EPISODE · Jun 17, 2025 · 43 MIN
How to Turn a Motel, a Church, and a Calling Into Community Impact | EP#06
from 🎙️ Local Real Estate Developers · host Kristi Kandel
🛑 What if the future of real estate isn't about ROI… but about rebuilding trust?In this episode of The Local Real Estate Developer Podcast, we’re handing the mic to someone who’s walking the talk—Ben Sears, VP of Expansion at Star House in Columbus, Ohio. Ben’s team didn’t wait around for the system to fix itself—they became the community operator & developer. From turning a condemned motel into housing to navigating the politics of adaptive reuse in a 70-year-old church building, Ben breaks down what it really takes to lead a community-first development project.If you’ve ever wondered how locals can take control of abandoned spaces and turn them into something meaningful—this one’s for you.🎯 Here’s what we get into:How Star House went from service provider to real estate developer (and why it had to)What it actually takes to entitle and rezone a church building (hint: it’s not for the faint of heart)The exact partnerships and advisors Ben leaned on to move from idea to executionWhat YIGBY ("Yes In God's Backyard") means—and how churches can become housing partnersLessons learned from bidding out GC contracts, negotiating parking variances, and winning over the neighborhood💥 You don’t need to be a big-time developer to make a big-time impact. You just need the courage to go first, and the relationships to go far.Learn more about our guest: Instagram: @starhousecolumbus LinkedIn: Ben Sears Website: https://www.starhouse.us Email: [email protected]✅ Sign up for the LRED Developer Vault & Monthly Newsletter: http://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/developer-vault-optin🎧 Access all platforms, the Developer Vault, and more: https://linktr.ee/localrealestatedeveloperReady to go from podcast listener to Local Developer? Whether you're just getting started or ready to go all in, we've got the tools to help you build what matters in your own backyard. → Programs & Resources: https://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/ → 90-Day Masterclass: https://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/build-it-course → Apply for the Mentorship Program: https://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/dev-mentorship#LocalRealEstateDeveloper #BuildWhatMatters #ThinkBigStartLocal #GatekeepingEndsHere #FromVacantToVibrant #CommunityFirstDevelopment #RealEstateWithPurpose
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