No Vacancy with Taylor Avakian

Ron Kolar, founder of L'Abri Management, explains how he built a portfolio of roughly 6,000 apartment units across Southern California, starting with a 16-unit building in Downey in 1961.

On No Vacancy with Taylor Avakian, he covers the early path from USC and a steel company job into full-time real estate in 1972, how depreciation and stock underwriting helped fund the first deals, and the practical side of running both owned properties and fee management accounts.

The conversation also looks at how they structure syndications with over 100 investors, why they put significant equity into every deal, the role of refinancing in returns, and what it takes to keep buying in today’s California market. Topics include evictions, Section 8, habitability issues, insurance and expense growth, rent control, succession planning, and the personality traits that have mattered most over more than 50 years in the business.

L'Abri Management focuses on southeast L.A. County and north-central Orange County. Ron walks through how they underwrite, walk every unit, upgrade properties, and decide when to buy versus sit out. He also shares a few memorable deals, including auction purchases, and why he still shows up to the office at 91.

0:00 Why he still works at 91

2:12 L'Abri Management and the company history

3:01 First 16-unit building in Downey

6:01 How real estate started with a tax class

8:42 Going full time in 1972 and naming the company

10:04 Portfolio size and fee management

12:43 Early stock money and first partners

16:28 Memorable deals and auction stories

20:08 Good news and bad clients in management

23:02 Daily schedule at 91

27:30 Starting over today vs the 1960s

29:20 Current deals in escrow and value-add approach

32:17 Return metrics and refinancing

33:15 Syndication structure and investor alignment

36:19 California laws and eviction timelines

38:13 What makes him different

43:40 Walking properties and broker relationships

44:38 Succession planning

45:43 Never losing a building to the bank

49:15 Expected short sales and opportunities ahead

50:32 Advice he gives most often

52:00 Rare sales and 1031 exchanges

54:00 How important location is

55:20 Why he avoids rent control

57:02 If he ran California housing policy

59:16 Advice for someone starting in their 20s or 30s

1:00:48 Faith and how it shaped the business

1:06:36 What he’s looking forward to

Keywords:

Ron Kolar, L'Abri Management, Taylor Avakian, No Vacancy podcast, multifamily real estate, apartment investing, Southern California apartments, Downey apartments, California rent control, property management, real estate syndication, value add apartments, Section 8 housing, multifamily investing, Los Angeles multifamily, Orange County apartments, real estate career advice, building an apartment portfolio, California landlord laws, long term real estate investing Subscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.

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#LosAngelesRealEstate #MultifamilyBroker #LandlordTips #RealEstateInvesting #PropertyManagement #TenantScreening #RentalMarket #LosAngelesApartments #RealEstateStrategy #TaylorAvakian #ApartmentOwner

Tom Safran, Chairman of Thomas Safran & Associates, joins Taylor Avakian to discuss a 50-year career developing and managing affordable multifamily housing across Southern California. The conversation covers his path from early government work into development, first projects, partnerships, and long-term ownership of properties.

Topics include the early days of HUD programs, the origins of Section 8 and the low-income housing tax credit, structuring partnerships and buy-sell agreements, acquiring and repositioning existing buildings, working with cities, and the practical realities of developing affordable housing in California over multiple decades.

Chapters

0:00 Opening thought on controlling property

1:18 Welcome and early interest in buildings

8:19 HUD years and move to Los Angeles

15:50 Leaving HUD and first project

25:22 Scaling up and forming the company

34:30 Partnership lessons and agreements

38:19 First sense of having made it

45:23 Challenging deals and federal housing policy

52:01 Building affordable housing today

54:48 Starting over and buying existing properties

1:00:30 Relationships and the Golden Rule

1:03:55 Closing advice

Keywords: xtom safran, thomas safran associates, affordable housing development, multifamily housing, real estate partnerships, section 8 housing, low income housing tax credit, hud affordable housing, california housing development, no vacancy podcast, taylor avakian, commercial real estate, buy sell agreements, value add apartments, housing development career, los angeles multifamily

Robert Pereira of ARC Multifamily Group discusses scaling multifamily real estate investing, his partnership with Alex and Layla Hormozi, the shift from single-family development to a vertically integrated apartment platform focused on operations, capital raising, and market selection in the Southeast.

The conversation explores hold economics versus short-cycle development, vertical integration in property management versus third-party approaches, sourcing and underwriting deals in supply-constrained markets, investor alignment and deal structures in syndications, day-to-day operator realities, technology and process improvements in leasing and turns, and longer-term considerations around regulation, climate, and technology for apartment owners and operators.

