Episode Summary

In this episode of Groundbreakers, we’re joined by Greg Talcott, Managing Director at Rastegar Capital, for a deep dive into development risk, execution, and why modular housing has become a core part of their strategy.

Greg breaks down how Rastegar thinks about development differently. Not as a speculative bet, but as an engineering problem. We talk through why traditional ground-up projects fail, where most GPs underestimate risk, and how modular construction can compress timelines, reduce cost overruns, and create more predictable outcomes for investors.

This conversation is especially relevant for sponsors raising capital in today’s environment, where LPs care less about flashy narratives and more about certainty, control, and clean execution.

Key Points Discussed

• Why most development deals break during execution, not underwriting
• How modular construction reduces labor, weather, and timeline risk
• The tradeoffs and real constraints of modular housing
• How shorter build cycles change capital efficiency and investor confidence
• What LPs actually want to hear when evaluating development deals today

Guest Information

• Name: Greg Talcott
• Title: Managing Director
• Company: Rastegar Capital
• LinkedIn: Greg Talcott

Conclusion

Greg’s perspective reframes modular housing from a niche concept into a practical risk management tool. If you are a GP navigating development in a volatile market or an investor evaluating construction risk, this episode offers a clear, grounded framework for thinking about execution and predictability.

In this episode of Groundbreakers, we’re joined by Chris Lawrence, CEO of OFL Group, a real estate development company reshaping urban environments through data-driven, human-centered design.

Chris is a registered architect turned developer who has spent over a decade revitalizing downtown districts through mixed-use, multifamily, retail, and hospitality projects. Rather than chasing speculative returns, his approach starts with deep market research, conservative underwriting, and designing places people actually want to live in.

Chris walks us through how he transitioned from architecture into development, why he spent a full year on data analysis before breaking ground on his first major project, and how that discipline helped him lease luxury units in markets with no direct comps.

• From Architect to Developer: How Chris made the leap from designing buildings to leading nearly $200M in development projects.
• Data Over Gut Instinct: Why he believes confidence comes from research, not hype, and how data shaped every major decision early on.
• Design as a Financial Lever: How thoughtful design choices directly impact rents, lease-up speed, and long-term asset value.
• Pessimistic Underwriting Wins: Why conservative assumptions protect investors and create upside instead of disappointment.
• Working With Cities: How long-term trust with municipalities unlocked incentives and a landmark RFP opportunity.
• Raising Capital for Ground-Up Deals: What it really takes to earn investor trust when developing from scratch in today’s market.

• Name: Chris Lawrence
• Company: OFL Group
• Role: CEO
• Connect: LinkedIn

Chris’s story is a masterclass in patience, discipline, and building real estate that lasts. Whether you are a syndicator exploring development, raising capital for complex projects, or refining your underwriting philosophy, this episode offers practical insights you can apply immediately.

In this episode of Groundbreakers, we sit down with Jinil Patel, Founder of Rising Capital, to unpack one of the most aggressive real estate scaling stories we’ve featured on the show.

With just one single-family rental under his belt, Jinil took a leap most investors only talk about and acquired a 48-unit apartment complex as a solo GP. From there, he didn’t slow down. Within months, he closed a second deal, then locked up a 260-unit acquisition with over $3M of built-in equity.

Jinil shares what it really takes to raise seven figures from friends, family, and extended networks, why capital raising is a pure numbers game, and the hard lessons he learned doing his first deals without partners while balancing family, a newborn, and operating franchise businesses.

• Making the Jump to Multifamily: Why Jinil stopped chasing single-family scale and committed fully to apartments, even before he felt ready.
• Raising $1.2M Without a Big Brand: How he spoke with 100–150 investors, had multiple conversations per person, and stayed motivated through rejection.
• Trial by Fire as a Solo GP: The stress, mistakes, and lessons from taking down a 48-unit deal alone and why he will never do that again.
• Speed Through Systems: What changed between his first deal that took nine months to close and his second that closed in 90 days.
• Conservative Underwriting Wins Trust: Why Jinil targets realistic returns, avoids overpromising, and prioritizes downside protection over flashy projections.
• Work Ethic Over Balance: His honest take on work-life balance, late-night investor calls, and what success really requires early on.

