In this episode, Michael Blank sits down with Lee Fjord, a real estate investor who has built an $80M+ portfolio and owns over 1,200 units—all starting from a single duplex. But the real focus of this conversation is capital raising in today’s shifting environment. As online funnels and paid ads become increasingly ineffective, Lee shares how he’s built a powerful, scalable system for raising capital locally through in-person events, curated meetups, and relationship-driven strategies. From hosting monthly property tours to creating a repeatable investor “flywheel,” Lee breaks down exactly how he’s raised nearly $2M from his network—and how you can do the same by prioritizing trust, consistency, and community.

• Local Capital Raising Is Back—and It Works
• As online ads and webinars lose effectiveness, in-person events and local networking are proving to be far more reliable for building investor trust and raising capital.
• Consistency Creates a Compounding “Flywheel” Effect
• Hosting recurring monthly events builds familiarity, credibility, and momentum—turning casual attendees into long-term investors over time.
• Start Small, Then Scale Strategically
• Lee began with simple meetups and evolved them into curated experiences, proving you don’t need perfection—just consistency and iteration.
• Curated Experiences Attract Higher-Quality Investors
• Targeting accredited investors, asking the right questions, and filtering attendees helps ensure you’re building relationships with serious capital partners.
• In-Person Connection Builds Trust Faster Than Funnels
• Face-to-face interactions dramatically shorten the trust cycle compared to cold online leads, making it easier to convert relationships into investments.
• Layered Engagement (Events + Webinars) Maximizes Reach
• Combining live events with ongoing touchpoints like webinars and follow-ups creates a powerful ecosystem for nurturing investor relationships.

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Syndicated Deal Analyzer

Get the Book, Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing by Michael Blank

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session523/

In this episode, Michael Blank sits down with seasoned investor and capital raiser Steeve Breton to unpack what it really takes to build—and protect—wealth in today’s multifamily market. With experience as a limited partner, general partner, and fund manager, Steeve brings a rare 360-degree perspective on investing. They dive into the realities of the past few challenging years, from interest rate shocks to overbuilt markets, and share hard-earned lessons on preserving capital, structuring deals, and adapting strategy in uncertain times. The conversation also explores opportunity zones, preferred equity, and how disciplined decision-making can be the difference between surviving and thriving on the path to financial freedom.

• A 360° Investor Perspective Is a Competitive Advantage
• Understanding deals as an LP, GP, and capital raiser equips you to make smarter investment decisions and communicate more effectively with investors.
• Market Cycles Expose Weak Assumptions
• Rising interest rates and oversupply have revealed the importance of conservative underwriting and stress-testing deals before investing.
• Preserving Capital Is More Important Than Chasing Returns
• Experienced investors prioritize not losing money—especially in uncertain markets—over aggressive growth strategies.
• Adaptability Is Critical in Tough Markets
• From pausing distributions to restructuring deals and securing new financing, flexibility is essential to navigating downturns.
• Preferred Equity and Opportunity Zones Offer Strategic Advantages
• These lesser-discussed tools can provide downside protection and tax benefits when used correctly.
• Strong Communication Builds Investor Trust
• Transparent, proactive communication during challenging times is key to maintaining long-term investor relationships.

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Syndicated Deal Analyzer

Get the Book, Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing by Michael Blank

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session522/

In this episode with Dana Samuelson, step outside the usual real estate conversation to explore the role of precious metals (specifically gold and silver) in today’s uncertain economic environment.

Why should real estate investors care about gold? Whether you’re a passive investor allocating capital or an active investor raising it, understanding alternative asset classes is critical. Precious metals have long played a role in preserving wealth, hedging against inflation, and providing liquidity during times of crisis—and today’s macro environment makes them especially relevant.

We break down the key drivers behind gold’s recent surge and volatility, including inflation, interest rates, central bank buying, geopolitical tensions, and the strength of the U.S. dollar. You’ll also hear how gold behaves differently from real estate and stocks—and why that matters when building a resilient portfolio.

• Gold can act as both an inflation hedge and a form of financial insurance
• Market liquidity events can temporarily drag down all assets—including gold
• Interest rates and the strength of the dollar play a major role in gold pricing
• Diversification across asset classes is essential for long-term wealth preservation
• Real estate and gold can complement each other when used strategically

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Syndicated Deal Analyzer

Get the Book, Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing by Michael Blank

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session521/

In this episode, Michael Blank sits down with Andrew Majd of Dew Wealth Management to break down what true wealth management actually looks like beyond just investing. From tax strategy and alternative investments to insurance, estate planning, and building the right professional team, Andrew outlines a comprehensive “Protect, Grow, Manage” framework that high-net-worth individuals can use as a checklist for building—and keeping—wealth. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to close the gaps in their financial strategy and take a more proactive, holistic approach to wealth.

