Okanagan Real Estate Investment Group Podcast Recordings

Kelley Skar Event Recording

Missed our recent OREIG event with Kelley Skar?

Kelley Skar is a coach, Realtor®, speaker, and co-founder of Qlarifyapp.com. He brings practical experience and insight for people looking to improve their real estate business, decision-making, and personal performance.

Want to learn more about OREIG membership, upcoming events, and how to stay connected with serious local investors?

Book a quick conversation here:
www.StreetSmartDiva.com/book

Follow Up With Kelley

Kelley Skar
Coach | Realtor® | Speaker | Co-Founder, Qlarifyapp.com

Phone: 403-827-7527
 Website: kelleyskar.com
 Coaching: upcoaching.ca

To Connect with OREIG founder, Julie Hoffman about
Coaching, The Wholesaling course, OR to talk about Membership, please schedule a meeting at www.StreetSmartDiva.com/book

How to Create the Perfect 10-Minute Pitch to Raise Money

Featuring Grant Lawrence | Okanagan Real Estate Investment Group (OREIG)

What separates the opportunities that get funded from the ones that get passed over?

It's often not the deal itself—it's how the opportunity is presented.

In this month's Okanagan Real Estate Investment Group (OREIG) meeting, Julie Hoffman welcomes Grant Lawrence, an experienced venture capital mentor and Investor in Residence, for a practical discussion on how to create a compelling 10-minute pitch that captures attention, builds confidence, and earns trust.

Whether you're raising money for a real estate investment, presenting a development opportunity, looking for joint venture partners, or growing your business, your ability to communicate clearly can dramatically improve your results.

In this episode, Grant shares practical strategies that founders, entrepreneurs, and investors use to present opportunities with clarity and confidence.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Small changes in language that create massive leverage

• Exactly how to structure an effective Pitch Deck (PowerPoint)

• When to talk—and more importantly, when NOT to

• The biggest credibility mistakes people make when presenting opportunities

• How experienced investors evaluate deals and presentations

• Practical communication strategies you can begin using immediately

If you're serious about raising capital, attracting partners, or becoming a more confident communicator, this episode is full of practical advice you can apply right away.

About Grant Lawrence

Grant Lawrence has spent more than 20 years in the software industry, holding senior leadership roles with both startups and established companies where presenting to investors, executives, customers, and stakeholders was a daily responsibility.

Today, Grant serves as a Mentor, Executive in Residence, and Investor in Residence with organizations including UBC Okanagan, Foresight Canada, Innovate Calgary, Accelerate Okanagan, and Valhalla Private Capital. He coaches founders, entrepreneurs, and business leaders on creating powerful pitch decks, raising capital, and communicating ideas that inspire confidence.

Connect with Grant Lawrence

Valhalla Angels Vancouver & Kelowna
Valhalla Private Capital

📧 [email protected]

☎ Office: 250-766-5250

📱 WhatsApp: 604-908-2148

About Julie Hoffman

Julie Hoffman is the founder of the Okanagan Real Estate Investment Group (OREIG) and has completed more than 300 real estate transactions representing over $100 million in real estate. She is passionate about helping investors create wealth through creative real estate strategies, raising private capital, and building strong investor communities.

Through OREIG, Julie hosts monthly educational networking events, online training, coaching programs, and provides practical tools that help investors take action with confidence.

Connect with Julie

🌐 Website: https://www.StreetSmartDiva.com

📅 Book a complimentary meeting: https://www.StreetSmartDiva.com/book

🏘️ Upcoming Events: https://www.OkanaganREIG.com/events

💻 Join a Live Q&A: https://www.StreetSmartDiva.com/zoom

About OREIG

The Okanagan Real Estate Investment Group (OREIG) is a community of real estate investors, entrepreneurs, realtors, contractors, and business professionals dedicated to learning, networking, and growing together.

Each month, OREIG brings experienced investors, developers, entrepreneurs, and industry experts to Kelowna to share practical strategies, real-world lessons, and actionable insights that help members build wealth through real estate.

Whether you're just getting started or already have an established portfolio, OREIG is designed to help you connect with like-minded people and continue growing your investing journey.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow, and share it with someone who wants to become a better investor, communicator, or entrepreneur.

To Connect with OREIG founder, Julie Hoffman about
Coaching, The Wholesaling course, OR to talk about Membership, please schedule a meeting at www.StreetSmartDiva.com/book

🔥 OREIG May Meetup Recap – Edmonton & Alberta Investing with Calvin Hexter 🔥

What an incredible night at the Okanagan Real Estate Investment Group!