• Name: Jinil Patel
• Company: Rising Capital
• Role: Founder
• Connect: LinkedIn

Jinil’s journey is a real-world example of what happens when preparation meets relentless execution. If you’re a syndicator trying to raise your first million, debating whether to go bigger, or navigating the stress of early deals, this episode is packed with lessons you can apply immediately.

In this episode of Groundbreakers, we’re joined by Jake Heller, Co-Founder of AI for CRE Collective. Jake is a third-generation real estate operator who works at the intersection of development, underwriting, and applied artificial intelligence.

While most conversations around AI in commercial real estate focus on hype, Jake brings the discussion back to reality. This episode breaks down how top operators are actually using AI today to save time, improve decision making, and scale operations without rebuilding their entire tech stack.

Rather than chasing shiny tools, Jake explains why the biggest gains come from automating the unglamorous but essential workflows that every GP deals with.

• AI vs Execution: Why most CRE professionals experiment with AI but never fully implement it.
• High ROI Use Cases: The specific workflows where AI delivers immediate value, including underwriting, deal screening, and admin work.
• Avoiding the Hype Trap: Why flashy agents and custom tools are rarely the best place to start.
• Operator First Mindset: How experienced GPs think about AI as leverage, not replacement.
• Getting Started Simply: Practical steps for sponsors who feel overwhelmed by the pace of AI innovation.

• Name: Jake Heller
• Title: Co-Founder
• Website: AI for CRE Collective
• LinkedIn: Jake Heller

Jake’s perspective cuts through the noise around AI in commercial real estate. The edge right now is not access to tools, it is execution. For any GP looking to reclaim time, improve consistency, and scale intelligently, this episode offers a grounded and actionable roadmap.

In this episode of Groundbreakers, we’re joined by Anthony Carlton, Founder and CEO of CRE Digital. Anthony works with real estate sponsors across multifamily, industrial, and commercial assets who are trying to raise capital beyond friends and family but keep running into the same problem. No one knows who they are.

Anthony shares how he went from finance and private equity into building a growth and branding firm focused exclusively on commercial real estate. Along the way, he saw a clear pattern. Strong operators with solid deals were losing attention and capital to sponsors who simply understood distribution better.

This conversation breaks down why brand and trust have become the true bottlenecks in modern capital raising, especially in a market where LPs have more options and more skepticism than ever.

• When to Build a Brand: Why most GPs wait too long to start building visibility and trust.
• Brand vs Marketing: The difference between posting content and actually earning LP confidence.
• LinkedIn as a Trust Engine: Why LinkedIn has become the primary platform for long term investor relationships.
• Capital Is the Constraint: Why deals are no longer the limiting factor for most sponsors.
• Common Mistakes: The shortcuts sponsors take that quietly damage credibility.
• What Actually Converts LPs: How consistent, thoughtful content compounds trust over time.

• Name: Anthony Carlton
• Company: CRE Digital
• Website: credigital.co
• LinkedIn: Anthony Carlton

Anthony’s perspective reframes how sponsors should think about growth. In a crowded market, capital flows to operators LPs already trust. Brand is no longer optional. It is infrastructure. This episode is a must listen for any syndicator looking to scale capital raising in a durable way.

In this episode of Groundbreakers, we’re joined by Hayato Hori, Managing Partner of Red Brick Equity. Hayato’s journey into real estate began in college, where he bought his first rental property from his roommate. What started as a single $70K rental quickly turned into a deeper realization about scale, compounding, and the long term power of multifamily investing.

Before launching Red Brick Equity, Hayato built a high volume wholesaling business, sourcing and selling hundreds of off market single family and multifamily deals to both retail investors and large institutions. That experience gave him a rare inside look at how institutional capital underwrites deals, how markets behave when conditions change, and why transaction heavy businesses eventually hit a ceiling.

Today, Hayato focuses on acquiring older, no elevator multifamily buildings in Chicago and other Midwest markets where supply is constrained and affordability remains critical. His strategy prioritizes conservative underwriting, strong reserves, and predictable cash flow over chasing growth driven hype.

• Starting in College: How Hayato’s first rental property shaped his conviction in real estate as a long term wealth vehicle.
• Inside Institutional Buying: What he learned selling deals to large funds and how that changed his investing philosophy.
• Why Multifamily Scales Better: The operational and financial advantages of multifamily versus single family portfolios.
• Market Selection Matters: Why oversupply has hurt parts of the Sunbelt and why Chicago remains resilient.
• From Churn to Compounding: The moment Hayato realized wholesaling generated income but not durable wealth.
• Conservative Underwriting: Why strong reserves and realistic assumptions matter more than aggressive projections.
• Raising Capital with Trust: How transparency and education help first time fund managers earn investor confidence.

• Name: Hayato Hori
• Title: Managing Partner
• Company: Red Brick Equity
• Website: redbrickequity.com

Hayato’s story highlights the power of disciplined investing in overlooked markets. By focusing on fundamentals instead of hype, he is building a multifamily platform designed for durability, affordability, and long term compounding. This episode offers practical insight for syndicators raising capital and thinking critically about where to deploy it next.

In this episode of Groundbreakers, we sit down with Nolan Ausan, cofounder of Rovo Industries Group. Nolan blends three worlds that rarely overlap — construction, manufacturing automation, and tech — to build a modular housing system designed to cut construction timelines in half and make development more efficient for builders across the country.

Nolan shares how he grew up as a third generation carpenter, spent a decade scaling tech companies, and eventually returned to real estate with a simple realization. If we can build cars in a factory with speed, precision and automation, why are buildings still made outdoors, one piece at a time?

Rovo is building a first-of-its-kind facility in Colorado that uses robotics, a digital design engine, AI driven permitting tools, and a flexible modular system that adapts to each developer’s project. Their goal is to streamline everything from feasibility to fabrication to onsite installation, while shipping components nationwide by rail.

• A Multi-Industry Background: How Nolan’s experience in carpentry, aerospace manufacturing and IT shaped the foundation of Rovo.
• Why Modular Has Struggled: The bottlenecks that caused past modular companies to fail — and how Rovo designed around them.
• A Flexible Building System: Why Rovo offers panelized walls, pods, or full modular units depending on each project’s location, scale and logistics.
• AI in Development: How their platform uses AI to interpret local codebooks, flag restrictions and coordinate inspections.
• Massive Time Savings: Why developers can save six to twelve months on build to rent projects by shifting work offsite.
• Shipping Nationwide: The role of rail access in distributing modular housing at scale.
• The Founder Journey: Nolan’s reflections on perseverance, loneliness and staying solution oriented while building a company from the ground up.

• Name: Nolan Ausan
• Company: Rovo Industries Group
• LinkedIn: Nolan Ausan

Nolan’s story is a look into the future of development. His work shows how modular construction, robotics and AI can create faster, cleaner and more affordable housing at scale. If you want to understand the next wave of innovation in real estate, this episode is worth the listen.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Groundbreakers, we sit down with Emanuel Stafilidis, founder of Capable Capital, who has quietly built a 200 property portfolio by doing something most investors never even consider. Instead of chasing value add rentals or the Burr method, Emanuel buys low priced homes in landlord friendly markets, then resells them through long term seller financing to working families who cannot get traditional loans. His model creates steady income for investors while helping families become homeowners.  

