The Best Ever CRE Show

Latest Episodes:

JF 4100: Ten Years of Best Ever Con, Industry Shifts, and Lessons from Top Investors ft. Ben Lapidus Nov 25, 2025

Show notes

Matt Faircloth sits down with Ben Lapidus for a deep-dive into the origins, evolution, and future of the Best Ever Conference as it approaches its tenth year. Ben shares how a chance Skillshare class with Joe Fairless in 2012 sparked their partnership, how the conference grew from 175 attendees to a premier commercial real estate event, and why it remains intentionally focused on capital-raising and syndication. They walk through standout memories, the impact BEC has had on major companies in the space, and what attendees can expect from the 2026 agenda. The conversation also previews this year’s speakers, Pitch Slam details, and why the event consistently delivers high-value networking. Ben Lapidus
Current role: Coordinator, Best Ever Conference
Based in: Denver, CO
Say hi to them at: https://besteverconference.com/ | benlapidus.com/coaching | playground.properties |

Start earning passive income today at gsprei.com/bestever

Alternative Fund IV is closing soon and SMK is giving Best Ever listeners exclusive access to their Founders’ Shares, typically offered only to early investors. Visit smkcap.com/bec to learn more and download the full fund summary.

Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at:

https://www.besteverconference.com/

Join the Best Ever Community

The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.

Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow.

Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠

Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JF 4099: Building Systems, Teams and Enterprise Value in CRE ft. Nick Jones Nov 24, 2025

Show notes

Richard McGirr interviews Nick Jones, founder and CEO of Alakai Capital, about how he scaled his commercial real estate company from a solo operation into a multi-department organization. Nick shares how he transitioned from land brokerage into development, why retail provided the best entry point for his early deals, and how cultivating tenant and broker relationships became the backbone of his growth strategy. He also discusses building organizational infrastructure—accounting, asset management, operations, and culture—to transform a deal-operator model into a scalable business.

Nick Jones
Current role: Founder & CEO, Alakai Capital
Based in: Orlando, Florida
Say hi to them at: https://alakai-capital.com/

Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at:

https://www.besteverconference.com/

Join the Best Ever Community

The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.

Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow.

Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠

Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4098: Cap Rates, Hiring Trends and the Next CRE Cycle with John Chang Nov 23, 2025

Show notes

John Chang breaks down the September jobs report, the ripple effects of tariffs, and what current economic uncertainty means for commercial real estate investors. He explains how healthcare employment is propping up national job growth, why stalled hiring across most industries is signaling caution, and how policy unpredictability is weighing on business decisions. John also outlines the markets most resilient to recessionary pressures and highlights why today's cap rate environment may offer strong long-term entry points for CRE investors.

Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at:

https://www.besteverconference.com/

Join the Best Ever Community

The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.

Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow.

Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠

Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JF 4097: Scaling Mistakes, Mentorship Breakthroughs and Smarter Deal Structures ft. James Faillettaz Nov 22, 2025

Show notes

John Casmon interviews James Faillettaz, a Minneapolis-based investor who scaled from five units in a spreadsheet to restructuring an entire real estate company after an ambitious early strategy nearly collapsed. James shares how he over-hired, over-built, and over-extended while trying to operate like a Silicon Valley startup—then completely rebuilt his structure with the help of mentors and mastermind groups. He walks through how he created new momentum by taking over distressed properties through master lease with purchase option agreements, ultimately acquiring 101 units with zero money down. James also breaks down the value he brings to sellers, how he structures creative deals, and the lessons he learned from reinventing his model the hard way.

James Faillettaz
Current role: Founder, Verus Praedium Holding / Revolution Renting, Investing, Construction & Realty
Based in: Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota
Say hi to them at: https://veruspraediumholding.com

Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at:

https://www.besteverconference.com/

Join the Best Ever Community

The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.

Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow.

Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠

Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JF 4096: Off-Market Strategies That Actually Work ft. Christian Macellari Nov 21, 2025

Show notes

Matt Faircloth interviews Christian Macellari, Head of Acquisitions and CIO at RSN Property Group, about how their team has grown more than 20% in the past 15–16 months by staying disciplined, data-driven, and relentless in sourcing opportunities. Christian explains how RSN underwrites roughly 400 deals a year to close just a few, why top-down market conviction matters before drilling into individual assets, and how their team blends off-market outreach, broker relationships, and distressed-debt conversations to secure deals. He also breaks down RSN’s buy box, when they’ll consider heavy-lift opportunities, and why Chicago is the market he “loves to hate.” Christian and Matt wrap by discussing JV/co-GP equity structures and how operators can realistically partner with larger institutional groups.

