Syndication isn’t always the first stop for real estate investors, but for Randy Smith, it became his area of expertise after exploring other investing strategies. In this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan sits down with Randy, the founder of Impact Equity, to discuss his journey from corporate sales and leadership to real estate investing. Since launching Impact Equity in 2022, Randy has focused on helping investors connect with top-tier operators across multiple projects. He also created RAI$E Capital Coaching and Consulting to support new capital raisers in building their businesses. As the co-host of The Gentle Art of Crushing It, Randy shares his knowledge and experience to help others navigate syndications with confidence.
Randy’s journey into real estate investing didn’t start until his 40s, despite having a strong financial foundation. He shares with Jonathan how his background shaped his approach and why he initially pursued turnkey properties before transitioning to syndications. Randy discusses his early investing mistakes, the lessons he learned from trying the BRRRR strategy, and the critical role of due diligence in syndication investing—especially when it comes to managing debt risk. He also underscores the challenges he’s currently facing in his portfolio, the importance of diversification, and why building a strong investor community is key. As the conversation wraps up, Randy reveals his use of fund of funds strategies and the three essential factors to evaluate in any deal.
Jonathan and Randy cover more in-depth:
- There are four big factors to consider when moving into syndications, and debt structure is the most important one.
- Education and community are two ways to dip your toes into syndication investing before investing money.
- Randy’s advice for vetting a syndication is to “trust but verify.” Doing due diligence is critical.
Syndications can feel like a complicated and overwhelming investing strategy. Randy Smith offers expert advice for making this asset class more accessible.
If you want to learn more about Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing Podcast, check out https://zenandtheartofrealestateinvesting.com/podcast/231/.