A huge thank you to Calvin Hexter for delivering a dynamic, informative, and practical presentation on Edmonton and Alberta real estate investing. Calvin did an outstanding job helping investors understand not only WHY Alberta continues to attract investors, but HOW to become more strategic and intentional with their investment goals.

3 of the biggest takeaways from the evening was the importance of clarity:
➡️ Knowing what type of investor you are
➡️ Understanding your financial goals
➡️ Communicating clearly what you are looking for

Calvin broke down the differences between A, B, C, and D class properties and explained how important it is to communicate specifics to your Realtor and investment team.

For example:
“I’m looking for a B-class property in this area with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a basement suite.”

That level of clarity helps move investors closer to the outcomes they truly want.

Calvin also shared parts of his personal investing journey, including lessons learned and mistakes made along the way — which made the presentation both relatable and extremely valuable.

Beyond the education, the room was filled with amazing networking, new connections, and strengthened relationships within our investing community.

Helpful Resources & Links:

📋 Investor Quiz:
https://ph251bwc1lb.typeform.com/to/NX69XAOX

🏘 Understanding A, B, C & D Areas:
https://calvinrealty.ca/edmonton-specific-a-b-c-d-locations/

🗺 Investor Desirability Map:
https://calvinrealty.ca/investor-desirability-map/

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to such a fantastic evening.

We’re already looking forward to our next OREIG event on June 18th!

To Connect with OREIG founder, Julie Hoffman about
Coaching, The Wholesaling course, OR to talk about Membership, please schedule a meeting at www.StreetSmartDiva.com/book

After 20+ years and over 300 real estate deals, Julie Hoffman shares the real story behind building, nearly losing, and rebuilding a multi-million dollar portfolio.

This isn’t a highlight reel—it’s a practical breakdown of what actually works in real estate when things don’t go as planned.

From scaling to ~100 doors and becoming “equity rich, cash poor,” to navigating partner challenges and rebuilding through creative strategies, this session is packed with real-world lessons for investors at any stage.

If you’re investing in today’s market—or thinking about it—this episode will help you make smarter, more confident decisions.

🔑 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why scaling too fast can create hidden risk
• The truth behind being “equity rich, cash poor”
• How creative financing strategies open doors when banks say no
• The biggest mistakes investors make with partners—and how to avoid them
• Why communication and relationships are often more important than the deal itself
• How to rebuild after setbacks using smarter systems and strategies
• A grounded perspective on navigating today’s Okanagan real estate market

To Connect with OREIG founder, Julie Hoffman about
Coaching, The Wholesaling course, OR to talk about Membership, please schedule a meeting at www.StreetSmartDiva.com/book

This was a content filled event packed with information on your biggest questions about Reverse Mortgages from local Canadian Mortgage broker, Jeanette Nenasheff.  Enjoy!

To contact Jeanette go here: Jeanette Nenasheff

[email protected]

(778) 212-0616

To Connect with OREIG founder, Julie Hoffman about
Coaching, The Wholesaling course, OR to talk about Membership, please schedule a meeting at www.StreetSmartDiva.com/book

🎥 Event Recording

with Nolan Sisett

This was an absolutely phenomenal evening at the Okanagan Real Estate Investment Group.

The room was packed with serious investors and industry pros, thoughtful questions, and real conversations about what it actually takes to build — and rebuild — a portfolio through multiple market cycles. Attendees walked away with practical strategy, hard-earned lessons, and clarity around long-term wealth building.

This recording captures the full experience.

What You’ll Learn Inside This Recording

1️⃣ The Real Foundations of an Investor

Nolan shares how early exposure to real estate shaped his thinking — the wins, the mistakes, and the mindset that carried forward.

2️⃣ Building as a Couple & as a Family

How he and his wife structured roles, navigated partnership dynamics, and built a lifestyle around investing — not just a portfolio.

3️⃣ U.S. Expansion, 2008 & Hard Lessons

A candid breakdown of what 2006–2009 really looked like across Alabama, Florida, and Kelowna.
What went wrong. What it cost. What changed forever.

4️⃣ The Rebuild & Strategic Shift

How they recovered, capitalized on the 2015 market, refined their Kelowna strategy, and transitioned into full-time real estate.

5️⃣ From Residential Investor to Commercial Partner

In 2021, Nolan stepped into commercial real estate alongside his father — navigating corporate partnerships, triple-net leases, and mid-size assets.
He walks through the structure of a recent “home run” deal and how it was sourced when others couldn’t make the numbers work.

