LinkedIn can do more than build a brand - it can fill a real estate fund. Zane Schartz explains how Freedom Commercial Real Estate has used content, credibility, and a clearly defined niche to attract investors, raise capital, and scale a portfolio of single-tenant net lease properties across 18 states.Zane is the president of Freedom Commercial Real Estate and a former chief investment officer who helped oversee $750 million in assets before launching his own firm. In this conversation, he breaks down how he went from the stability of a paycheck to betting on himself, why he chose commercial real estate over other wealth-building paths, and how he built a business around one of the lowest-risk corners of the market.You'll discover how his team sources deals from brokers, developers, and repeat sellers, why investment-grade tenants like Starbucks, Bank of America, Chipotle, and Dollar General make the strategy so resilient, and how triple net leases help create cash flow with less day-to-day risk. He also shares why his investors care most about capital preservation, why his funds are designed around consistency instead of headline-grabbing returns, and how depreciation and cash flow make the math compelling for high-income professionals.We also get into the bigger picture behind the strategy: when real estate makes sense versus stocks, why now may be an attractive window for buying, and how tokenization could eventually change access to private investments. Zane shares his view on where the market is headed, what regulations could unlock next, and why the future of investing may be more global and more liquid than ever.If you're a real estate investor, a high-income professional looking for tax-efficient cash flow, or someone trying to turn content into deal flow, this episode is packed with practical insight. It is especially relevant if you want to understand how a focused niche, strong underwriting, and smart distribution can turn into a durable capital-raising engine.

If you are interested in this fund, contact info@yildai.com or contact Zane directly and let him know you came from "The Deal & The Dirt" for a special offer.

Zane Schartz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaneschartz/

#investing #realestate #REI #financialfreedom

Tokenization was supposed to unlock instant liquidity. Instead, Edwin Mata argues the real breakthrough is something more powerful: access, compliance, and smarter capital formation.

Edwin, CEO and co-founder of Brickken, breaks down why the biggest misconception in tokenization is chasing liquidity first. If you’re a real estate developer, fund manager, or investor trying to raise capital across borders, this conversation shows how tokenization actually works when it is built around the underlying financial product, not the hype.

You’ll hear how Edwin went from 10+ years as an M&A lawyer to building a global tokenization platform after discovering blockchain in 2018. He explains why real estate is only one use case, why private credit and debt may be even more compelling, and why compliance never disappears just because the rails are digital.

We break down:

• Why tokenization did not create liquidity, but did create accessibility
• How compliant fundraising works across the US, Europe, Asia, and Latin America
• Why you should sell the financial product, not the token
• How tokenization expands your investor base instead of replacing your existing LPs
• Why AI agents may become the real democratizing force in capital markets

Edwin also shares how Brickken is using software, blockchain, and AI to help sponsors onboard investors, distribute earnings, generate real-time NAV reporting, and match better opportunities with better capital. The result is a faster, more efficient fundraising process for products that are actually investable.

If you care about real estate capital markets, private credit, cross-border investing, or the future of AI-powered finance, this episode gives you the clearest, most practical view of where the market is really headed.

Perfect for founders, developers, fundraisers, and investors who want to understand what tokenization can actually do today, and why the next wave may be driven less by crypto and more by execution.

If you want to work with Brickken or get a Demo, mention "The Deal & The Dirt" or reach out to info@yildai.com for more information and special offers.

Edwin Mata: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinmata/

Brickken: https://www.brickken.com/

If you work with seniors, adult children, inherited homes, or aging parents who are sitting on equity but stuck in place, this conversation changes how you think about the entire process.

Rose, founder and CEO of Next Step for Downsized Living, shares how she helps older homeowners downsize with dignity, clarity, and compassion. From the emotional weight of decades of belongings to family disagreements and reverse mortgages, she explains why the first step is never the paperwork—it’s the conversation.

You'll discover why a one-year plan can be more effective than a five-year plan, what most realtors get wrong when working with seniors, and how empathy, patience, and practical support can transform an overwhelming move into a meaningful next chapter.

