00:49) - Ben Frazier is the chief investment officer at Aspen Funds. They're an inc 5000 company, and he's responsible for sourcing, vetting and capital formation of investments. He has prior experience as a commercial banker and und