The Broker Who Creates Buyers: How Cody Watts Finds and Flips Commercial Deals

Most commercial brokers list properties and hope the right buyer shows up.

Cody Watts does something very different.

In this episode, Beckie sits down with Cody Watts, a commercial broker and investor who has built a powerful strategy for creating buyers instead of waiting for them.

Cody owns his own brokerage and focuses primarily on office, retail, and warehouse properties, though he also has a strong interest in multifamily.

What makes his approach unique is how proactive he is when selling a property.

Instead of simply putting a listing on the MLS, Cody:

Identifies businesses currently operating in smaller spaces

Shows them how upgrading into the new property could benefit their business

Works to move them into the larger space

Then often picks up the listing for the property they’re leaving

This strategy allows him to create demand while also generating additional listings and deal opportunities.

Beyond brokerage, Cody has also built a strong income stream by acting as a principal investor. He often:

Buys commercial properties with his own capital

Remodels or improves them

Leases them up

Sells them later at a profit

Today, he’s finding more commercial value-add opportunities than he can personally fund — opening the door to potential partnerships with capital partners and investors.

If you want to understand how brokers think, how commercial deals really move through the market, and where opportunities exist in office, retail, and warehouse properties, this conversation is packed with insights.

Cost Segregation & Bonus Depreciation: The Tax Strategy That Changes Everything

What if your property could generate significant tax deductions in year one instead of being depreciated slowly over decades?

In this episode, Beckie sits down with Kim Lockridge to unpack the ins and outs of cost segregation and bonus depreciation — two of the most powerful tax strategies available to real estate investors.

This is not surface-level tax talk. It’s strategic planning that directly impacts your after-tax returns and long-term wealth building.

We break down:

What cost segregation really is (in simple terms)

How it accelerates depreciation

How bonus depreciation works alongside a cost seg study

The strengths of using this strategy

The limitations and potential downsides

Who qualifies — and when it makes sense

For many investors, this strategy can create massive upfront deductions — but only if it’s done correctly.

If you own commercial real estate or plan to invest, understanding cost segregation and bonus depreciation is a game changer.

Curious how to use retirement dollars to buy real estate? In this Real Estate to Freedom episode, Beckie Lambert sits down with Brenda Lambert, a self-directed IRA (SDIRA) specialist, to demystify how investors use tax-advantaged accounts to build wealth with real assets.

What we cover:

What a Self-Directed IRA is (and how it differs from a regular IRA)

Eligible assets: rentals, syndications, notes, land, storage, and more

Custodians vs. checkbook control (LLC/Trust) — pros & cons

Deal flow with retirement funds: direct ownership vs. passive syndications

Rules you must know: prohibited transactions, disqualified persons, arm’s-length requirements

Taxes & leverage: UBIT/UBTI & UDFI basics when using debt

Practical steps to open, fund, and execute your first SDIRA real estate deal

Whether you want cash-flowing rentals or truly passive limited-partner stakes, this primer will help you use retirement dollars to buy real estate—legally and strategically.

🎧 Tune in and learn how to supercharge your retirement with real estate!