• Wealth management goes beyond investing — it includes protection, tax strategy, estate planning, and team coordination.
• Insurance and asset protection are often overlooked, yet they’re the fastest way to lose wealth if done incorrectly.
• A proper estate plan (especially a revocable trust) is critical to avoid probate and protect your legacy.
• High-net-worth investors should diversify beyond stocks and bonds into alternative assets like real estate, private credit, and more.
• Proactive tax planning can save significant money, but most CPAs are reactive unless pushed or supported by a strategist.
• Your financial professionals must work together — lack of coordination creates costly gaps and inefficiencies.

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Syndicated Deal Analyzer

Get the Book, Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing by Michael Blank

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session520/

In this episode, Michael sits down with August Biniaz, co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of CPI Capital, to discuss why he believes multifamily is approaching a major recovery—and how investors can position themselves now. August shares his perspective on the current market cycle, the challenges of raising foreign capital into U.S. deals, and why he remains bullish on multifamily despite recent headwinds.

The conversation also explores why U.S. real estate remains so attractive compared to Canada, how to structure cross-border syndications, and why investors must stay disciplined and continue underwriting deals even in a difficult market.

• August believes multifamily fundamentals remain strong because new construction has slowed dramatically while population growth continues.
• Today’s biggest challenge is the “bid-ask spread”—sellers still want 2022 pricing while buyers need lower prices to make deals work.
• Finding great deals is still a numbers game: the investors closing deals are underwriting far more properties than everyone else.
• U.S. multifamily remains more attractive than Canadian real estate because of stronger cash flow, fewer regulations, and better long-term yields.
• Cross-border investing requires the right legal and tax structure, especially when bringing Canadian capital into U.S. syndications.
• Multifamily is still one of the best industries for entrepreneurs because even the largest operators control only a tiny share of the market.

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Syndicated Deal Analyzer

Get the Book, Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing by Michael Blank

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session519/

In this episode, Michael sits down with Bob Fraser, CFO and Chief Macro Strategist at Aspen Funds and author of Invest Like a Billionaire. Bob shares why billionaires invest very differently than most people—and why relying solely on stocks and bonds may be limiting your ability to build long-term wealth.

The conversation explores alternative investments like multifamily, private credit, industrial real estate, oil and gas, and private equity. Bob explains how to think through market cycles, why diversification across uncorrelated assets matters, and how investors can position themselves to benefit from long-term tailwinds instead of chasing the latest trend.

• Billionaires don’t rely on a traditional 60/40 portfolio—they allocate heavily to alternative investments and uncorrelated assets.
• There is always an asset class that is working, even when another is struggling, which is why diversification across market cycles matters.
• Private credit can provide equity-like returns with lower risk by acting as the lender instead of the owner.
• Investors should focus on long-term macro tailwinds like reshoring, industrial real estate, and energy demand rather than chasing short-term narratives.
• Great operators are defined by how they perform during difficult market cycles, not just during boom years.
• You don’t need to master every asset class yourself—joint ventures and partnerships can help you gain exposure to new opportunities.

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Syndicated Deal Analyzer

Get the Book, Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing by Michael Blank

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session518/

In this episode, Michael Blank answers a listener question about what happens when a deal doesn’t go as planned—specifically, how to handle loan restructuring in today’s challenging market. With rising interest rates and tighter lending conditions, many operators are facing refinancing pressure. Michael walks through practical strategies for working with lenders, protecting investors, and navigating difficult situations while maintaining credibility and long-term relationships.

• Loan challenges are more common in today’s market, especially with floating-rate debt and expiring terms.
• Proactive communication with lenders is critical — the earlier you engage, the more options you have.
• Lenders don’t want to take your property — they are often willing to restructure if you bring a realistic plan.
• Transparency with investors builds long-term trust, even when deals face difficulties.
• Sometimes additional capital or modified terms are necessary to stabilize a deal.
• How you handle tough situations defines your reputation far more than easy wins.

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Syndicated Deal Analyzer

Get the Book, Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing by Michael Blank

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session517/

In this episode, Michael Blank breaks down the two biggest myths that stop aspiring investors from getting started in apartment building investing. Many believe they need years of experience or their own capital to do a deal—but Michael explains why neither is true. By reframing these misconceptions and focusing on building the right team and skill set, you can fast-track your path to your first multifamily deal and start scaling much faster than you thought possible.

1. Myth #1: You need experience to get started — you can leverage a team and partners to “borrow” credibility and track record.
2. Myth #2: You need your own money — raising capital is a learnable skill and a core part of syndication.
3. Syndication is a team sport — success comes from assembling the right people, not doing everything yourself.
4. Taking action matters more than perfection — waiting until you feel “ready” delays progress unnecessarily.
5. You can specialize in one role (deal finder or capital raiser) instead of mastering everything upfront.
6. Breaking these two myths unlocks momentum, making your first deal far more achievable than most people think.

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TheFreedomPodcast.com

Access the #1 FREE Apartment Investing Course (Apartments 101)

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Review the Podcast on Apple Podcasts

Syndicated Deal Analyzer

Get the Book, Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing by Michael Blank

For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session516/