EP 224 - Corporate Success to Real Estate Riches: Ken Gee’s 27-Year Investment Journey

Ken is the Founder and Managing Member of KRI Partners, a real estate private equity and investor education firm. He has more than 26 years of real estate, banking, private equity, and real estate investing experience. Throughout his career, he has been involved in transactions valued at more than $2.0 billion, which has included the acquisition, management, and financing of various multifamily real estate projects. Before forming KRI Partners, Ken was a CPA with Deloitte in their tax & M&A practice. His major clients included some of the largest private equity and real estate firms in the U.S. Prior to his career at Deloitte, he was a commercial lender at a large regional bank in Cleveland (now part of PNC). Before that, he owned and operated several certified Cessna Pilot Centers in the Northeast Ohio area where he trained pilots for the Delta Connection program. Ken is married and has three grown children. He enjoys learning, spending time with his family, and helping people create wealth through real estate so they can enjoy life as he has been able to. Summary In this episode of the Gentle Art of Crushing It podcast, host Randy Smith interviews Ken Gee, founder and president of KRI Partners. Ken shares his journey from being a CPA to a successful real estate investor, discussing the importance of team management, finding the right partners, and the transition to syndication. He emphasizes the significance of building investor confidence through a solid track record and transparency. Ken also shares insights on current market conditions, risk management strategies, and his disciplined approach to investing in multifamily properties in Florida. The conversation concludes with Ken's thoughts on investor education and his personal bucket list experiences. Takeaways Ken transitioned from CPA to real estate investor after realizing he wanted more time with his family. Starting in real estate can be done alongside a full-time job. Team management is crucial for scaling in real estate. Finding the right partners can help overcome initial liquidity and experience challenges. Syndication allowed Ken to expand his business into Florida. Building investor confidence relies on a solid track record and transparency. Ken follows four rules for choosing an operator: experience, track record, transparency, and putting investors first. Current portfolio performance is stable due to disciplined risk management. The market is expected to see increased deal velocity as more assets come to market. Investors should focus on education and understanding the real estate space. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction to Ken Gee and His Journey 02:59 - Transitioning from CPA to Real Estate Investor 05:57 - The Importance of Team and Management in Real Estate 08:52 - Finding the Right Partners and Scaling the Business 12:00 - Syndication and Expanding into Florida 14:50 - Building Investor Confidence and Track Record 17:57 - The Four Rules for Choosing an Operator 20:50 - Current Portfolio Performance and Risk Management 24:00 - Market Outlook and Future Deal Velocity 27:01 - Investor Experience and Fund Structure 30:05 - Final Thoughts and Bucket List Adventures Keywords real estate, investing, syndication, multifamily, portfolio management, investor education, risk management, Florida real estate, CPA, asset management RANDY SMITH Connect with our host, Randy Smith, for more educational content or to discuss investment opportunities in the real estate syndication space at www.impactequity.net, https://www.linkedin.com/in/randallsmith or on Instagram at @randysmithinvestor