John Azar breaks down today’s capital markets, why deals are failing, and how to raise money, communicate with investors, and scale a commercial real estate fund.

In this episode of RealDealChat, Jack Hoss sits down with John Azar, founder of Peak 15 Capital, to discuss the real state of capital markets, the rise of distressed commercial assets, and what operators must do to survive today’s environment.

John shares his origin story—from structured finance at Morgan Stanley to launching multiple companies, navigating the 2008 crisis, and ultimately raising and managing large funds. He explains the differences between today’s market and 2008, why liquidity isn’t the problem this time, and why underwriting is causing widespread defaults across multifamily and commercial assets.

John also breaks down how to start raising capital, the difference between syndications and funds, where he’s seeing the best opportunities (including flex industrial and ground-up development), and why transparent communication is the #1 rule of investor relations.

He also covers how he uses AI and automation to save time while still keeping the personal touch required in private equity.

• Why defaults are rising in CRE (and why it’s NOT the properties)
• The biggest difference between 2008 and today
• How to start raising money the right way
• Syndication vs. fund structures—and when to use each
• Why flex industrial and development deals are trending
• How to spot distressed opportunities in today’s market
• How to scale from being the operator to being a fund manager
• The crucial role of communication in investor trust
• How AI tools save time but can’t replace relationships
• What Peak 15 Capital is investing in next

📍 Learn more: Peak15Cap.com

💡 Scale your REI business with AI: RealDealCrew.com

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Defaults rising: bad financing, not bad properties

01:00 – John’s origin story in structured finance

02:00 – Starting his first company & surviving 2008

03:00 – Launching syndications in the Southeast

04:00 – Peak 15 Capital & becoming a fund manager

05:00 – Today vs 2008: liquidity & debt differences

06:30 – Where the real debt problems are now

08:00 – How new investors should start raising capital

09:30 – When to move from syndications to a fund

10:30 – Best opportunities: development & flex industrial

12:00 – Why multifamily underwriting is failing

13:00 – Why flex industrial is outperforming

14:00 – Scaling pains: teams, roles & internal change

15:30 – The #1 skill: investor communication

17:00 – Staying in front of bad news

18:00 – AI & automation as time multipliers

20:00 – Why personal touch still matters

21:30 – What Peak 15 is funding next

23:00 – Upcoming course & education

24:30 – Rapid Fire: lies, advice, books & time-savers

#CommercialRealEstate #RaisingCapital #JohnAzar #Peak15Capital #RealDealChat #Syndication #RealEstateFunds #FlexIndustrial #CREInvesting #InvestorRelations #RealEstateDevelopment

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