JF 4024: Unsexy Winners, Exit Multiples and When Franchising Beats Going Solo ft. Jon Ostenson

On this week’s episode of Multifamily Mastery, John Casmon interviews Axel Ragnarsson. Axel breaks down his direct to seller playbook for small to mid-size New England multifamily, from dream-list targeting to low-pressure, relationship-first outreach by phone, email, text, and mail to stay top of mind with unsophisticated owners. He shares how he overcame capital bottlenecks by building a marketing engine that attracts retail LPs via podcasts, LinkedIn, and a growing newsletter, plus the mindset shifts to handle rejection. Axel also unpacks scaling through vertical integration and people, including partnering into property management, hiring an acquisitions manager, and using VAs for asset management, along with tactical tips on list building, skip tracing, channel sequencing, and when to use cold calling versus direct mail. Axel RagnarssonCurrent role: Founder, Aligned Real Estate PartnersBased in: Boston, MassachusettsSay hi to them at: https://alignedrep.com | mailto:[email protected] This is a limited time offer, so head over to aspenfunds.us/bestever to download the investor deck—or grab their quick-start guide if you’re brand new to oil and gas investing. Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com with code BESTEVER Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at ⁠https://www.stamps.com/cre⁠. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at ⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Next Level CRE, Matt Faircloth interviews Mike Roeder. They dig into lessons from scaling Granite Towers Equity Group, including why words matter at the property level and how third-party teams should embody owner values. Mike breaks down risk controls like raising CapEx up front instead of out of cash flow, screening hard for delinquency and true affordability, and favoring 1980s–2000s assets with seven-year fixed-rate debt. He also shares hands-on asset management plays, from incentivized collections specialists and secret shopping to revenue boosts like monetizing structured parking and bulk Wi-Fi. Mike RoederCurrent role: Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Granite Towers Equity Group. Based in: Central Minnesota. Say hi to them at: https://www.granitetowersequitygroup.com/ | Instagram | YouTube This is a limited time offer, so head over to aspenfunds.us/bestever to download the investor deck—or grab their quick-start guide if you’re brand new to oil and gas investing. Visit investwithsunrise.com to learn more about investment opportunities.  Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com with code BESTEVER Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at ⁠https://www.stamps.com/cre⁠. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at ⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Passive Income Playbook, Pascal Wagner interviews Amanda Han and Matt MacFarland. They break down the One Big Beautiful Bill for real estate investors, from the return of 100% bonus depreciation and why placed-in-service timing matters to smart ways LPs can plan for depreciation recapture instead of fearing it. Amanda and Matt also hit SALT cap relief, pass-through entity tax elections that can turn state taxes into deductible business expenses, and a niche but powerful new 100% write-off for buildings used directly in manufacturing. You’ll hear practical LP due-diligence red flags, how to sync exit timelines with your CPA, and why “strategy stacking” can compound savings across your portfolio. Amanda Han & Matt MacFarlandCurrent role: Managing Director & Co-founders, Keystone CPA. Based in: Fullerton, CaliforniaSay hi to them at: https://www.keystonecpa.com/ | LinkedIn | Instagram This is a limited time offer, so head over to aspenfunds.us/bestever to download the investor deck—or grab their quick-start guide if you’re brand new to oil and gas investing. Visit investwithsunrise.com to learn more about investment opportunities.  Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com with code BESTEVER Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at ⁠https://www.stamps.com/cre⁠. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at ⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Best Ever CRE Show, Amanda Cruise interviews Jon Ostenson. They dig into the real playbook for non-food franchises, from what makes home and property services so profitable to when you’re just buying yourself a job versus building a manager-run business. Jon breaks down territory strategy, startup costs and funding options like SBA and ROBS, plus why national accounts, an aligned tech stack and franchisor support can 10x your speed to market compared with going solo. They also cover due-diligence “dating,” culture and hiring, exit multiples, and why food concepts often carry more risk than “unsexy” winners like dumpsters, asphalt and temporary walls. Jon OstensonCurrent role: Founder & CEO, FranBridge Consulting. Based in: Atlanta, Georgia. Say hi to them at: https://franbridgeconsulting.com/ | LinkedIn | YouTube This is a limited time offer, so head over to aspenfunds.us/bestever to download the investor deck—or grab their quick-start guide if you’re brand new to oil and gas investing. Visit investwithsunrise.com to learn more about investment opportunities.  Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com with code BESTEVER Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at ⁠https://www.stamps.com/cre⁠. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at ⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Best Ever CRE Show, Matt Faircloth and John Chang are bringing you another fireside chat. They go back and forth on multifamily’s next five years, debating rent ceilings versus demand tailwinds, class-by-class dynamics, and why construction tariffs and replacement costs could freeze new supply even as Gen Z household formation builds pressure. John explains how treasury issuance and the 10-year may keep long rates sticky, why office could be a dark-horse recovery play, and how hotels trading below replacement cost create near-term opportunity. They wrap with recession risk, practical stress tests, and when it’s smarter to build reserves or sell before the cycle turns. This is a limited time offer, so head over to aspenfunds.us/bestever to download the investor deck—or grab their quick-start guide if you’re brand new to oil and gas investing. Visit investwithsunrise.com to learn more about investment opportunities.  Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com with code BESTEVER Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at ⁠https://www.stamps.com/cre⁠. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at ⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Unlimited Capital, Richard McGirr interviews Lauren Brychell. They dig into her new 90-day playbook Beyond the Lead, outlining the four pillars of capital attraction and why most firms don’t need more leads, they need better conversion and nurture systems. Lauren and Richard get tactical on aligning marketing and sales into a single machine, building a lightweight tech stack with CRM, investor portal and segmented drips, and running discovery calls that keep your talk time under 20% while guiding prospects up a yes-ladder. They also compare top-of-funnel strategies—high-ROI in-person events, heavy content repurposing and distribution, and the realities of paid ads where only best-in-class funnels win. Lauren BrychellCurrent role: Founder, Equity Elevated ConsultingBased in: Denver, ColoradoSay hi to them at: https://equity-elevated.com/ | LinkedIn This is a limited time offer, so head over to aspenfunds.us/bestever to download the investor deck—or grab their quick-start guide if you’re brand new to oil and gas investing. Visit investwithsunrise.com to learn more about investment opportunities.  Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com with code BESTEVER Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at ⁠https://www.stamps.com/cre⁠. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at ⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Horizon Podcast, John Chang breaks down the newest jobs report, why the Fed is poised to cut, and how a sub-4 percent 10-year Treasury creates a short window to lock attractive debt for acquisitions and refis. He explains why policy uncertainty and tariffs could stoke stagflation, then maps the likely impacts by asset class, from steady necessity retail and mixed industrial outlooks to a nascent office recovery fueled by rising return-to-office pressure. John also outlines why supply pipelines are tapering faster than demand in many markets, how absorption could remain positive even through a mild recession, and why real estate may still outperform stocks and bonds if inflation lingers. This is a limited time offer, so head over to aspenfunds.us/bestever to download the investor deck—or grab their quick-start guide if you’re brand new to oil and gas investing. Visit investwithsunrise.com to learn more about investment opportunities.  Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com with code BESTEVER Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at ⁠https://www.stamps.com/cre⁠. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at ⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Multifamily Mastery, John Casmon interviews Ben Reinberg. Ben shares his 32-year journey in commercial real estate, beginning with his first industrial syndication in his early 20s that launched him into office, industrial, and medical office leadership. He explains why Alliance CGC has now launched a multifamily division, pointing to trillions in debt coming due and the buying opportunities it presents. Ben emphasizes the importance of mindset, resilience, and personal development while also breaking down his investing philosophy of conservative leverage, the ability to hold, and scaling through talent and in-house management. Ben Reinberg Current role: Founder & CEO, Alliance CGC Based in: Chicago, Illinois Say hi to them at: LinkedIn | alliancecgc.com | benreinberg.com Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at ⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Next Level CRE, Matt Faircloth interviews Paul Moore. Paul shares his remarkable journey from selling his first company and chasing “shiny objects” that left him $2.5M in debt, to giving his way out during the 2008 crash, and eventually pivoting into real estate. He explains why multifamily wasn’t the “perfect investment,” how Wellings Capital now focuses on fund-of-funds strategies using Pareto’s principle to back only top-tier operators, and why diversification across operators, geographies, and asset classes is key. Paul also highlights how private equity firms vet operators, what passives should know about due diligence (including NOI audits), and how Wellings has raised over $800K to fight human trafficking through AIM Paul Moore Current role: Founder & Managing Partner, Wellings Capital Based in: Lynchburg, Virginia Say hi to them at: LinkedIn| Wellings Capital| AIM Free Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com with code BESTEVER Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at ⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of Passive Income Playbook, Pascal Wagner interviews Fred Hubler. Fred shares why he built a retainer-based advisory model that helps entrepreneurs and high-net-worth families allocate beyond stocks into private credit, real estate and other alternatives, and he explains his 50-10-20-20 portfolio framework for traditional assets, cash, alts and hard assets. He digs into his due-diligence rubric of legal, ethical and moral unfair advantages, plus concrete playbooks like franchise roll-ups, optioning underused retail land for townhouse developments, and partnering with institutional-grade sponsors to protect downside. You’ll also hear how to vet operators, get closer to the underlying asset, and set break-even thresholds in volatile areas like oil and gas. Fred HublerCurrent role: Founder and CEO, Creative Capital Wealth Management GroupBased in: Chester Springs, PennsylvaniaSay hi to them at: https://ccwmg.com | mailto:[email protected] | Instagram This is a limited time offer, so head over to aspenfunds.us/bestever to download the investor deck—or grab their quick-start guide if you’re brand new to oil and gas investing. Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com with code BESTEVER Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at ⁠https://www.stamps.com/cre⁠. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at ⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices