Raise the Bar

When markets get difficult, a lot of investors start looking for the next opportunity.

They leave one asset class, jump into another, and assume the problem was the strategy instead of the market cycle.

In this conversation, Seth Bradley and Joe Fairless break down why specialization still matters, why constantly moving from one investment strategy to another can prevent investors from building real expertise, and why Joe has remained committed to multifamily through one of the toughest environments the sector has faced in years.

Joe explains why he still believes in the fundamentals of multifamily, even after rising interest rates, increased insurance costs, heavy new supply, and broader pressure across commercial real estate.

They also discuss the importance of staying focused during difficult cycles, building experience when conditions are challenging, and why the investors who develop real depth in one area may ultimately be better positioned when the market improves.

The conversation also touches on:

• Why specialization creates deeper expertise

The goal is not to stay committed to a strategy blindly.

It is to understand the underlying fundamentals well enough to know when the market is temporarily difficult and when the investment thesis has actually changed.

If you’re investing in multifamily, raising capital, building a real estate business, or trying to develop long-term expertise in any investment strategy, this conversation is worth watching.

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Links from the Show and Guest Info and Links:

Seth Bradley’s Links:

https://x.com/sethbradleyesq

Joe Fairless’s Links:

https://www.facebook.com/imjoefairless

Multifamily has been one of the most popular real estate strategies for years.

But when the market shifted, Mike Stohler went looking for a better opportunity.

In this episode of Raise the Bar Radio, I sit down with Mike Stohler, co-founder of Gateway Private Equity Group, to break down why he pivoted from multifamily into hotels, and why he’s now investing in boutique hotels and historic properties in Spain.

Mike has owned and operated more than 1,500 units across hotels, multifamily, and residential real estate. After moving into hotels for stronger returns and better value-add opportunities, changing U.S. market conditions, higher interest rates, and thinner margins led him to expand internationally into Spain.

You'll learn:

• Why Mike moved from multifamily into hotels

One of the biggest lessons from this conversation is simple:

Sometimes the best opportunity isn't in the asset class or market everyone else is chasing.

Hotels require more active operations than traditional multifamily.

But they also provide flexibility through dynamic pricing and create value-add opportunities that work very differently from apartments.

And when U.S. economics became more difficult, Mike didn't stop investing.

He changed the strategy and changed the market.

For investors willing to look beyond traditional multifamily and familiar U.S. markets, there may be opportunities most people aren't even considering.

Links to watch and subscribe:

Seth Bradley’s Links:

X: x.com/sethbradleyesq

Mike Stohler's Links:

Website: gatewaype.com

Raising $1 billion in capital doesn't come from having a better deal.

It comes from building a better system.

In this episode of Raise the Bar Radio, I sit down with Craig Cecilio, founder and CEO of DiversyFund, to break down what it actually takes to raise capital at scale, and how technology, trust, investor relationships, and AI are changing the game.

Craig is a three-decade operator who has raised more than $1 billion in capital. 

Through DiversyFund, he's built a real estate technology platform that has served 30,000+ investors across more than 70,000 investor transactions, with that technology now being developed into software for other real estate sponsors and operators.

You'll learn:

• What raising $1 billion taught Craig about capital raising

One of the biggest lessons from this conversation is simple:

Investors aren't just investing in the project.

They're investing in you.

The market has changed. Many investors have been burned, trust is harder to earn, and the same capital-raising strategies that worked a few years ago may not work today.

That means knowing your investor, building real relationships, communicating consistently, and creating the infrastructure to raise capital at scale matters more than ever.

AI can make that infrastructure faster.

Technology can make it more efficient.

But trust is still what moves capital.

Links to watch and subscribe:

Seth Bradley’s Links:

X: x.com/sethbradleyesq

Craig Cecilio's Links:

Buying real estate outside the U.S. sounds exciting. But once you get past the beaches and lifestyle, the questions get real fast.

In this episode, Seth Bradley sits down with Rebecca Clower, founder and CEO of Blue Water Properties of Costa Rica, to break down what it actually takes to buy, build, finance, and invest in real estate abroad.

Rebecca shares how she left a successful Tampa real estate business in 2006, moved to Costa Rica, and built one of the largest independent real estate brokerages in Guanacaste from the ground up.

They dive into how the Costa Rican real estate market works, why more North Americans are buying and relocating there, what financing options are now available, and what investors need to understand before purchasing property outside the United States.

Rebecca also explains how she identifies emerging markets before they become crowded, what makes a strong short-term rental today, why easy Airbnb investing is over, and how buyers can protect themselves when navigating foreign ownership, escrow, property management, and local regulations.

Plus, she pulls back the curtain on her years appearing on HGTV, including what is actually real, what gets recreated for television, and what happens behind the scenes of shows like House Hunters International.

If you’re considering buying real estate abroad, investing in short-term rentals, relocating internationally, or simply want to understand how overseas real estate really works, this episode gives you a practical look at what happens beyond the highlight reel.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• What buyers need to know before purchasing real estate abroad

Links to watch and subscribe:

Seth Bradley’s Links:

X: x.com/sethbradleyesq

Rebecca Clower’s Links:

Website: bluewaterproperties.com

The last real estate cycle made a lot of bad deals look good.

