Multifamily investor/operator | 550+ units. Active investors can join The Multifamily Wealth Community, and passive investors can join our investor list below:
My episode on the @BiggerPockets Multifamily Mentors show went live today, check it out!
Such a great experience to go from learning the basics of REI on BP over 6 years ago to coming on the show and talking about how we’ve grown to 300+ units.
#retwit Link in thread —>
What to focus on instead:
- Team's track record vs projections
- Actual risk profile of the deal
- Alignment of interests/structure
- Market fundamentals
Look for sponsor teams, deals, etc, that are more likely to outperform the stated projections vs the projections themselves.
Mistake I see passive investors make repeatedly:
Focusing too much on projected returns.
Reality: Most deals in an asset class show similar projected returns now.
Similar IRR, cash-on-cash, equity multiple.
Look past projections, look at what actually drives a deal's outcome:
Something I believed early on that I no longer believe:
"Every deal has a right price."
After numerous deals, you realize there are deals you shouldn't pursue, regardless of price.
Whether it be the required time investment, risks, $ that's tied up, opportunity costs are real
Competence breeds confidence.
Once you become very competent in what you're looking for, you can aggressively pursue deals when they appear.
Most skip this step and evaluate everything. They lack deep knowledge to recognize true opportunities.
Go narrow. Go deep.
If a new investor could only focus on ONE thing in year 1:
Develop a specific acquisition criteria and learn exactly what a good deal looks like within that criteria.
Target market, property type, size, etc.
Then underwrite dozens of deals until you know what a good deal is
"Is now the time to invest in multifamily?"
Yes. After 3 years of rate hikes, flattening/declining rents, and capital being harder to raise, *some* sellers are finally accept reality.
Plus, data dictates that rents will likely grow in '26, as new supply drops in most markets.
Almost every time I've left my zone of expertise (new markets, different property types), I've regretted it.
So easy to find success with one strategy/in one market and then get distracted... and you usually regret not doubling down on what is already working.
If you’re a RE investor watching your competitors grow portfolios faster than you, its because
- they find better deals than you (allowing them to cycle $$ faster)
- they are using less of their own $$ to buy deals (more debt or partners)
Figure out how to be better at one/both
Results:
✅ Higher renewal rates
✅ Lower turnover costs
✅ Reduced vacancy
✅ Higher NOI
Given that the majority of a property's OpEx is fixed, increasing renewals drops most additional revenue straight to the bottom line.
One operational focus that dramatically improved our portfolio performance:
Optimizing our lease renewal process.
While not as frequently discussed as renovating or leasing new units, increasing renewal % is one of the most effective ways to increase NOI.
(1/5)
When we get move-out notices, we engage in one-time negotiations to convert departures into renewals.
The success rate varies, but occasionally, a resident decides to move out for a resolvable reason (such as a maintenance issue, pricing, or an issue with a neighbor).
This helps deals come to us, instead of is having to go find/chase them.
Time investment? Maybe 30-40 minutes per week total.
Most investors are reactive, waiting for deals to just magically hit their inbox.
The ones scaling fastest stay proactively connected to their network!
#3: Monthly value-driven emails
Every month, we send a value-packed newsletter to our contact list in our target market, including
- Market statistics
- Lessons from recent deals
- Industry news
Again, helps us stay top of mind with those finding deals in our market.
What to focus on instead:
- Team's track record vs projections
- Actual risk profile of the deal
- Alignment of interests/structure
- Market fundamentals
Look for sponsor teams/deals/etc, that are more likely to outperform projections, given every sponsor projects similar ones
Mistake I see passive investors make repeatedly:
Focusing too much on projected returns.
Reality: Most deals in an asset class show similar projected returns now.
Similar IRR, cash-on-cash, equity multiple.
Look past projections. Focus on what actually matters: