#109: Buying and Operating Over $300 Million in Multifamily Properties + The Benefits of Vertical Integration with Robert Ritzenthaler

I had a great conversation this week with Robert Ritzenthaler, President and CEO of REM Capital. Robert has an interesting story... growing up in the DFW area he was exposed to construction at an early age, as his dad ran a construction business. When he went to school, he studied finance and began his career on Wall Street. After the market crash in 2000, he got into commercial real estate and joined an NYC-based commercial real estate firm where he leveraged his experience in construction and finance to help grow the company's portfolio. He then decided to start his own firm, REM Capital, where he and his team have acquired over $300M in multifamily real estate.I wanted to focus this episode on operations and how Robert has vertically integrated management/construction into his business, despite investing in multiple different geographical locations. We also discuss how he is approaching underwriting given the volatility in the interest rate markets. Robert also shares what he describes as his superpower, which is relentlessly asking questions - he credits this trait to advancing in his career more quickly.Struggling to find good multifamily deals? Looking to close deals with less of your own money? Want to operate like the pros and maximize the cash flow of your assets? Join The Multifamily Wealth Community, where we help multifamily investors start, build, and scale their businesses… specifically, those looking to grow from 1-10 units to 250+ units.Are you looking to invest in real estate but don't want to deal with the hassle of finding great deals, signing on debt, and managing tenants? Aligned Real Estate Partners partners with passive investors looking for the returns, stability, and tax benefits investing in real estate offers, but not the work - join our investor club to be notified of future investment opportunities.Show notes: How Robert became exposed to the construction businessWhat Robert learned from large organizations and how he used these insights to build his ownWe discuss the book "Traction" and how his team implements the strategies discussed in itRobert elaborates on how his diverse background gave him a competitive advantage in the RE businessWe learn how asking tons of questions and taking notes can rapidly grow your skills/careerRobert discussed how they operate and what types of deals they're looking atHow Robert built his business infrastructure given the geographical challenges they faceWe talk about how underwriting deals has become challenging and how he is looking at deals at this point in the cycleThe key to quickly growing a portfolio (and organization)The advice Robert would give his younger selfRobert talks about his most significant business-related failure and what he learned from themRobert discusses his vision for the next 6 to 12 months and gives tips to the audienceConnect with Robert:[email protected] with Axel:Follow him on InstagramConnect with him on LinkedinLearn more about Aligned Real Estate Partners