In this episode of the Rainmaker Podcast, host Gui Costin welcomes Dean Kantor, the founder and CEO of CoreGro, a private equity real estate firm focused on generating long-term value through strategic acquisitions and structured investments. Dean, who has over 20 years of experience in finance, private equity, and real estate, shares his journey from starting in wealth management to creating CoreGro, a platform focused on mid-market investments in health care and value-add opportunities.
Dean reflects on his early career, beginning in wealth management where he built strong relationships with family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. He credits his wealth management experience with shaping CoreGro’s focus on capital preservation and long-term value creation, key tenets of the firm’s philosophy. After a decade of leading acquisitions and managing investments in various real estate sectors, including health care, Dean transitioned to launch CoreGro in 2018, driven by his vision to help businesses scale while maintaining control and strong investor relationships.
The firm operates in the mid-market space, focusing on properties ranging from $3 to $5 million and above, which are too large for retail investors but too small for most institutional funds. CoreGro focuses on value-add opportunities in health care real estate, which Dean believes offers downside protection and stability. His goal is to bring institutional-grade real estate investment strategies to the mid-market while providing a defensive asset class for investors.
Dean also highlights the importance of culture and the need for strategic alignment in leadership. He emphasizes that trust and collaboration are at the core of CoreGro’s success, both within the team and with investors. The firm’s culture is built on openness, transparency, and communication, which Dean believes is critical in building strong, lasting relationships. CoreGro’s global presence allows them to efficiently manage investments, with team members based in the US and South Africa, providing a seamless 24-hour work cycle.
Finally, Dean shares his vision for CoreGro’s future: expanding the investor base, continuing to build relationships with both family offices and institutions, and growing the firm’s platform in the healthcare real estate space. He reflects on how consistency, credibility, and a focus on culture have been key factors in CoreGro’s success and will continue to be as they scale.
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