In today's episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan welcomes Mike Zlotnik, a real estate fund manager and the CEO of TF Management Group, who is widely known in the real estate investing community as "Big Mike." With over two decades of experience in finance, technology, and real estate, Mike offers a clear and structured approach to helping investors understand how to diversify their portfolios, manage risk, and build long-term wealth through funds and syndications.

Jonathan and Mike begin by discussing the fundamentals of how funds differ from single syndications and why investors might choose one vehicle over the other. Mike explains how funds offer built-in diversification across asset classes and geographies, while syndications allow investors to be more selective with specific deals. He emphasizes the importance of understanding an operator's track record, the alignment of incentives, and the mechanics of preferred returns when evaluating any investment.

The conversation moves into the role of debt, interest rate cycles, and how professional managers mitigate risks in uncertain economic environments. Mike provides real-world examples of how funds structure distributions, manage cash flow, and use conservative underwriting to protect investors' capital. He also emphasizes the importance of tax efficiency, particularly in relation to depreciation and its impact on an investor's overall returns.

For listeners looking to grow their real estate portfolios, Mike highlights the strategic advantage of investing through funds that allow participation in multiple projects at once. He also explains how smaller investors can still access institutional-quality deals by leveraging fund structures managed by experienced operators. Throughout the episode, Jonathan pushes Mike to translate technical details into actionable takeaways that any investor can apply, making this conversation both approachable and highly informative.

By the end of this discussion, listeners will come away with a stronger understanding of how to evaluate funds and syndications, the critical role of trust and alignment with operators, and the importance of long-term strategy in real estate investing.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Diversification through funds versus deal-by-deal syndication

• The importance of operator track record and investor alignment

• How preferred returns and profit splits are structured

• Managing debt and interest rate cycles in uncertain markets

• Tax efficiency and the role of depreciation in returns

• Why funds give smaller investors access to larger opportunities

• The value of conservative underwriting and capital protection

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Supporting Resources:

Tempo Funding website - tempofunding.com

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Tempo Funding on X - tempofunding.com/Twitter

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Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.