Fear is the real obstacle in real estate, not money. Ornella Jimenez Caseres reveals how she went from accidental investor to full-time developer, building a business in flips, multifamily, commercial structures, and boutique hotels while creating Power Builders, an academy that teaches Hispanic investors how to raise capital and scale the right way.

A former nonprofit professional turned real estate operator, Ornella shares the hard lessons that changed everything: why she walked away from exhausting rehab projects, how a post-pandemic crisis forced her to rethink her portfolio, and why building from scratch can actually be more controllable than buying and fixing old houses. She also explains the biggest mistake she made early on, the one thing that can destroy a deal faster than a bad market, and why choosing the right team matters more than choosing the right property.

You'll discover:

• Why she now focuses on multifamily, mixed-use, and hospitality instead of traditional residential investing
• How her investment club lets smaller investors participate in larger projects like hotels and commercial developments
• The capital-raising and legal-compliance basics most new investors never learn
• Why “action before perfect clarity” has become her core investing philosophy
• How she helps students in Latin America and the U.S. move from fear to execution with one-on-one support

Ornella also breaks down how she thinks about expansion, from identifying where money is moving next to building cross-border opportunities in places like the Dominican Republic, Dubai, Mexico, and Panama. If you’ve ever wondered how experienced investors spot the next wave, structure deals, and create leverage through community, this conversation gives you the mindset and the roadmap.

Perfect for real estate investors, aspiring developers, entrepreneurs, and anyone who knows they’re capable of more but needs the confidence, structure, and strategy to get there. If you’re ready to think bigger, this episode is a blueprint for turning vision into legacy.

Most real estate investors miss the biggest opportunity because they chase shiny deals instead of mastering risk, systems, and operations.

John Todderud of Cardinal Oak Investments explains how a software and IT background can become a powerful advantage in multifamily investing—especially when you want to buy smarter, operate better, and force appreciation the right way.

John shares how he went from software engineering and IT consulting into real estate, starting with small multifamily properties and learning firsthand why hands-on repairs, tenant selection, and scaling through syndication demand far more than enthusiasm. He also breaks down why he moved away from flips, how he built his portfolio across eight growth markets, and why he now prefers newer B- and C-class assets with real upside instead of chasing the most obvious deals.

You'll discover:

• Why project management skills translate directly into real estate success
• How to evaluate risk before it becomes a costly problem
• What John looks for in value-add properties and why amenities like dog parks, washers and dryers, and security features matter
• How he underwrites deals using spreadsheets, market comps, and AI tools without overtrusting automation
• Why choosing the right third-party property manager can make or break a deal

John also gets specific about the metrics he expects managers to track, from lead sources to tours, applications, and approvals, and why missing those basics is a red flag. If you're trying to understand how disciplined operators think about multifamily, underwriting, tenant experience, and technology, this conversation is packed with practical insight.

Perfect for investors, aspiring sponsors, and operators who want a sharper framework for buying, improving, and managing apartment communities with confidence.

How Tom Zeeb turned $200, a box of bandit signs, and one brutal failure into a real estate business built for any market. If you’re trying to break into investing, escape a paycheck, or find deals when the market feels impossible, this conversation gives you the playbook.

Tom Zeeb, president of Traction RIA and founder of Traction Real Estate Mentors, shares the hard-earned lessons that took him from being $113,000 in debt to building a lean real estate business that runs on marketing, negotiation, and discipline. His story includes a disastrous six-unit rental in New York, a whitewater rafting moment in India that forced a wake-up call, and the small move that changed everything: using $200 to start finding distressed properties in Washington, DC.

You'll discover:

• Why real estate is really a people business, not a property business
• The three exits Tom evaluates on every lead: wholesale, rehab, or hold
• How he uses wholesaling as a cash-flow engine without tying up his own money or credit
• Why the best investors learn to pivot with the market instead of fighting it
• How Tom uses AI inside a narrow, custom knowledge base to help students move faster without losing the need for action

We also break down why timing, leverage, and human connection matter more than ever. Tom explains how the same fundamentals—finding deals, negotiating well, and controlling a property through settlement—still win whether the market is up, down, or sideways. He also talks about what changed as he moved from growth mode to transition mode, and why self-storage is becoming part of his long-term strategy.