Emanuel breaks down the mechanics behind his strategy. He explains how buying homes for about 50K cash and selling them for roughly three times that number is possible when you structure payments around local rent levels. He also shares why banks refuse to lend under 100K, how that gap creates massive demand, and why his default rate mirrors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  

Key Points Discussed

• The origins of Emanuel’s strategy and how his family’s real estate roots in Australia shaped his approach
• How seller financing creates 12 to 14 percent returns for investors while giving buyers a path to ownership
• Why homes under 100K are one of the most overlooked asset classes in real estate
• The math behind forcing 3x appreciation without doing renovations
• How Emanuel finds multiple buyers for every home by building deep local demand
• The real risks of the model, including defaults, evictions, and state by state regulations
• Why Emanuel believes partnering and staying open minded are essential for new investors

Guest Information

• Name: Emanuel Stafilidis
• Company: Capable Capital
• Website: CapableCapital.net
• LinkedIn: Emanuel Stafilidis

Conclusion

Emanuel’s story shows what happens when you stop following the crowd and build a strategy around gaps the market ignores. If you want to understand creative finance at scale and how real estate investing can also expand access to homeownership, this conversation is a must listen.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Groundbreakers, we’re joined by Jarom and Justin Pratt, the father-son duo behind EagleCap Legacy Wealth Partners. Their story starts in high school, where Jarom was flipping houses before he could vote—backed by his dad as the first investor. What began as a side hustle turned into a full-time partnership focused on multifamily real estate, legacy building, and investor trust.

They open up about the lessons they learned from early flips, the challenges of managing construction-heavy value-add deals, and how their complementary skill sets—Jarom in acquisitions and operations, Justin in capital raising—give them an edge.

• Starting Young: Jarom’s real estate journey began at 16, flipping distressed homes while learning construction hands-on.
• Trust and Teamwork: Justin shares how he decided to back his son financially and emotionally, leading to a powerful business partnership.
• The First Syndication: Their first deal was a distressed 17-unit property. They break down how they raised capital, structured the deal, and got it over the finish line.
• Why They’re Betting on Legacy: EagleCap isn’t just about returns. It’s about building generational wealth and helping other families do the same.

• Names: Jarom Pratt & Justin Pratt
• Company: EagleCap Legacy Wealth Partners
• Website
• LinkedIn: Jarom Pratt, Justin Pratt

Jarom and Justin’s story is a testament to what’s possible when trust, grit, and long-term vision align. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to bring family into the business, their journey offers inspiration and tactical insight for every syndicator.

Let me know if you want a shortened version for Apple Podcasts or Instagram blurbs.

In this episode of Groundbreakers, Shannon Robnett, founder of Shannon Robnett Industries, shares how he went from building police stations and firehouses to managing over $150 million in real estate assets across multifamily and industrial deals.

With over 30 years in commercial construction and development, Shannon breaks down his transition from being fully funded by a single family office to raising $75 million from everyday investors, wealth advisors, and RIAs.

He also explains why industrial triple net leases are the most overlooked long-term wealth strategy, and how communication—not projections—drives investor trust and repeat capital.

• From Builder to Syndicator: Shannon started in the trades, building everything from schools to medical offices. When a family office stopped funding his deals, he had to learn how to syndicate capital fast—or lose it all.
• Lessons from the First $1.4M Raise: Even with decades of experience, raising retail capital required a mindset shift. Shannon explains how long it took, the missteps he made, and how he finally broke through.
• The Power of Triple Net Industrial: Shannon’s family retired off industrial cash flow. He breaks down why NNN leases are so resilient, why Class A tenants matter, and why industrial tenants don’t move for a $400 rent delta.
• Why Smaller is Harder: It takes the same steps to buy a single-family home as a 100-unit apartment complex. Shannon urges new investors to aim bigger and partner up to scale faster.
• How to Win with LPs: Shannon shares why overcommunication matters, why he publishes multiple newsletters each month, and how real trust is built in between deals.

Guest Information

• Name: Shannon Robnett
• Role: Founder of Shannon Robnett Industries
• Website
• LinkedIn

Conclusion

Shannon Robnett’s journey shows what happens when a second-generation developer combines boots-on-the-ground experience with long-term vision and tax-savvy syndication strategy. His story is a masterclass in resilience, relationship building, and real estate at scale.