236: How To Find and Build Your Passive Investing Tribe with Jim Pfeifer
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
Release Date: 04/24/2025
264: Building Real Estate Wealth Through Rental Properties with Joel Miller
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
In today’s episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan sits down with experienced investor and author Joel Miller, who has spent nearly five decades building wealth through rental properties. Joel walks through his early days as a mobile DJ, his accidental path into real estate, and how he grew a portfolio of rentals, flipped over 100 houses, and became a trusted hard money lender in his community. Joel shares his unique perspective on incorporating real estate into an existing career without sacrificing a passion or day job. He emphasizes that real estate doesn’t have to...
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263: How To Become The Most Trusted Home Buyer In Your Town with Nick Disney
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
In today’s episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan speaks with Nick Disney, founder of Sell My San Antonio House. Nick built a thriving home-buying business by focusing on what matters most—helping sellers solve real problems, not just pitching offers. He guides listeners through the transformation from a small-scale side hustler to one of the most trusted local investors in Texas, prioritizing trust, consistency, and problem-solving over quick profits. Nick shares how he launched his business with a few flips and grew it through consistent marketing and...
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262: Real Estate Investing Lessons From the Mad Scientist of Multifamily with Neal Bawa
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
In today’s episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan welcomes Neal Bawa, founder and CEO of Grocapitus and a nationally recognized leader in data-driven real estate investing. Known as the “Mad Scientist of Multifamily,” Neal brings a tech-forward approach to real estate, combining sharp market analysis with a clear-eyed view of risk, strategy, and opportunity. Neal shares how he went from running a tech company in Silicon Valley to building a $660 million real estate portfolio. He breaks down the importance of data modeling, boots-on-the-ground research, and why...
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261: Building Family Offices To Invest and Protect Your Assets with Richard Wilson
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
In today’s episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan welcomes Richard Wilson, founder and CEO of the Family Office Club, to break down how the ultra-wealthy build, protect, and grow their assets. With more than 100,000 members and 18 years at the helm, Richard has helped thousands of family offices form investment strategies that create generational wealth. The episode opens with a look at what sets billionaires apart from the rest of us, from their appetite for risk to how they move quickly and avoid herd thinking. Richard explains that the most successful investors make...
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260: Why The Biggest Threat To Housing is Government Interference with Mark Shuler
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
In today’s episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan speaks with architect and multifamily syndicator Mark Shuler of SGRE Investments about how government regulation continues to hamper housing development across the country. With over 40 years of experience in architecture, urban infill, and multifamily project management, Mark brings a unique dual perspective that blends design expertise with investment strategy. Mark outlines the real-world consequences of permitting delays, inconsistent local regulations, and overreaching planning departments. From Seattle’s...
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259: Thoughtfully Structured Alternative Investments Designed For Long-Term Success with Brad Johnson
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
In today’s episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan sits down with Brad Johnson, co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of Vintage Capital. With over $3.3 billion in commercial real estate transactions under his belt, Brad brings a deep well of experience in structuring long-term, risk-adjusted investments, especially in the mobile home park space. Brad’s journey into real estate began in his twenties, when he and his friends started buying single-family rentals with profits from a startup. Over time, he transitioned from remote investing to institutional asset...
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258: Helping Investors Build Wealth Through Multifamily Real Estate with Andrew Cushman
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
In today’s episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan interviews Andrew Cushman, founder of Vantage Point Acquisitions, to explore the evolution of his investing career and how he helps others build wealth through multifamily real estate. After leaving a stable career in chemical engineering in 2007, Andrew made a bold leap into house flipping and eventually multifamily investing, where he has now syndicated or repositioned over 3,000 units. Andrew explains why flipping quickly became unsustainable for him and his wife, and how they transitioned into multifamily with the...
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257: Creating Risk-Adjusted, Tax-Advantaged Returns Through Real Estate with Austin Masket
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
In today’s episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan sits down with Austin Masket, founder and Chief Investment Officer of Riverly Capital. With a background as a commercial broker and portfolio manager for a family office, Austin brings a seasoned and data-driven approach to multifamily investing and distressed debt acquisition. His firm focuses on creating risk-adjusted, tax-advantaged returns in key U.S. markets like Denver, Atlanta, and Phoenix. Austin’s early exposure to real estate came from his family, but his professional foundation was shaped at Marcus &...
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256: How To Maximize Multifamily Net Operating Income Using Onsite Solar with Owen Barrett
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
In this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan speaks with Owen Barrett, founder and CEO of Shine, a solar company built by apartment owners for apartment owners. With a background in finance and clean energy, Owen brings a pragmatic and results-driven mindset to a traditionally misunderstood corner of multifamily investing—onsite solar energy. Owen shares how his first exposure to real estate came after achieving financial independence through his solar ventures. Instead of starting small, he jumped into a 64-unit building, testing how large-scale solar could be...
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255: Rebuilding Communities and Redeveloping Housing with Peter Neill
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
In today’s episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan welcomes Peter Neill, co-founder and partner at GSP REI, for a conversation that blends capital raising, real estate development, and a commitment to rebuilding underserved communities. Peter shares how he moved from a sales and marketing role at a distressed mortgage firm to managing funds focused on affordable and workforce housing throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Along the way, he discovered that long-term success in real estate hinges on experience, consistency, and assembling the right team. Peter reflects on early...
info_outlineIf you don’t want the hassle of becoming a landlord, passive investing could be your entry into real estate investing.
On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan welcomes Jim Pfeifer, the former founder, president, and CEO of Left Field Investors, which is now PassivePockets. Jim is also the co-host of the PassivePockets podcast and a long-time investor in syndications as a limited partner.
Jonathan and Jim start their discussion by outlining the story of Left Field Investors and Passive Pockets. Jim explains what drew him to passive investing versus active investing, the importance of vetting operators, and the downsides of becoming a landlord. You’ll hear why you have to recognize that your investments are illiquid, where Jim places money outside of real estate investing, and the necessity of hiring experts to help you make the most of your money. Finally, Jim explains why he prefers personal recommendations over cold leads, the importance of doing your due diligence, and how PassivePockets helps investors vet syndicators.
Jim Pfeifer has a long track record in syndication investing, and if you’re interested in this asset class, don’t miss his words of wisdom for finding the right investment.
In this episode, you will hear:
- The inception of Left Field Investors and how that led to the creation of PassivePockets
- What drew Jim Pfeifer to passive investing versus more active investing
- The importance of vetting operators in syndications and why it’s the key skill in passive investing
- Downsides of becoming a landlord
- Adjusting to the longer cycles in syndications as a limited partner and realizing your investments are illiquid
- One of the biggest mistakes Jim made as he began investing in syndications, and where he places money outside of real estate
- Using 1031 exchanges in syndications and finding experts who can help you make the most of your money
- Why personal recommendations from the investing community are always better than cold leads
- The perfect candidates for passive investing
- Funds versus one-off investing and the importance of due diligence
- How Jim vets syndicators and what PassivePockets does
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Supporting Resources:
PassivePockets website - www.passivepockets.com
PassivePockets on YouTube - www.youtube.com/@PassivePocketsInvesting
Find PassivePockets on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/company/passivepockets
Connect with Jim Pfeifer on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/jimpfeifer
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 - [email protected]
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.