The Commercial Real Estate Investor Podcast

Recent Episodes

1. 393. Chick-Fil-A Already Did Your Real Estate Research

   Jul 20, 2026

   Tyler discusses how commercial real estate investors can leverage the site selection research of major retail anchors like Chick-fil-A, In-N-Out, Walmart, and Costco to identify high-potential development corridors without conducting expensive market studies themselves. He explains the detailed metrics anchors use (traffic counts, vehicle speed, daytime population, growth trajectory, access/egress), the four types of anchors (QSR scouts, value big box, true destination, redevelopment), and the 18-24 month development flywheel from announcement to opening. Tyler illustrates the strategy with the Rivergate Mall redevelopment in Nashville and provides actionable tactics for small investors to capitalize on anchor announcements through out parcels, pad sites, strip center acquisitions, and flex space development.

2. 392. How Developers Build Affordable Housing

   Jul 13, 2026

   Evan Holiday, founder of Holiday Ventures, discusses the development of Stonebridge Lofts, a 311-unit affordable housing community in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, featuring 11,000 sq ft of ground-floor retail and a 100% solar-powered clubhouse. The episode explores how developers achieve affordability while paying market rates for land, construction, and design, detailing the complex capital stack including low-income housing tax credits (40%), tax-exempt debt (50%), and local gap-filler funding (10%). Holiday shares lessons on mixed-use development, securing Amazon's $2 billion housing equity fund partnership, and navigating $8 million in unexpected construction cost overruns during 2022–2024 inflationary pressures.

3. 390. Why Single Family Rentals Will Never Replace Your W-2

   Jun 25, 2026

   Tyler, a commercial real estate investor and broker, discusses why single-family rentals and W-2 income replacement should not be the primary goal for real estate investors. He explains the "W-2 Paradox"—that keeping your W-2 job is actually essential for building a sustainable real estate portfolio, since lenders rely on W-2 income to approve loans, your salary funds down payments, and quitting prematurely stops portfolio growth. Tyler argues that the real benefit of passive real estate income is flexibility, not retirement, and outlines three major barriers investors face when leaving their W-2: the lending wall, the compounding wall, and the operational wall.

4. 388. Watch Us 5x Our Returns in Self Storage (Deep Dive)

   Jun 18, 2026

   Jamie, a self-storage operator and designer from the UK, walks through detailed site plans for adding 46 shipping container units to a 105-unit self-storage facility near Nashville. The discussion covers design optimization, unit selection (new vs. used containers), phased deployment strategy, and financial projections showing nearly $1M in value creation from approximately $150K in capital investment—demonstrating 5X returns through container-based expansion on underutilized land.

5. 387. The Real Reason the Best Deals Never Hit the Market

   Jun 15, 2026

   Tyler Cable, host of the Commercial Real Estate Investor podcast, explores why the best commercial real estate deals never hit public listing sites like LoopNet or Crexy. He explains the three primary channels where off-market deals actually transact: broker preview lists, tired sellers who avoid listing, and direct outreach. Cable shares personal case studies including his Newell Tower deal ($1.8M purchase, $4.6M sale in 15 months) and discusses strategies for investors to access these hidden opportunities.

6. 386. How I Bought My First Commercial Property at 25 (just copy me)

   Jun 11, 2026

   Tyler Cobble, founder and CEO of CRE Central.com, shares his personal journey of purchasing his first commercial property at age 25—a former community bank in Old Hickory, Nashville—for $575,000 (negotiated down $175,000 from the $750,000 list price). He walks through the real deal mechanics, his two-offer negotiation strategy, the $20,000 HVAC mistake that cost him two months post-closing, and the three major underwriting errors (mechanical scope, vacancy assumptions, and overly optimistic pro formas) that nearly derailed the investment. Cobble emphasizes that the primary barrier to purchasing commercial real estate is not capital, market knowledge, or finding the perfect deal, but rather the willingness to stop waiting for certainty and take action.

7. 385. The 1031 Move That Lets You Buy Before You Sell

   Jun 8, 2026

   Tyler Cabble, host of the Commercial Real Estate Investor podcast, breaks down 1031 exchange strategies that most investors execute reflexively rather than strategically. He covers when to use a 1031 exchange, when to pay capital gains tax instead, debt replacement rules, the transition from residential to commercial real estate, and introduces the reverse 1031 exchange—a powerful but lesser-known tool that allows investors to purchase replacement property before selling their current asset.

8. 384. Watch Me Underwrite a Real Industrial Deal in 30 Minutes

   Jun 1, 2026

   Tyler Cable, host of the Commercial Real Estate Investor podcast, walks through his process for locating and underwriting a flex industrial deal in real-time. Using Boulder, Colorado as a case study for site selection strategy, he demonstrates how to identify major thoroughfares and secondary markets for flex space. He then pulls a random property from Kansas City on Crexy—a 4,260 sq ft industrial space priced at $315,000—and completes a full underwriting analysis, showing how to evaluate rental comps, stress-test assumptions, and arrive at projected returns of 16.7% IRR and 19.5% cash-on-cash.

9. 383. 100 Doors. 35% Returns. Why He's Walking Away.

   May 28, 2026

   Ray Smith discusses his transition from owning 100 single-family residential properties generating 35% annual returns to liquidating his entire residential portfolio and shifting to commercial real estate. Starting from bankruptcy in 2009 with $7,000, he scaled to 100 doors through private money and Section 8 rentals, then pivoted to commercial projects including office buildings, restaurants, and a commissary kitchen in St. Petersburg, Florida. The episode covers his decision to exit residential due to tenant quality issues, his commercial development challenges including the $50,000 oven surprise, and his philosophy on buying below market value to ensure investor returns.

10. 381. He Doubled His Cash Flow Without Buying a Single New Property

    May 21, 2026

    Chris Thorndike, a commercial real estate investor from Gainesville, Florida, discusses how he doubled his cash flow without purchasing a new property by repositioning an existing warehouse. After successfully converting a former car wash into six micro-retail suites generating $76,000 in NOI, Chris identified an adjacent single-tenant warehouse and applied the same micro-suite model to increase its cash flow from $37,000 to a projected $102,000+ NOI, while spending significantly less capital and time than acquiring a new property.