Cheap debt, aggressive rent growth assumptions, compressed cap rates, and short hold periods allowed operators to make the numbers work.

Then the market changed.

In this episode of Raise the Bar, we sit down with Shannon Robnett, founder and CEO of Shannon Robnett Industries, to talk about what separates the operators who survived the last cycle from those who didn’t.

With more than 30 years in real estate and $425 million in development experience, Shannon has built through multiple market cycles across multifamily, industrial, and other real estate projects.

We break down why fundamentals matter more than ever in today’s market.

You’ll learn:

• Why the math has to work before you ever buy the deal

Real estate cycles change.

Interest rates change.

Cap rates change.

But the fundamentals behind a good deal don’t.

The operators who understand their markets, maintain sufficient reserves, underwrite conservatively, and make decisions based on the actual numbers are the ones positioned to keep building through every cycle.

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If you enjoyed this episode and want to go deeper into funds, syndications, capital raising, securities law, and private markets, you can join the waitlist for my upcoming book, RAISE: The Book on Funds and Syndications.

The book covers the complete framework for launching funds, structuring deals, raising capital compliantly, and building a scalable private capital business.

📚 Join the waitlist here: https://sethbradleyesq.com/book

✅ Sign up today and you'll receive a FREE copy of the book as soon as it officially launches.

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Links to watch and subscribe:

Seth Bradley’s Links:

Shannon Robnett's Links:

Most people think success comes down to having the perfect plan. But what if taking action before you have everything figured out is actually the advantage?

In this episode, Seth Bradley sits down with Jeffrey Holst to break down the mindset and decision-making principles that helped him build financial freedom, scale a real estate portfolio, and design a life around experiences instead of waiting for “someday.”

Jeffrey shares his Extraordinary Life Formula, the idea that extraordinary results come from exposing yourself to bigger ideas and then taking the right action. 

He explains why opportunity isn’t something you wait for, why successful people move without having all the possible information, and how avoiding analysis paralysis can completely change your trajectory.

They also dive into Jeffrey’s “100 Things List,” his 50-50-7 travel goal, why goals should evolve as your life changes, and how real estate created the financial flexibility to pursue bigger experiences.

Toward the end, Seth and Jeffrey get into the current multifamily market, why Jeffrey pulled back from acquisitions as valuations and interest rates shifted, what happened to investors who bought at peak pricing, and why he believes the market may finally be creating attractive opportunities again.

If you’re building a business, investing in real estate, raising capital, or simply waiting until you have everything figured out before making your next move… this conversation will challenge the way you think about opportunity and action.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

Links to watch and subscribe:

Seth Bradley’s Links:

Jeffrey Holst’s Links:

Should you launch a fund or a syndication?

In this live keynote, we walk through the legal framework behind raising private capital, from the Howey Test and joint venture analysis to choosing between syndications, funds, fund of funds, and other investment structures. We also break down the biggest compliance traps operators and capital raisers face, and how to avoid them before they become expensive mistakes.

You'll learn:

If you're raising capital, launching your first syndication, or considering a private fund, this keynote will give you the framework you need to make the right decisions with confidence.

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If you want to go deeper into funds, syndications, capital raising, securities law, and private markets, join the waitlist for RAISE: The Book on Funds and Syndications.

📚 Join the waitlist: https://sethbradleyesq.com/book

Sign up today and you’ll receive a FREE copy of the book as soon as it officially launches.

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🔗 Fund Founder’s Playbook: https://sethbradleyesq.com/FundPlaybook

🔗 RaiseLaw: https://raise.law

🔗 Tribevest: https://www.tribevest.com

Follow Seth Bradley:

X: https://x.com/sethbradleyesq

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sethbradleyesq

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sethbradleyesq

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@sethbradleyesq

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sethbradleyesq

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

Passive Income Attorney: https://passiveincomeattorney.com/seth-bradley

BiggerPockets: https://www.biggerpockets.com/users/sethbradley

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sethbradleyesq

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If You’re New Here…

We’re Seth Bradley’s team, focused on breaking down capital raising, funds, syndications, securities law, private markets, and alternative investing in plain English.

Keep learning.

Keep evaluating.

Invest with confidence.

The difference between a joint venture and a security can completely change how your deal needs to be structured.

If everyone involved is an active partner with meaningful decision-making and managerial rights, you may have a true joint venture.

But the moment passive investors enter the equation, the legal framework changes.

In this conversation, we break down the difference between joint ventures, syndications, and funds, what makes an investment a security, and the additional legal requirements that come with raising passive capital.

You'll learn:

• What separates a true joint venture from a security

• Why every partner in a JV needs to be meaningfully active

• How voting and managerial rights factor into the analysis

• What happens when even one passive investor enters the deal

• Why JVs are generally simpler from a documentation standpoint

• The Operating Agreement, Subscription Agreement, and PPM explained

• Why a PPM can be important even when it may not be legally required

• SEC filings, Form D, and state Blue Sky notices

• Why securities law requires specialized legal experience

Whether you're structuring a real estate partnership, bringing investors into a syndication, or launching a private fund, understanding where the line between an active partnership and a securities offering sits is critical.

