271. How to Screen Tenants Like a Pro with Mark Ainley
Real Estate Investing School Podcast
Release Date: 07/21/2025
290. Why Commercial Beats Residential with Ben Reinberg
Real Estate Investing School Podcast
On this episode of the Real Estate Investing School Podcast, Joe Jensen sits down with commercial real estate titan Ben Reinberg—founder and CEO of Alliance Consolidated Group of Companies. With more than 30 years of experience, thousands of transactions, and leadership over a 50-person national team, Ben breaks down how he built a true hard asset empire across office, industrial, retail, medical office, and multifamily. From raising his first $2M in his early twenties, to structuring complex commercial deals, to leading one of the nation’s top medical office portfolios, Ben pulls back the...
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291. The Truth About Today’s Interest Rates with Aaron Chapman
Real Estate Investing School Podcast
In this episode of the Real Estate Investing School Podcast, Joe Jensen sits down with one of the most knowledgeable lenders in the country—Aaron Chapman, a veteran loan originator since 1997 who advises more than 100 clients a month and consistently ranks in the top 1% of all mortgage originators nationwide. Aaron breaks down how today’s investors should think about cash flow, debt, and interest rates in a world where the old “date the rate, marry the house” idea no longer works. With decades of data, real-world experience, and a crystal-clear view of how mortgage-backed securities...
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289. The Real Estate Investing Niche You Need to Take Into 2026
Real Estate Investing School Podcast
In this episode of the Real Estate Investing School podcast, host Joe Jensen sits down with Nathan Turner, widely known as The Canadian Note Guy. Nathan has carved out a unique niche in real estate by focusing on mortgage notes, an often-overlooked strategy that allows investors to generate passive income without the headaches of property management. As the President of Ernest Inc. and Manager of Ernest Investing LP, he shares how he transitioned from flipping houses in Canada to becoming a leading note investor in the U.S., managing assets for accredited investors and running...
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288. Fix & Flip 101
Real Estate Investing School Podcast
Welcome to the Real Estate Investing School podcast. In this episode, host Joe Jensen interviews Wendell Butler, founder of Hammerhead Capital, Inc. At just 30 years old, Wendell has rapidly built a real estate investment business that spans single-family flips, multifamily rentals, and syndications, including being a general partner on a 32-unit multifamily deal. Despite only going full-time into real estate within the last year, Wendell has accumulated over 40 rental units and is systemizing his fix-and-flip operation to scale up to 50 properties a year. His journey began somewhat...
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287. Syndications vs Funds with Mike Zlotnik
Real Estate Investing School Podcast
In this episode of the Real Estate Investing School Podcast, host Joe Jensen sits down with Mike “Big Mike” Zlotnik—CEO of TF Management Group, host of the Big Mike Fund podcast, and author of How to Choose a Smart Real Estate Investment Fund. With over two decades of experience as a passive investor and full-time fund manager since 2009, Mike shares how he navigates market cycles with logic, discipline, and data—not emotion or speculation. He breaks down his core principles for evaluating deals, including cap rate vs. interest rate spreads, discounts to replacement cost, and...
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286. Seller Financing, Double Closes, and Land Deals Explained with Brent Bowers
Real Estate Investing School Podcast
In this episode of the Real Estate Investing School Podcast, army officer turned “Land Shark” investor Brent Bowers joins host Joe Jensen to share how buying and selling vacant land allowed him to escape the grind, be present with his family, and still build serious wealth. Brent walks through his journey from broke in 2008, moving in with his in-laws, to discovering land flipping while still deployed and working long hours in the military. He explains his first few deals, how he mailed simple handwritten postcards to tax-delinquent landowners, turned a $285 parcel into thousands in...
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285. Market Value vs Investment Value with Ryan Cadwell
Real Estate Investing School Podcast
In this episode of the Real Estate Investing School Podcast, host Joe Jensen sits down with Ryan Cadwell—veteran investor, managing partner at Resolute RDM, and all-around real estate realist. With over $100M in transactions across development, flipping, brokerage, and asset management, Ryan brings 17 years of boots-on-the-ground experience and a refreshing “no-Kool-Aid” perspective. He shares how his career evolved from a dream of passive income to building a life he doesn’t want to retire from. The two dive deep into how to design a business that aligns with your values, avoid...
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284. Flip Rules, Wholesale Wins, and the 3 C’s
Real Estate Investing School Podcast
Welcome back to the Real Estate Investing School Podcast. Today, we're in for a treat as we sit down with not one, not two, but three guests who share their thrilling journey from Oregon to Nashville in search of real estate deals. Derek, Chris, and Jeff are known as the Wild West Boys. This dynamic trio, once mentors and now partners, dives into the intricacies of flipping houses and mastering wholesale deals, all while emphasizing the power of taking action and forging authentic connections. The Wild West Boys recount their inaugural deal, revealing a unique strategy: renovate for the seller...
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283. The Power of a Clear Why in Investing
Real Estate Investing School Podcast
Welcome back to the Real Estate Investing School Podcast. Today we have Cam Cathcart on our podcast. Cam shares his journey from being a youth pastor making $40,000 a year to becoming a successful real estate investor as well as how he accomplished his goals by having a clear vision of living in Hawaii and achieving a net worth of $5 million. Cam worked tirelessly, putting in 18-hour days and immersing himself in real estate education. He started with the BRRRR method and scaled his business, eventually moving to Maui and building a rental portfolio of over 50 properties. He also created...
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282. How Investors Thrive in a Tight Market
Real Estate Investing School Podcast
In this episode of the Real Estate Investing School podcast, host Joe Jensen sits down with Jason Henneberry, the co-founder and CEO of Tango Financial, Canada’s largest mortgage brokerage. With over 20 years of experience in real estate and finance, Jason has helped thousands of realtors and mortgage professionals improve client engagement and build strong relationships. Joe and Jason dive into the key differences between real estate investing in Canada versus the U.S., covering everything from lending practices and interest rates to market fluctuations and housing affordability....
info_outlineIn this episode of the Real Estate Investing School podcast, host Joe Jensen welcomes seasoned Chicago investor Mark Ainley, founding partner of GC Realty & Development and co-host of the Straight Up Chicago Investor podcast.
With over two decades of hands-on experience, Mark has renovated more than 500 properties, leased over 4,000 units, and managed more than 7,000 doors across residential, commercial, and industrial markets. He shares his accidental yet eye-opening entry into real estate via a house hack, his early struggles with tenant screening, and how those challenges led to the creation of a data-driven tenant scoring matrix used by his property management company today.
The conversation dives deep into tenant screening best practices, the nuances of fair housing regulations, and why Mark prefers to invest in A and B class neighborhoods despite the temptation of seemingly high returns in lower-tier markets. He also discusses the shifting legal landscape for landlords, the importance of time management in real estate, and his growing interest in industrial properties due to their scarcity and demand in cities like Chicago. Mark’s candid insights make this a must-listen episode for both new and seasoned investors looking to scale strategically, avoid common pitfalls, and build long-term wealth through smarter property management and vertical integration.
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