Chapters

0:00 Cold open

1:22 Welcome and guest introduction

2:08 Background from Canada to Southern California

3:01 Early single-family flips and development

5:01 Early investor results and track record

6:03 Pivot rationale to multifamily

7:07 Hold economics and cash flow

9:02 Southeast markets and micro focus

11:17 Supply dynamics in Atlanta

13:03 Market selection and regulatory environment

15:51 Capital raising evolution

18:11 Getting started as a co-sponsor

20:44 Investor networks and niches

22:26 Deal structure and GP alignment

23:13 Operations as a differentiator

29:37 Vertical integration details

32:08 Process improvements and speed to lease

36:14 Turns, reviews, and the leasing funnel

40:37 Deal identification and buy box

42:21 Return metrics and underwriting approach

44:12 Tax treatment and depreciation

45:13 Timing sales

46:48 Short-term debt offerings

49:06 California outlook

53:06 Unexpected operational realities

54:44 Day-to-day schedule

56:20 Operating systems and mentors

58:15 Technology tools in operations

59:33 AI and future operator models

1:00:56 Mentors and customer focus

1:02:06 Longer-term risks

1:03:37 Advice for early-career real estate

1:05:19 Finding and working with mentors

1:06:39 International real estate opportunities

1:09:10 Closing

Keywords: multifamily real estate investing, apartment investing, multifamily syndication, vertical integration property management, apartment operations, scaling multifamily, real estate capital raising, Southeast multifamily, ARC Multifamily Group, Robert Pereira, Taylor Avakian, No Vacancy podcast, multifamily operators, property management, real estate syndication 2026Subscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.

🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian

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Email: [email protected]

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloravakian/

#LosAngelesRealEstate #MultifamilyBroker #LandlordTips #RealEstateInvesting #PropertyManagement #TenantScreening #RentalMarket #LosAngelesApartments #RealEstateStrategy #TaylorAvakian #ApartmentOwner

Eric Sussman on multifamily syndication, Los Angeles real estate, and Clear Capital. Taylor Avakian talks with the UCLA Anderson adjunct professor and founding partner of Clear Capital about Amber Capital, early syndications, and buying outside Los Angeles.

Sponsor - Real Property Captive

This episode is sponsored by Real Property Captive, insurance for owners, by owners. RPC members own equity in their insurance company, buy reinsurance at bulk rates, keep unused premium, and cut property insurance rates by up to 35%. Captives insure roughly 90% of the Fortune 500 & the largest institutional real estate owners. Learn more at https://www.rpcaptive.com/?utm_source=novacancy&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=novacancy-2026-07.

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Sussman walks through a path from Price Waterhouse to a Stanford MBA, then Amber Capital, Sequoia Real Estate Partners, and Clear Capital, plus how a CPA review class and David Ravetch led to teaching accounting and real estate at UCLA Anderson. The conversation covers the early-1990s deal market, Resolution Trust, a Palm Springs ground lease on Native American land, and raising capital in small checks from doctors before a track record existed.

Topics include cash-for-keys brick deals in Los Angeles, Washington Mutual and Hawthorne Savings, pref and waterfall structures, information asymmetry versus CoStar-era comps, and niches in multifamily, industrial, office, and retail. They also cover Miracle Terrace in Anaheim, Section 8, Loretta Sanchez, a bulk sale to Blackstone and CityView, Sun Belt supply, cap rates, and 2020–2023 syndications.

Later segments touch rent control, RSO, inclusionary zoning, housing policy in Los Angeles and New York, population and jobs, entertainment and aerospace, immigration, expert witness work, single-family versus multifamily, industrial vacancy, tariffs, and advice on networking, hard work, and pivoting. Joel Peterson, Trammell Crow, the Ziman Center, Rick Caruso, and Karen Bass come up along the way.