Christian Macellari
Current role: Chief Investment Officer & Head of Acquisitions, RSN Property Group
Based in: (Not explicitly stated in transcript)
Say hi to them at: https://rsnpropertygroup.com | LinkedIn

Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at:

https://www.besteverconference.com/

Join the Best Ever Community

The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.

Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow.

Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠

Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JF 4095: The 3 Types of Income Every LP Must Understand Nov 20, 2025

Show notes

Pascal Wagner breaks down how the IRS categorizes income into three buckets—active, portfolio, and passive—and why high-income earners often misunderstand how tax write-offs actually work. He explains common investor mistakes, including expecting real estate depreciation to offset W-2 or stock-market gains, and shares the simple rule that changed his entire tax strategy: “you can only offset like with like.” Pascal also walks through exceptions such as oil and gas, real estate professional status, and opportunity zones, along with how wealthy investors intentionally shift income toward passive buckets for long-term tax efficiency. This episode teaches investors to stop chasing IRRs and start choosing deals based on what problem they solve in their tax plan.

Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at:

https://www.besteverconference.com/

Join the Best Ever Community

The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.

Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow.

Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠

Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JF 4094: From Truck Sleeping to Nine-Figure Net Worth ft. Jeremy Barker Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

Amanda Cruise and Ash Patel interview Jeremy Barker, a former firefighter turned serial entrepreneur who has built a nine-figure net worth through value-add industrial and office deals. Jeremy walks through how he bought nearly vacant, 100,000+ square foot assets, pre-leased them during due diligence, and created tens of millions in equity with very little cash out of pocket. He shares how going bankrupt twice, living in his truck, and then rebuilding through Murphy Door and commercial real estate reshaped his relationship with money, risk, and failure. Jeremy also talks about chasing “shiny objects” like short-term rentals, the hidden costs of wealth, and the challenge of raising grounded kids when your life includes private planes and big headlines.

Jeremy Barker
Current role: Founder & CEO, Murphy Door Inc.
Based in: Ogden, Utah
Say hi to them at: https://jeremybarker.com | YouTube | LinkedIn

Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at:

https://www.besteverconference.com/

Join the Best Ever Community

The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.

Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow.

Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠

Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JF 4093: Ads, Email and AI Voice That Actually Converts ft. Jeffrey Brogger Nov 18, 2025

Show notes

On this week’s episode, Joe Fairless interviews Jeffrey Brogger. Jeffrey shares practical ways to revive “dead” contacts using AI voice agents that hold natural two-way conversations and surface real buying signals. He explains where these tools outperform blast emails and basic SMS, why latency and compliance matter, and how he builds lower-cost, highly customizable stacks with VAPI, Twilio and modern LLM voices. The discussion closes with an omnichannel playbook that uses ads, email, website activity and AI automations to turn quiet databases into qualified call-backs. Jeffrey Brogger Current role: AI Strategist, Growth Architect, Founder of JJB Industries Based in: Huntington Beach, California Say hi to them at: https://jjbind.com/

Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at:

https://www.besteverconference.com/

Join the Best Ever Community

The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.

Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow.

Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠

Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JF 4092: Why Cold Traffic Fails and Trust-Based Marketing Wins with Richard McGirr Nov 17, 2025

Show notes

Richard McGirr breaks down why most syndicators struggle with online ads and explains why cold traffic is the last place capital raisers should be spending money. He argues that private investments require a level of trust that interruptive ads can’t establish, and that most managers burn cash chasing low-quality Facebook leads with terrible conversion. Instead, Richard outlines a hierarchy of “trust-based traffic,” from podcast tours that borrow a host’s credibility to scalable paid influencer webinars that transfer trust at a fraction of the cost of ads. He walks through real-world examples—from George Foreman to Proactiv—to show how borrowed brands can outperform traditional marketing by orders of magnitude, especially in capital-raising.

Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at:

https://www.besteverconference.com/

Join the Best Ever Community

The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.

Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow.

Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠

Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JF 4091: Cap Rates, Debt Costs and the 2025 Investment Sweet Spot with John Chang Nov 16, 2025

Show notes

John Chang breaks down the latest economic and market signals after a week of meetings in New York City. He explains how the temporary government funding deal both alleviates short-term pressures and extends broader uncertainty—impacting GDP, consumer spending, and investor sentiment. John also unpacks capital flows, interest-rate volatility tied to upcoming Federal Reserve changes, and why debt availability is improving even as risk factors persist. He contrasts Sun Belt oversupply with strong performance in low-construction markets, and ultimately argues that today’s elevated cap rates and stable debt costs may represent a rare “sweet spot” for long-term investors.

Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at:

https://www.besteverconference.com/

Join the Best Ever Community

The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.

Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow.

Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠

Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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