217: Wealth-Building Real Estate Investments For Busy Professionals with Adiel Gorel
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
Release Date: 02/17/2025
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene sits down with Jeff Hurst, CEO of Furnish Finder, to explore the fast-growing world of midterm rentals and why they’re becoming an increasingly attractive option for both renters and real estate investors. Jeff explains how monthly furnished rentals serve professionals, relocating families, and healthcare workers—distinctly different from traditional short-term vacation rentals. The conversation breaks down why midterm rentals often deliver better cash flow than long-term rentals with far less operational...
info_outlineZen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene is joined by Jonathan Iger, CEO of Sage Realty Corporation, to explore how a 100-year-old, family-owned real estate company is redefining the modern office experience. Drawing on Sage’s deep roots in New York City office development, Jonathan explains how brand, hospitality, and operational excellence can drive higher tenant retention and long-term value creation. The conversation dives into why office real estate was already changing before COVID, how renewal rates are often misunderstood, and why “experience”...
info_outlineZen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene is joined by Stuart Gethner, a longtime real estate investor, educator, and connector who has spent decades helping investors move from analysis into action. Stuart shares insights from his experience coaching investors and building his own portfolio across multiple market cycles. The conversation centers on why real estate is ultimately a people business. Stuart explains how networking, local market knowledge, and face-to-face relationships help investors avoid costly mistakes—especially when investing out of state...
info_outlineZen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene sits down with Nick Corwin, founder of Oak and Ember, to explore what it really looks like to move from long-term rentals into short-term hospitality and eventually into ground-up development. Nick shares how an engineering mindset, strong mentorship, and disciplined downside analysis shaped his early investing decisions. The conversation traces Nick’s evolution from owning Midwest long-term rentals to building unique short-term experiences in the Wisconsin Dells. He explains why chasing the middle of the market can...
info_outlineZen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene sits down with Bri West, co-founder of Somerled Designs, to explore how strategic design has become a competitive advantage in today’s short-term rental market. Drawing on her background in marketing and real estate investing, Bri explains why design should be treated as a revenue-driving investment rather than a cosmetic expense. The conversation dives into how niching down on a clear guest avatar, using data to guide design decisions, and prioritizing high-impact spaces can dramatically increase ADR—even if...
info_outlineZen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene sits down with Ash Patel, a commercial real estate investor with more than 15 years of experience investing beyond multifamily. Ash shares how an early mixed-use deal opened his eyes to the advantages of commercial assets and ultimately reshaped his entire investing approach. The conversation explores why many commercial assets are misunderstood or overlooked, including office, retail, medical, and mixed-use properties. Ash explains how changing work patterns, suburban growth, and market cycles are creating rare...
info_outlineZen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene sits down with Jennifer Ruelens, a longtime property manager and unapologetic truth-teller in the real estate industry. With more than two decades of hands-on experience, Jennifer shares what buy-and-hold investors often misunderstand about property management, tenant relationships, and the real work required to make rentals perform over time. The conversation explores why real estate investing is rarely passive, how deferred maintenance and avoidance cost investors far more than management fees, and why many...
info_outlineZen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
Jonathan Greene is joined by August Biniaz, co-founder and CIO of CPI Capital, to explore how early exposure to real estate shaped August’s investing philosophy and led him from single-family investing into large-scale multifamily and build-to-rent strategies. August shares how his family’s experience with real estate as a hedge against inflation influenced his long-term view on housing and capital preservation. The conversation dives into the realities of syndication, from learning the GP/LP structure through trial and error to building investor trust, infrastructure, and discipline over...
info_outlineZen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene sits down with Bob Fraser, bestselling author of Invest Like a Billionaire and CFO and Chief Macro Strategist at Aspen Funds. Bob shares how billionaire investors moved away from traditional 60/40 portfolios toward alternative investments—and why everyday investors can adopt the same mindset without billionaire-level wealth. Throughout the conversation, Bob explains why professionally managed real estate is often the most approachable entry point into alternatives, especially for investors who want...
info_outlineZen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene sits down with Greg Trotter, CEO and founder of Commercial Building Consultants, to unpack what real estate investors often miss during commercial due diligence. With over 40 years of experience in construction, inspections, and forensic building analysis, Greg explains how his role is to act as a “bodyguard” for investors—protecting their equity by identifying real risks before they close. Greg walks through how property condition assessments should align with an investor’s hold period and exit strategy,...
info_outlineThe real estate market in the United States is magical, but its citizens often miss out on the unique opportunities it offers.
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan sits down with Adiel Gorel, founder and CEO of International Capital Group, a world-renowned real estate investment firm founded in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 1987, Adiel has taught investors how to secure a strong financial future for college, business investments, and retirement. Adiel also operates in the wellness space.
Jonathan and Adiel begin their discussion by exploring Adiel’s unwilling exposure to real estate as a child. When he began his career in Silicon Valley as a young adult, he discovered the many benefits of the U.S. real estate sector, learning how to leverage the mortgage system to build wealth with rental properties. Adiel explains the fluctuation in interest rates since the 1980s, the benefits of buying today instead of waiting, and why inflation can be a positive for investors. You’ll hear about venturing beyond your local market for rental properties, his criteria for the markets he buys in, and Adiel’s personal decision to rent for 20 years before buying his own home.
The real estate market in this country is unique, and Adiel wants everyone to know what they could be missing out on by not taking advantage of the magic it offers.
In this episode, you will hear:
- Adiel Gorel’s introduction to real estate as a child and when he decided he wanted to pursue real estate investing as a career
- Leveraging the U.S. mortgage system to build wealth with rental properties and how interest rates have fluctuated since Adiel’s start in the 1980s
- The benefits of buying today versus waiting for interest rates to fall
- The miraculous real estate market in the U.S. that its citizens often miss
- Why inflation can be a positive for real estate investors
- Adiel’s refusal to retire
- Buying rentals outside of your local market for better deals and where Adiel looked outside of his home state of California
- How he began helping a group of coworkers buy homes where he was buying them
- His criteria for buying a particular market
- Adiel’s decision to rent for 20 years as an investor before buying his own home
- Why you are never too old to invest in real estate and the advice he gives to new investors
- One of the worst mistakes investors can make
Follow and Review:
We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
If you enjoyed this episode, we've created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at https://zenandtheartofrealestateinvesting.com/podcast/217/ to download it.
Supporting Resources:
Adiel Gorel’s website - adielgorel.com
Adiel’s YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/@AdielGorel
Adiel on Facebook - www.facebook.com/Adiel.Gorel.Profile
Find Adiel on Instagram - www.instagram.com/adielgorel
Connect with Adiel Gorel on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/adielgorel
Adiel’s TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@adielgorel
ICGRE - icgre.com
Website - www.streamlined.properties
YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos
Instagram - www.instagram.com/trustgreene
Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties
TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@trustgreene
Zillow - www.zillow.com/profile/StreamlinedReal
Bigger Pockets - www.biggerpockets.com/users/TrustGreene
Facebook - www.facebook.com/streamlinedproperties
Email - info@streamlined.properties
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.