#144 - Vet Sponsors Before Wiring Capital with Ken Gee

Send us Fan MailThere are four rules that every passive investor must use to vet a real estate sponsor — and if you skip them, you're gambling with your money. In this episode of Path to Passive, host Steven Arita sits down with Ken Gee, CPA, former Deloitte real estate tax advisor, Founder and managing member of KRI Partners, a private equity firm on its sixth multifamily fund with a track record spanning decades. Ken built his career watching high-net-worth clients quietly compound wealth through real estate while he worked 80-hour weeks at Deloitte — until a 3 AM feeding with his newborn daughter made him realize his family was going to grow up without him. That moment of clarity sent him on an 18-month self-education sprint that led to his first 28-unit building, a half-million-dollar payday three years later, and eventually a thriving private equity firm. Now Ken shares the four rules he wishes every passive investor knew before writing a check: a sponsor must have a full-cycle track record, a management team seasoned enough to survive recessions and black swan events, a commitment to radical transparency, and a fee structure that proves they put investors first. He also explains exactly what crazy waterfall terms and multi-layered fees really signal — and why you should run from them. For W-2 tech professionals ready to build passive income through real estate investing, this episode gives you a clear, no-fluff framework to protect your capital and choose sponsors worth trusting.Connect with Ken:🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geekennetha/ 🌐 Company Website: https://www.kripartners.com/ Episode Highlights:[0:47] – Intro: Welcome to Path to Passive[1:50] – Ken shares how a 3 AM feeding with his newborn sparked his exit from Deloitte and into real estate.[5:08] – Knowledge builds confidence: Ken's success formula that took him from banker to multifamily investor.[11:47] – Find your "Gary": How a fifty-fifty partnership with an eviction attorney unlocked Ken's first big deals.[16:23] – Raise the money first: The fund model shift that separated KRI Partners from every other syndicator in the room.[19:29] – Passive vs. active: Why most W-2 professionals should start as passive investors — and what to do first.[46:26] – Ken's daughter joins the firm: The full-circle moment that made building this business truly worth it.[0:00] – Ken previews his 4 rules for vetting sponsors — the fastest framework for protecting your passive investment.[49:32] – Outro: Connect with Ken at kripartners.com—Share this with your tech friends who you think would benefit from learning about passive income and alternative real estate investments. For more resources and guides, check these out:Crack the Code https://www.aritacapital.com/crack-the-code/Investor 101 https://www.aritacapital.com/investor-101-resource/Due Diligence Resource https://www.aritacapital.com/dd-checklist-resource/If you want to learn more, reach out at:Email: [email protected]:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/aritasteven/IG:  https://www.instagram.com/the.real.arita