The structure matters.

The investors' roles matter.

And what you call the deal doesn't determine what it actually is.

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If you want to go deeper into funds, syndications, capital raising, securities law, and private markets, join the waitlist for RAISE: The Book on Funds and Syndications.

📚 Join the waitlist: https://sethbradleyesq.com/book

Sign up today and you’ll receive a FREE copy of the book as soon as it officially launches.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

🔗 Fund Founder’s Playbook: https://sethbradleyesq.com/FundPlaybook

🔗 RaiseLaw: https://raise.law

🔗 Tribevest: https://www.tribevest.com

Follow Seth Bradley:

X: https://x.com/sethbradleyesq

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sethbradleyesq

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sethbradleyesq

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@sethbradleyesq

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sethbradleyesq

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

Passive Income Attorney: https://passiveincomeattorney.com/seth-bradley

BiggerPockets: https://www.biggerpockets.com/users/sethbradley

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sethbradleyesq

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If You’re New Here…

I’m Seth Bradley, real estate investor, securities attorney, and entrepreneur.

I went from Big Law and 2,200+ billable hours to building multiple 7- and 8-figure businesses, raising millions in capital, and structuring deals that actually create wealth.

This channel breaks down capital raising, funds, and securities law in plain English.

Keep building.

Stop guessing.

Raise with confidence.

For years, capital raisers used the co-GP model to bring investors into real estate deals and participate in the upside.

If your only role in a deal is raising capital, and your compensation is based on how much you raise, you may be crossing into broker-dealer territory.

In this conversation, we break down why the traditional co-GP model came under regulatory scrutiny, how fund of funds emerged as a more compliant alternative, and why an entirely new market for independent capital raisers is developing.

You'll learn:

The opportunity to raise capital for other people's deals hasn't disappeared.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

If you want to go deeper into funds, syndications, capital raising, securities law, and private markets, join the waitlist for RAISE: The Book on Funds and Syndications.

📚 Join the waitlist: https://sethbradleyesq.com/book

Sign up today and you’ll receive a FREE copy of the book as soon as it officially launches.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

🔗 Fund Founder’s Playbook: https://sethbradleyesq.com/FundPlaybook

🔗 RaiseLaw: https://raise.law

🔗 Tribevest: https://www.tribevest.com

Follow Seth Bradley:

X: https://x.com/sethbradleyesq

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sethbradleyesq

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sethbradleyesq

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@sethbradleyesq

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sethbradleyesq

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

Passive Income Attorney: https://passiveincomeattorney.com/seth-bradley

BiggerPockets: https://www.biggerpockets.com/users/sethbradley

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sethbradleyesq

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

If You’re New Here…

I’m Seth Bradley, real estate investor, securities attorney, and entrepreneur.

I went from Big Law and 2,200+ billable hours to building multiple 7- and 8-figure businesses, raising millions in capital, and structuring deals that actually create wealth.

This channel breaks down capital raising, funds, and securities law in plain English.

Keep building.

Stop guessing.

Raise with confidence.

If you're raising capital for real estate deals, syndications, or private funds, understanding the legal framework isn't optional, it's essential.

In this conversation, Seth Bradley joins Marcin Drozdz to break down one of the most misunderstood areas of private capital:

Together, they discuss the legal structures behind successful raises, common compliance mistakes, and how investors and operators can build scalable businesses while staying compliant.

Whether you're preparing for your first capital raise or looking to transition from syndications into private funds, this discussion provides practical guidance you can immediately apply.

In this webinar, you'll learn:

• What a real estate syndication actually is

• Syndication vs. fund vs. joint venture

• The Howey Test explained in plain English

• 506(b) vs. 506(c): Which exemption should you choose?

• Who qualifies as an accredited investor?

• Common compliance mistakes that can jeopardize your raise

• Why every serious operator needs proper legal documentation

• How experienced sponsors structure deals that scale

• When it makes sense to transition from syndications to funds

• Live Q&A covering waterfalls, preferred returns, LinkedIn marketing, legal costs, and more

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

If you want to go deeper into funds, syndications, capital raising, securities law, and private markets, join the waitlist for RAISE: The Book on Funds and Syndications.

📚 Join the waitlist: https://sethbradleyesq.com/book

Sign up today and you’ll receive a FREE copy of the book as soon as it officially launches.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

🔗 Fund Founder’s Playbook: https://sethbradleyesq.com/FundPlaybook

🔗 RaiseLaw: https://raise.law

🔗 Tribevest: https://www.tribevest.com

Follow Seth Bradley:

X: https://x.com/sethbradleyesq

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sethbradleyesq

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sethbradleyesq

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@sethbradleyesq

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sethbradleyesq

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

Passive Income Attorney: https://passiveincomeattorney.com/seth-bradley

BiggerPockets: https://www.biggerpockets.com/users/sethbradley

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sethbradleyesq

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

If You’re New Here…

We’re Seth Bradley’s team, focused on breaking down capital raising, funds, syndications, securities law, private markets, and alternative investing in plain English.

Keep learning.

Keep evaluating.

Invest with confidence.