This episode is especially valuable if you want a realistic look at building wealth through real estate without needing a huge pile of cash, a fancy degree, or a perfect market. Tom’s approach is equal parts practical and battle-tested, with enough honesty to remind you that success usually starts by doing the unglamorous work first.Perfect for aspiring investors, wholesalers, and entrepreneurs who want real-world strategies they can use now—not someday.

Dallas-Fort Worth multifamily is still full of opportunity—but the easy money is gone. Engineer and investor Sandhya Seshadri reveals why today’s winners need sharper underwriting, tighter operations, and a completely different mindset to make deals actually cash flow.

Sandhya built her real estate business after leaving the corporate world as an electrical engineer, starting with a massive 86-door acquisition and eventually growing into GP roles across roughly 1,000 doors. But in a market hit by rate hikes, rising taxes, higher insurance, and aggressive city inspections, she explains why the biggest mistake operators make is chasing glamour over fundamentals.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why “yield plays” with little value-add can quietly destroy cash flow
• How to underwrite for seasonality, deferred maintenance, delinquency, and economic occupancy
• What changed in Dallas-Fort Worth after 2022—and why some deals that used to work no longer do
• How short-term hard money lending and flipping fit into a more flexible investing strategy
• Why liquidity, loan terms, and prepayment penalties can make or break your returns

Sandhya also breaks down what separates strong operators from capital raisers, why every dollar spent should be treated like it’s your own, and how AI can reduce the operational headaches that keep apartment teams stuck in reactive mode. From automated tenant communication to faster unit turns and back-office support, she shares where automation can create the biggest lift in multifamily.

If you invest in apartments, lend on deals, or want to understand what it really takes to survive in a high-rate market, this conversation is packed with practical lessons you can use right away. It’s essential listening for operators, passive investors, and anyone trying to stay profitable while others are still chasing the old playbook.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Real Estate Journey
• 01:31 Transition to Real Estate and First Deal
• 02:31 Scaling Up with Partnerships
• 03:51 Challenges and Opportunities in the Market
• 04:41 Cash Flow and Value-Add Deals
• 06:08 Investment Focus and Hard Money Lending
• 08:36 Commercial Deals and Lessons Learned
• 11:25 Challenges in the Current Market
• 24:39 Lessons Learned and Future Focus

Sandhya Seshadri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/engineered-capital/

#Realestate #REI #Entrepreneur #Financialfreedom

La construcción todavía depende de hojas de cálculo, conversaciones dispersas en WhatsApp y decisiones basadas en intuición. Felipe Mendez está desarrollando la capa de inteligencia artificial que podría cambiarlo todo.

En este episodio, Felipe, cofundador y director de operaciones de Hippo Build —próximamente BitIA—, explica cómo su empresa ayuda a las constructoras a transformar las actualizaciones diarias de obra en decisiones en tiempo real, mantenimiento predictivo, pagos más rápidos y un mejor flujo de caja.

Con experiencia en ingeniería civil y una familia vinculada al sector de la construcción, Felipe conoce de primera mano por qué esta industria ha tardado tanto en adoptar software y por qué ese escenario está cambiando. Su plataforma utiliza WhatsApp como canal principal para recopilar información sobre avances de obra, horas de maquinaria, consumo de combustible, inventario y mantenimiento, sin obligar a los equipos a aprender una aplicación completamente nueva.

También hablamos de cómo la empresa sobrevivió a una etapa crítica de liquidez, consiguió rentabilidad mediante la intermediación de materiales y logró impulsar una nueva plataforma tecnológica. Felipe comparte además por qué las recomendaciones y las relaciones en obra suelen ser más efectivas que las ventas en frío dentro del sector de la construcción.

Más allá del software, presenta una visión ambiciosa: una plataforma única donde los constructores puedan conseguir materiales, alquilar maquinaria, contratar equipos, acceder a crédito, adquirir seguros y mantener cada proyecto bajo control en tiempo real.

Una conversación imprescindible para fundadores, constructores, inversores y profesionales de operaciones interesados en descubrir cómo la inteligencia artificial está transformando una de las industrias más tradicionales del mundo.