Chapters

0:00 Eric Sussman and Clear Capital

1:09 Career path from Price Waterhouse

1:41 Teaching at UCLA Anderson

5:13 First interest in real estate

7:04 Advice for a high school senior

9:25 First deal in the early 1990s

12:27 Asset types in the deal decade

14:41 How to pick a market and niche

16:42 Information and efficient markets

19:04 Postwar real estate versus today

23:25 Early LA syndications and structure

28:10 Miracle Terrace in Anaheim

33:41 Selling out of Los Angeles

36:50 Buying in LA now

38:03 Rent control and housing policy

42:00 Vacancy control and RSO risk

44:43 Population, jobs, and immigration

46:49 Call or put on Los Angeles

48:04 Getting back into the LA market

49:00 Education versus common sense

53:55 Expert witness work

56:10 Syndications from 2020 to 2023

59:50 Macro and real estate outlook

1:04:14 Cars, spending, and the game

1:08:42 Advice for the next generation

Keywords: Eric Sussman, Clear Capital, UCLA Anderson, multifamily syndication, Los Angeles multifamily, Taylor Avakian, Amber Capital, real estate syndication, rent control, RSO, Section 8, Miracle Terrace, Blackstone, CityView, cap rates, multifamily investing, LA real estate, Sequoia Real Estate Partners, expert witness, industrial real estate, housing policy, Sun Belt apartments, 2026

Subscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.

🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian

📈 Connect with me:

Website: https://www.thegroupcre.com/

Email: [email protected]

X: https://x.com/TAYVAY_

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloravakian/

Austin Nissly of LWK Partners on how he went from Citi and CIM Group to building an LA multifamily private equity firm, pairing value-add apartments with ADU density, and deploying capital in a tighter Los Angeles market.

Taylor Avakian sits down with Austin on No Vacancy to cover the first $1 million building, raising from friends and family, why he stopped operating solo, how LWK Partners came together with complementary ops and acquisitions partners, and how new California density rules changed what they could underwrite. They talk yield on cost versus cap rates, programmatic equity versus raising deal by deal, quiet distress after five-year fixed debt rolls, rent-control renovations when the rental market is soft, and how AI is being used for OM intake, deal tracking, and sourcing.

00:00 $100 million in twelve months

00:47 Welcome to No Vacancy

01:19 From Pittsburgh, Citi, and CIM Group to LA

03:17 The first million-dollar building

05:35 Cash flow versus the value-add pitch

06:25 What CIM taught about partnership

08:05 Finding partners and forming LWK

11:19 Business model and ADU density thesis

15:30 Yield on cost and the buy box

16:23 Institutional capital and how deals get approved

20:25 Los Angeles pricing from 14x gross to 9–10x

25:42 Selling pressure, quiet distress, and catalysts

30:39 Competitive spirit and leadership in LA

31:47 Unit turns, amenities, and renter demand

33:35 Scaling toward institutional PE

36:45 Why scale matters in a regulated market

39:02 AI for underwriting, tracking, and sourcing

47:38 Wrap

Keywords:

Austin Nissly, LWK Partners, Taylor Avakian, No Vacancy podcast, Los Angeles multifamily, LA apartments, commercial real estate, real estate private equity, ADU development California, value add multifamily, CIM Group, Keystone Investors, yield on cost, rent control LA, workforce housing LA, apartment investing Los Angeles, institutional capital real estate, multifamily renovations, CRE podcast, Southern California real estate

Land use attorney Dave Rand on California housing law, builder’s remedy, CEQA, Measure ULA, and why Los Angeles keeps making new housing harder even as the state rewrites the rules. Taylor Avakian sits down with Dave Rand of Rand Paster & Nelson LLP, a land-use attorney who has helped entitle thousands of market-rate and affordable units across Southern California.

They talk through the reality of developing in Los Angeles and California today: unions and local politics, the Santa Monica and Beverly Hills builder’s remedy fights, SB 330 vesting, CEQA reform, ED1, starter-home laws like SB 9 and SB 1123, transfer taxes, and why streamlining does not help if the numbers still do not pencil.

Sponsor - Real Property Captive

This episode is sponsored by Real Property Captive, insurance for owners, by owners. RPC members own equity in their insurance company, buy reinsurance at bulk rates, keep unused premium, and cut property insurance rates by up to 35%. Captives insure roughly 90% of the Fortune 500 & the largest institutional real estate owners. Learn more at https://www.rpcaptive.com/?utm_source=novacancy&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=novacancy-2026-07.

Sponsor - Loan Titan

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00:00 Why public process is stalling housing

01:09 Welcome

02:08 Can you still make money building in Los Angeles

04:05 Why LA keeps shooting itself in the foot

05:30 How unions shape housing policy

09:17 Santa Monica builder’s remedy filings

18:20 Housing laws since 2019

22:31 Why California construction costs more

27:07 Opportunities in starter-home projects

30:22 Entitling land versus building

31:29 How development may change over the next decade

35:19 Beverly Hills builder’s remedy battles

40:33 The risk developers actually take

43:12 Transfer taxes and closed-door policy fights

48:04 ED1 and 100% affordable streamlining

54:26 Pay-to-play vs state housing overrides

56:25 State housing boards and appointments

59:25 If you could rewrite California land-use law

01:05:08 Advice for future developers

01:06:55 Closing thoughts on NIMBYism and housing politics

#californiahousingmarket #BuildersRemedy #LosAngelesRealEstate #LandUse #CEQA #Multifamily #AffordableHousing #SB330 #ULA #NoVacancy

Keywords: California housing, builder's remedy, Dave Rand, Taylor Avakian, No Vacancy podcast, Los Angeles real estate, land use attorney, CEQA reform, Measure ULA, SB 330, Housing Crisis Act, SB 1123, starter home revitalization, SB 9, ED1, Karen Bass, Santa Monica housing, Beverly Hills development, Neil Shekhter, Leo Pustilnikov, Buffy Wicks, Gavin Newsom, Rob Bonta, HCD, Housing Accountability Act, density bonus, transfer tax, multifamily development, RHNA, housing element, NIMBY, YIMBY, California housing crisis, entitlements, affordable housing, Rand Paster Nelson

Subscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.

🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian

📈 Connect with me:

Website: https://www.thegroupcre.com/

Email: [email protected]

X: https://x.com/TAYVAY_

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloravakian/

*John Ward of Turnstone Capital joins Taylor Avakian on the No Vacancy podcast for a deep conversation on decades in multifamily real estate, from early loan officer days to building and managing apartment portfolios across California, Arizona, Texas, and Colorado.*

John shares how he got started in the late 1970s, moved from FHA lending into flipping and converting small multifamily properties, navigated market cycles including the Global Financial Crisis, and scaled through high-net-worth investors, hard money, and institutional partners. The discussion covers finding inefficiencies in the market, relationship-driven dealmaking, current opportunities around ADUs in California (including a patent-pending elevated parking solution called Skybox), views on the Southern California multifamily landscape, working with international capital, and practical uses of AI tools for sourcing, analysis, and operations.

Sponsor - Real Property Captive

This episode is sponsored by Real Property Captive, insurance for owners, by owners. RPC members own equity in their insurance company, buy reinsurance at bulk rates, keep unused premium, and cut property insurance rates by up to 35%. Captives insure roughly 90% of the Fortune 500 & the largest institutional real estate owners. Learn more at https://www.rpcaptive.com/?utm_source=novacancy&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=novacancy-2026-07.

Sponsor - Loan Titan

Achieve your real estate goals through tailored financing solutions with

https://loantitan.com/

00:00 – Opening and company overview

02:03 – Welcome and introduction

02:37 – Turnstone Capital portfolio today

03:24 – Starting out as a loan officer in 1979

06:32 – Moving into flips and South Central deals

09:16 – Forming the first Turnstone and converting 5–9 unit buildings

13:33 – First larger apartment and shift to holding

15:50 – Early capital structures and hard money

17:08 – Pre-GFC activity and land deals

19:13 – Navigating the Global Financial Crisis

21:16 – Post-crisis single-family aggregation with Tricon and Colony

24:29 – Returning to small multifamily acquisitions

25:17 – Scaling with high-net-worth and structured capital

28:16 – 2018 growth and investor expansion

28:31 – When passive income covered the lifestyle

30:06 – Mindset around work, deals, “retirement”

34:23 – Building relationships and people skills

37:08 – Moving from friends-and-family to institutional capital

41:12 – Current opportunities and the ADU angle

45:14 – Skybox elevated ADU concept for parking

50:26 – Views on California multifamily headwinds

52:38 – Advice for younger investors considering California

57:00 – Working with international (Japanese) capital

01:02:22 – How the team uses AI today

01:08:07 – Finding inefficiencies and what’s next

01:10:35 – The FHA down-payment program story

01:14:05 – Closing

Keywords:

John Ward, Turnstone Capital, Taylor Avakian, No Vacancy podcast, multifamily real estate, apartment investing, California multifamily, ADU California, real estate investing, value add multifamily, SoCal apartments, real estate syndication, hard money lending, institutional capital, Japanese real estate investors, AI in real estate, property management, real estate career, flipping apartments, passive income real estate

Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.

🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian

📈 Connect with me:

Website: https://www.thegroupcre.com/

Email: [email protected]

X: https://x.com/TAYVAY_

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloravakian/

#LosAngelesRealEstate #MultifamilyBroker #LandlordTips #RealEstateInvesting #PropertyManagement #TenantScreening #RentalMarket #LosAngelesApartments #RealEstateStrategy #TaylorAvakian #ApartmentOwner

*26-year-old Shant Samuelian is building $300M+ in large-family affordable housing projects across Los Angeles through Samuelian Group.*In this episode of No Vacancy, Taylor Avakian sits down with the founder and CEO of Samuelian Group to unpack how a USC real estate development graduate moved from market-rate multifamily into LIHTC-driven affordable housing, why he focuses on 2- and 3-bedroom family units with parking instead of studios, and what it actually takes to win tax credits, raise equity, permit, and deliver projects in one of the country’s most complex markets.They cover the realities of 4% and 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, project scoring and readiness deadlines, JV structures with nonprofits, the capital stack, how developers get paid through fees and long-term economics, CRA-driven tax credit investors, recent federal and California policy shifts, and the day-to-day problem-solving required on the ground. Samuelian also shares lessons on data-driven decision making, building a lean team that leverages AI for operational efficiency, and the long-term mission of adding quality supply in high-resource areas.

Sponsor - Real Property CaptiveThis episode is sponsored by Real Property Captive, insurance for owners, by owners. RPC members own equity in their insurance company, buy reinsurance at bulk rates, keep unused premium, and cut property insurance rates by up to 35%. Captives insure roughly 90% of the Fortune 500 & the largest institutional real estate owners. Learn more at https://www.rpcaptive.com/?utm_source=novacancy&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=novacancy-2026-07.Sponsor - Loan TitanAchieve your real estate goals through tailored financing solutions withhttps://loantitan.com/
*Chapters*0:00 – Intro and Shant’s background 1:56 – Path into affordable housing and leaving a large developer 5:54 – Preparing to launch Samuelian Group 7:01 – Thesis: large-family housing vs. studios 9:49 – Early capital, risk, and partners 13:06 – What makes a smart developer 16:05 – How LIHTC (4% and 9% tax credits) works 22:55 – Scoring applications and site selection 27:21 – The readiness deadline and permit scramble 37:05 – Silver Lake project and deal economics 47:07 – Long-term vision and impact 50:01 – How affordable housing developers make money 54:59 – Tax credit investors and CRA needs 57:45 – Policy changes at federal, state, and city levels 1:00:25 – Stress of the first tax credit award 1:02:22 – Advice for aspiring developers 1:04:30 – Using AI on a small team 1:09:41 – What’s next for Samuelian Group Keywords: Shant Samuelian, Samuelian Group, affordable housing, LIHTC, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, 4% tax credits, 9% tax credits, Los Angeles real estate, multifamily development, large family housing, tax credit equity, CRA banking, Silver Lake Flats, Taylor Avakian, No Vacancy podcast, real estate development, California housing, USC real estate, young developer, housing policySubscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian📈 Connect with me:Website: https://www.thegroupcre.com/Email: [email protected]: https://x.com/TAYVAY_LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloravakian/#LosAngeles #podcast #commercialrealestate

Sean Burton, co-founder and CEO of Cityview, joins Taylor Avakian on the No Vacancy podcast for a deep conversation on scaling a vertically integrated multifamily firm, navigating cycles from the Great Financial Crisis through COVID, and the realities of investing and developing housing across the Western U.S. and beyond.

They cover Cityview’s origins in 2003 with a focus on infill housing, the decision to vertically integrate development, construction, and property management, how the firm balances value-add acquisitions and ground-up development based on market conditions, and the data-driven approach to selecting supply-constrained markets with strong job and population growth. The discussion also addresses Los Angeles’s current investment climate, the impact of local policies on new housing supply, what creates compelling opportunities in today’s interest-rate environment, and practical insights on capital structures, partnerships, relationships, and long-term thinking in real estate.

This episode offers a clear look at how one of the more active multifamily operators approaches strategy, risk, and opportunity in a complex market.

