Episode 477: Building an 80-Unit Portfolio in 2 Years with Arthur Barkan

Arthur Barkan of Barkan Realty joins us to share how he rapidly scaled his multifamily portfolio to 80 units! Arthur breaks down the ins and outs of investing in North Chicago, current market deal flow, and evaluating troubling tenants and potential evictions! He also shares strategies for scaling faster, tools to improve property management operations, and lessons learned from working with villages in the northern suburbs. Arthur gets granular on financing properties, capital recycling through refinances, and evaluating cash flow vs long-term net worth. He closes with his five-year vision to continue rapidly scaling his portfolio! If you enjoy today's episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content! ============= Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: [email protected] Properties for Sale on the North Side?  We want to buy them. Email: [email protected] Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com ============= Guest: Arthur Barkan, Barkan Realty | Call Arthur: 224-433-4553 Link: Arthur's Instagram Link: Real Life Investing Podcast with Arthur Barkan Guest Questions:  02:43 Housing Provider Tip - Understand cost segregation implications if planning to sell a property in the near term. 03:28 Intro to our guest, Arthur Barkan! 08:40 The ins and outs of North Chicago. 17:26 Assessing a potential eviction scenario. 26:17 Deal flow in today's market. 33:12 Strategies to scale faster! 36:53 Tools to streamline property management. 44:40 Dealing with the Village of North Chicago. 51:39 5 Year Outlook on Arthur's business! 57:37 What's your competitive advantage? 57:53 One piece of advice for new investors. 58:01 What do you do for fun? 58:22 Good book, podcast, or self development activity that you would recommend?  59:15 Local Network Recommendation?  59:23 How can the listeners learn more about you and provide value to you? ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.