Episode 30: PE and Real Estate in 2026: What we're seeing and why

Here's what's wild, the person bidding against you for that company might have a whole fund behind them. Or they just watched AI eat their department and decided they're done with corporate America. We get into who's winning that fight, what $7.95B in deal volume says, and why it matters whether you're buying businesses, rental properties, or both. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – Cold Open: Two buyers, one HVAC company 2:30 – 2025 Small Business Market Overview ($7.95B, median prices, cash flow trends) 5:00 – Who's Actually Buying? The New Buyer Profiles 8:30 – PE Moving Down-Market: Good for Main Street or Pricing Everyone Out? 14:00 – The Corporate Refugee: 28% of Buyers Are Leaving Corporate America 1 8:00 – Are People Panic-Buying Businesses They Can't Run? 20:00 – Sector Breakdown: What's Hot, What's Not (Financial Services, HVAC, Manufacturing, Retail) 22:30 – 2026 Predictions: Buy-and-Build, Interest Rates, AI as a Valuation Driver 26:00 – Real Estate Market Check-In: Rates, Rents, and What's Actually Happening 28:30 – How to Validate a Rental Market Before You Buy 33:00 – Strategy Talk: Cash Flow vs. Flipping vs. Hybrid in 2026 35:00 – When to Leave a Market (and How to Pick Your Next One) 40:00 – Closing Thoughts + What's Next for the Portfolio