282: Building Strategic Partnerships in Commercial Real Estate Investments with John Azar
Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing
Release Date: 10/02/2025
318: The Rise of Mid-Term Rentals As Housing's Fastest-Growing Segment with Jeff Hurst
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...
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317: How Commercial Real Estate Can Enrich The Lives of People at Work with Jonathan Iger
Zen 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”...
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316: How To Break Through Your Income Ceiling With Real Estate with Stuart Gethner
Zen 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...
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315: Thinking Outside the Short-Term Rental Box with Nick Korwin
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 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...
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314: Why Higher Short-Term Rental Rates Start With Better Design with Bri West
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 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...
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313: Learning To Invest Beyond Multifamily In Growth Markets with Ash Patel
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 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...
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312: A Playbook For Buying and Holding Rental Properties with Jennifer Ruelens
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 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...
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311: Building a Wealth Creation Value-Add System with August Biniaz
Zen 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...
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310: Learning How To Invest Like a Billionaire with Bob Fraser
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 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...
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309: Redefining the Standards of Commercial Real Estate Services with Greg Trotter
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 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_outlineIn this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene speaks with John Azar of Peak 15 Capital about the power of strategic partnerships in commercial real estate. John shares his experience in structuring co-GP deals, managing multifamily funds, and creating opportunities that enable investors to scale their portfolios while minimizing operational involvement. He emphasizes the importance of selecting the right partner, practicing conservative underwriting, and leveraging expertise to optimize long-term returns.
John and Jonathan explore the benefits of fund investments versus individual syndications. John explains how a diversified “bin” of assets, such as multifamily properties, industrial properties, and car washes, provides stability, access to multiple cash flow streams, and peace of mind for investors seeking smart, passive income. They also discuss how fund structures offer investors tangible exposure to real estate assets while minimizing the need for active property management.
The conversation highlights the tangible nature of real estate compared to stocks or bonds. Investors can visit properties, evaluate assets in person, and see the land and buildings they’re backing. This hands-on approach enables investors to make informed decisions, understand the true value of the assets, and trust their operators to execute effectively. Both Jonathan and John stress how real estate provides optionality and flexibility, making it a unique asset class for long-term wealth building.
When evaluating deals, John emphasizes the importance of both people and numbers. Peak 15 Capital adopts a conservative underwriting approach, carefully analyzing rent growth, cap rates, and funding plans to avoid overly optimistic assumptions. John also notes the role of intuition and in-person meetings when selecting partners, advising investors to pass on deals that don’t feel right, even if the projected returns appear attractive.
Finally, John introduces Peak 15 Capital’s multifamily accelerator course, which guides investors through every stage of multifamily investing, from identification and acquisition to management and disposition. The course blends Mom-and-Pop fundraising strategies with institutional-level insights, preparing investors to grow in the multifamily sector and scale their portfolios strategically.
In this episode, you will hear:
- Starting in large scale development before moving into multifamily
- Advantages of diversified fund investments versus one-off syndications
- Lessons from the 2008 recession and relaunching in the southeast
- How real estate’s tangible nature provides confidence and flexibility for investors
- Key criteria for deal evaluation: assumptions, underwriting, and partner selection
- The benefits of co-GP structures for leveraging capital and control
- Importance of reserves and time in weathering market downturns
- How the Peak 15 Capital multifamily accelerator course prepares investors for full-cycle investing
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Supporting Resources:
Peak 15 Capital website - www.peak15cap.com
John Azar’s Instagram - www.instagram.com/jjazar
Connect with John on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/jalalazar
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.