Episode #166: Asset Management Friday: Tertiary Markets with Nic Espanet

Jan 15, 2021

Welcome to another Asset Management Friday segment, focused on educating operators, building better systems, and becoming a best in class operator. Today’s guest is Nic Espanet, a Principal at Thrive Multifamily LLC and a multifamily real estate investor based in Fort Worth, Texas. Nic has been passively investing in multifamily assets since 2016 and has been a multifamily syndicator and asset manager since 2018. He has worked as a licensed physical therapist since 1996 and has run his own private practice since 2012. His experience as a small business owner combined with his detail-oriented personality has equipped the strong growth of Thrive Multifamily, a Texas-based multifamily syndication company. Nic is currently an asset manager in 3 multifamily syndications totaling 452 units, and is a passive investor in an additional 1780 units at 7 properties. In this episode, Nic shares a bit about himself and his syndication business, his experience of asset management in tertiary markets, and some of the challenges therein. He also talks about building in economic vacancy in tertiary markets and explains how he mitigates tax and insurance increases, so make sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

  • Nic introduces himself and his syndication business and explains how he got into real estate.
  • Asset management in tertiary markets like Abilene versus DFW – Nic shares his experience. 
  • The challenges of asset managing are putting together contractors and boots on the ground.
  • While underwriting on lease-ups isn’t a challenge, Nic always builds in a little more economic vacancy in tertiary markets.
  • How Nic mitigates tax and insurance increases in Texas, by using a skilled tax consultant.
  • Nic advises asset managers to look at rental, collections, and delinquency, but to also focus on expenses, income, and work orders too.
  • The number one problem Nic’s mentees face when they come to him about asset managing.
  • Nic says his asset management superpower is persistence and getting positive feedback.

Tweetables:

“On the main asset management side, it’s trying to put together contractors. Our property management company handles the biggest part of that.” — Nic Espanet [0:03:20]

“In the end, it’s what’s going in the bank is what’s important. Your NOI can be great but if your Cap X is over spending at that point and you’re not putting what you want into the bank, you’re not going to have money to distribute it. You're not going to have money to make the debt payment.” — Nic Espanet [0:07:59]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Nic Espanet on LinkedIn
redIQ

Nic Espanet Email

Passive Income Through Multi-Family Real Estate Facebook Group

Garzella Group

Recent Posts

Real Estate Investing: Understanding Syndication Structures

Real Estate Investing: Understanding Syndication Structures

As a passive investor evaluating a commercial real estate syndication, you need to know where to start before you can tell whether a specific property or investment is a good fit. In this article, we’ll walk through one of the critical components you should review...

read more
How To Effectively Manage Multifamily Properties

How To Effectively Manage Multifamily Properties

While single-family residential property is often the first investment choice for real estate entrepreneurs, it isn't the only one. You don’t have to represent a real estate investment trust (REIT) to find ways to invest in multifamily homes. The allure of multifamily...

read more
What You Need To Know About Cap Rates As a Passive Investor

What You Need To Know About Cap Rates As a Passive Investor

If you’ve invested in residential real estate before, you have some important, basic lingo like rental income, mortgage interest, and amortization under your belt. When you step into the world of commercial real estate, you’ll begin to see other terms, like “cap...

read more
What Is The Best Way To Invest       and Grow $1 Million Dollars?

What Is The Best Way To Invest and Grow $1 Million Dollars?

While I’m aware that most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and wishing they had just a couple of zeroes on the end of their bank balance, today we’re going to explore what could happen if you did suddenly come into money. Whether it be an inheritance, lottery...

read more