Trusting what you see investors doing on social media can be tempting, but looks can sometimes be deceiving. On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan interviews Denis Shapiro, Managing Partner of SIH Capital Group. Denis began investing in real estate in 2012. Over the years, he has created a diversified portfolio that includes ATM funds, mobile home parks, life insurance policies, tech startups, and industrial property. Denis is also the author of The Alternative Investment Almanac: Expert Insights on Building Personal Wealth in Non-Traditional Ways. Jonathan and Denis begin their discussion by delving into Denis’s early exposure to real estate with the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and why it didn’t stick the first time around. They cover the lessons he’s teaching his kids about money using Monopoly, why he loves having a diversified portfolio, and what types of affordable housing he prefers. Denis explains how he finds off-market deals in the affordable housing space, the three asset classes he loves the most, and why private lending is an integral part of the three pillars of his business. You’ll hear why creating relationships is crucial to his business model rather than leaning on reputation, why taking actionable steps matters when introducing yourself to other investors, and the value of knowing your skillset and having a basic knowledge of terminology at your disposal. Finally, Denis emphasizes being cautious when choosing syndications to invest with and knowing what uncomfortable questions to ask. Denis’s career is centered on relationships and trust, which continues to help his business scale and thrive. In this episode, you will hear: Denis Shapiro’s early exposure to real estate investing and his pivot from a career in government to real estate investingWhat Monopoly is teaching his kids about real estate investingThe lessons he’s trying to teach his kids about money and why having money doesn’t necessarily make you richWhy Denis loves being diversified with his investmentsHis first property and some of the big lessons he learned from itThe importance of having a team in place to help manage affordable properties at scaleThe types of affordable housing Denis prefers, and the barrier of entry red tape creates that you won’t find in commercial real estateFinding off-market deals in the affordable housing spaceThe three asset classes Denis loves the most and why he stays focused on thosePrivate lending and what makes it an attractive pillar in his business modelCreating relationships with other investors and building trust instead of basing a business deal on reputationLearning to ask the right questions as a new investorTaking actionable steps when you’re working on building relationships with people you want to work withWhy knowing your skillset and some industry terminology can improve how you relate to those you want to learn from and work withWhat you can learn from LP investors and being careful when choosing syndicationsDenis’s advice for not becoming too dependent on track records and knowing what uncomfortable questions to ask 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 http://www.trustgreene.com/podcast/zen/135 to download it. Supporting Resources: SIH Capital Group - sihcapitalgroup.com SIH’s YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/channel/UCSd5v7aB8DSn9Ef9LyuXlVA SIH Capital on Facebook - www.facebook.com/SIH-Capital-Group-104648791684808 SIH on Instagram - www.instagram.com/sihcapitalgroup Connect with Denis Shapiro on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/denisshapiro Find SIH Capital on Twitter/X - twitter.com/sihcapital 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 - https://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.