🎯 Who This Is For

• Investors who want to survive market shifts
• Couples building together
• Residential investors curious about commercial
• Anyone serious about long-term portfolio growth

This is real-world investing. Not theory. Not hype. Strategy forged through cycles.

🏢 Google Office Option – 10% Discount

For those interested in participating in the Google Office opportunity discussed during the event, you can access the participation link here:

👉https://referworkspace.app.goo.gl/8Tsc  

(OREIG members receive a 10% discount.)

If you are serious about building a portfolio that evolves with opportunity and supports real life — this recording is a must-listen.

And if you’d like to learn more about joining the Okanagan Real Estate Investment Group, you can connect with us anytime.

See you at the next one.... to register for our next event go to www.OkanaganREIG.com/events

People can email Nolan

[email protected]

Nolan's office is:

236-484-2069

To Connect with OREIG founder, Julie Hoffman about
Coaching, The Wholesaling course, OR to talk about Membership, please schedule a meeting at www.StreetSmartDiva.com/book

Discover how flexible office co-share space is transforming the real estate market.
 In this Weekly Q&A, I sat down with Samantha MacLeod (10+ years in the industry, 90–95% occupancy track record) and advisor Grant Lawrence to break down:

• Why post-pandemic demand for flexible workspaces is exploding 📈
• How Samantha consistently turns $20/sq ft leases into $60/sq ft subleases
• A decade of ZERO bad debt & long-term tenants
• The capital raise: $150K loan, 12% quarterly, 3 years, secured
• The first franchise opportunity: $50K entry, plug-and-play marketing, low staffing

This is a low-risk, cash-flow-first way into entrepreneurship and real estate.

📅 Learn more & connect: [Insert Link]
 📖 Free tools for investors: www.StreetSmartDiva.com/freetools
📞 Book a strategy call: www.StreetSmartDiva.com/book

And to contact Samantha go here: Macdonald Realty Interior

ShopCommercial.ca

[email protected]

To Connect with OREIG founder, Julie Hoffman about
Coaching, The Wholesaling course, OR to talk about Membership, please schedule a meeting at www.StreetSmartDiva.com/book

To Connect with OREIG founder, Julie Hoffman about
Coaching, The Wholesaling course, OR to talk about Membership, please schedule a meeting at www.StreetSmartDiva.com/book

🎙️ Event Recording: How to Get Started in Commercial Real Estate with Samantha Ashly

Thank you so much for joining us for this powerful session on commercial real estate fundamentals!

We kicked things off with a quick note — while earlier marketing mentioned a lease and sublease strategy, tonight’s session was intentionally broader and even more valuable. You’re going to walk away with real insight into how commercial real estate works and what your next steps can be.

📌 About Our Speaker

Samantha Ashly is a commercial realtor and entrepreneur based right here in Kelowna.

She is not only active in commercial sales and leasing, but also owns and operates successful coworking and office spaces. Samantha took over a struggling downtown office business and transformed it into multiple busy office centres that now outperform major competitors in the local market.

With over 17 years of experience supporting local businesses, Samantha brings deep knowledge of business operations, tenants, landlords, and investors. Her background includes founding and growing several companies, and co-founding the Kelowna chapter of Valhalla Angels, connecting entrepreneurs and investors in our region.

🧠 What You’ll Learn in This Recording

In this session, Samantha covers:

• Commercial vs residential real estate
• What triple net really means
• Different commercial asset classes
• The leasing process
• Sample commercial properties
• What to do next if commercial real estate interests you

Samantha is also a Gold Sponsor of OREIG. All monthly OREIG members have access to her state-of-the-art boardroom, offering a professional setting for meetings, presentations, and strategy sessions.

📞 Connect with Samantha

If you’d like to speak with Samantha about commercial real estate, leasing opportunities, or investment strategies, you can reach her here:

Samantha Ashly – Commercial Realtor

📱 250-448-5008
🌐 shopcommercial.ca
📧 [email protected]

📅 Interested in Joining OREIG?

If you’d like to learn more about becoming part of the Okanagan Real Estate Investment Group (OREIG), book a call with me,  Julie Hoffman (founder of OREIG) here:

👉 https://streetsmartdiva.com/book

I’d love to connect and help you take your next step in real estate investing.

To Connect with OREIG founder, Julie Hoffman about
Coaching, The Wholesaling course, OR to talk about Membership, please schedule a meeting at www.StreetSmartDiva.com/book

To Connect with OREIG founder, Julie Hoffman about
Coaching, The Wholesaling course, OR to talk about Membership, please schedule a meeting at www.StreetSmartDiva.com/book