Sponsor - Real Property Captive

Leverage the insurance framework used by 90%+ of Fortune 500 companies with

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Sponsor - Loan Titan

Achieve your real estate goals through tailored financing solutions with

https://loantitan.com/

00:00 – Early capital growth and firm scale

01:47 – Formal introduction and Cityview overview

02:51 – Path from law, politics, and Warner Bros into real estate

04:13 – Founding thesis and focus on infill multifamily

06:20 – Early capital structure and becoming an operator

07:29 – Taking the leap and early risk

11:01 – Fee structures, promote, and alignment with investors

14:11 – Expanding beyond California and cycling between value-add and development

17:32 – Roles within the founding partnership

19:35 – What makes a strong capital raise pitch

23:47 – Sourcing deals, broker relationships, and avoiding marketed auctions

26:20 – Downtown LA recovery and public safety

28:41 – LA’s investment narrative and political risk

33:32 – Why current pricing creates a strong vintage

36:35 – Yield-on-cost targets and development premiums

38:54 – Measure ULA and its effect on new housing

46:01 – Markets with strong demand and supply constraints

50:22 – Staying focused exclusively on multifamily

51:25 – Building genuine long-term relationships

53:33 – Advice for someone starting out today

55:45 – Handling losses and portfolio diversification

57:08 – Choosing the right partners

58:28 – Mentorship that shaped a career of consistent execution

Keywords: Sean Burton, Cityview, multifamily real estate, commercial real estate, LA multifamily, housing crisis, Measure ULA, value-add multifamily, ground up development, real estate private equity, Taylor Avakian, No Vacancy podcast, apartment investing, supply constrained markets, West Coast real estate, real estate entrepreneurship, capital raising, real estate partnerships

Subscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.

🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian

📈 Connect with me:

Website: https://www.thegroupcre.com/

Email: [email protected]

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*Keith Wasserman of Gelt Venture Partners shares how he scaled from a single fourplex in Bakersfield to thousands of multifamily units and billions in real estate assets through syndication, disciplined operations, and long-term investor focus.*Sponsor - Loan TitanUpscale your experience withhttps://loantitan.com/Sponsor - AI for CRE CollectiveAI for CRE Community: https://www.skool.com/ai-for-cre-collective/about?ref=3b3ff2c0ccce44ba8039fafd54bf291aIn this episode of No Vacancy with Taylor Avakian, Keith discusses building a multifamily and self-storage platform starting in the 2008 downturn, the shift from small deals and family capital to larger syndications, why deal-by-deal structures have worked for their investor base, capital raising realities in tougher markets, operator edge through reputation and relationships, market diversification across the West, value-add approaches, views on current cycles and LA fundamentals, the role of tax benefits and preferred returns, Domuso’s digital rent payment platform, AI use in operations, personal portfolio balance, social media’s double-edged impact, and lessons from mentors like Sam Freshman.00:00 – Introduction and portfolio overview 01:07 – Starting with a fourplex in Bakersfield and scaling 02:28 – Early entrepreneurial path and eBay business 04:24 – Getting into real estate and family background 05:32 – Early partnership roles and team building 07:34 – Key inflection points and first syndications 09:45 – Deal-by-deal vs fund model 12:01 – Investor base and institutional opportunities 13:53 – Transparency and track record in raising capital 15:43 – Avoiding losses and buying in downturns 17:04 – Market diversification and asset classes 17:52 – Value-add focus and development views 18:44 – Family in real estate and development challenges 22:14 – Early capital from international sources 23:22 – International capital and relationship building 24:19 – Current capital environment and investor psychology 26:10 – Hold vs sell thesis and 1031 exchanges 30:13 – Lessons from mentor Sam Freshman 31:37 – What separates good operators from great ones 33:48 – Why this cycle feels tougher 36:20 – Views on buying in Los Angeles 37:22 – Long-term outlook for LA 38:13 – Contrarian opportunities and newer product 41:47 – Tax benefits and real estate professional status 44:08 – Preferred returns vs no-pref structures 45:05 – Interest rates and debt strategy 47:03 – Domuso rent payment platform 48:42 – AI adoption in the business 50:19 – Longer-term AI effects on multifamily 52:00 – Personal portfolio allocation and liquidity 53:16 – Social media for business and its downsides 54:34 – Experience with the Palisades fires 01:02:15 – Looking ahead and advice for starting now Subscribe and Stay Ahead! Stay informed and empowered in the multifamily real estate market. Subscribe to the channel for exclusive insights, rental updates, and expert analyses on the Los Angeles market.🔔 Don’t miss out on the latest trends and tips to maximize your property's potential: https://www.youtube.com/c/TaylorAvakian📈 Connect with me:Website: https://www.thegroupcre.com/Email: [email protected]: https://x.com/TAYVAY_LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayloravakian/#realestate #cre #podcast