Zane Schartz

23 years old: Played professional hockey. 
25 years old: Was forced to lay down that dream. 
25 years old: Went all in on real estate. 
29 years old: Started my own real estate investment firm. 
31 years old: Own $200,000,000+ worth of real estate. 
31 years old: Just getting started.

There’s a point in all our lives where we’re forced to make a decision.

Do we keep pursuing a dream? 
Or start the next chapter?

In my opinion, this is very important to our growth as humans.

When we’re forced to consider reality.

We make a decision.

Is it worth starting over again? 
Is it worth putting myself back out there?

& to all of you who’ve said “Yes.”

I applaud you.

We have one life to live.

Give it everything you have!

Do you agree?

I’ve invested in a $2,470,000 Starbucks in Oklahoma.

I’ve invested in a $2,400,000 Sherwin Williams in AR.

I’ve invested in a $1,800,000 Starbucks in Oklahoma.

We invested in each of these properties with our own capital, passive investor capital, and lending relationships.

Here’s 2 tips to know if you want to invest in retail real estate investments.

1) Understand how the property can be repurposed. 
• We create a plan for every single property we buy. 
• Stuff happens. 
• & as a fiduciary, we need to be prepared. 
• We’ve had Rite Aids go out of business. 
• We’ve had CVS not renew their leases. 
• We’ve had Walgreens not renewed. 
• & we’ve been prepared for each. 
• As an LP, simply ask what the sponsor's plan is…
• If a tenant were to leave.

2) Understand what the lease structure is. 
• Not every single-tenant retail deal is a NNN lease. 
• Most are NN leases. 
• This means certain things aren’t paid for by tenants. 
• & 
• This means certain things aren’t covered by tenants. 
• Roofs, structures, parking lots are most common. 
• As an LP, know who’s responsible for what. 
• There’s no need for surprises.

P.S. Which tip was most helpful to you?

I invested in a $1,800,000 Starbucks in Oklahoma.

I invested in a $575,000 O’Reilly Auto in Indiana.

I invested in a $980k Dollar General in Florida.

I acquired the properties with my own capital, LP capital, & local banking relationships.

We hone in on a single metric with each acquisition. 
↳ price per square foot.

It’s an important metric for a few reasons: 
1. Price/SF helps investors compare properties. 
2. Price/SF measures the true value of the deal.

Here’s why each of the reasons are important:

1. If a property is trading at $320/SF, while the market is valued at $260/SF, there’s a significant gap that must be explored.

- Is the value justified with higher NOI, or superior location, or better finishes?

- Or is the property simply being over-valued.

2. Real estate prices include both land value and value of the building on the land (improvement value).

- Price/SF is a measure of the “demand” & therefore the value the asset provides to the market.

- As an investor, you can compare & contrast Price/SF across entire markets.

- Signaling to you the demand for that asset type in that location.

Do you use Price/SF in your due diligence?

If not, what metrics do you focus on?

I’ve acquired over $200,000,000+ worth of real estate.

I did all that without:

- Without 100s of networking meetings.
- Without a cold plunge every morning.
- Without giving up traveling the world.
- Without joining a mastermind group.
- Without following any gimmicks.
- Without giving up working out.
- Without giving up hockey.
- Without giving up Netflix.
- Without losing my faith.

Do you want financial freedom?

Here’s what you need:

- An investment vehicle that generates CASH FLOW. 
- A system/operator to manage the investment.

Cash flow is what builds wealth & creates freedom.

Curious to learn more about how we can help you build freedom?

DM “Freedom” to schedule an introduction call.

We just bought this tower for $3,500,000,000.

Here’s why we love the deal:

- A NNN lease backed by the French government. 
- We’re acquired the tower utilizing the blockchain. 
- (so everyone can invest alongside us 😉)
- Over 7,000,000 people visit every single year.
- The rent is paid in baguettes and croissants.

We have BIG renovation plans for this one.

(They ain’t ready for this GLOW up!)

Add a cell tower to the top - what’s a tower without providing everyone in the area with top end cell-connectivity. (Added revenue stream!)

Install a bungee jump attraction off the top - who doesn’t want to check that off their bucket list?!

Build a restaurant in the middle of the tower that’s ran by Gordon Ramsey & Remy the rat.

Next step: Find a health inspector who will approve a rat ran restaurant.

If you know one, send them my way please.

P.S. LinkedIn doesn’t always have to be serious! Have some fun this week!!

We invested in a CVS for $330,000 in Texas.

The smallest acquisition we’ve ever done.

Here’s what we liked about the deal:

- CVS has been in the property for 22 years.
- The asset had a low rent/SF: $7.40 P/SF. 
- CVS was the only drugstore in the city. 
- CVS is an investment grade tenant. 
- The deal cash flowed from Day 1.

When we acquire a property for our fund, we look for 5 main things:

1. Can we repurpose the asset if the tenant leaves?
2. Does the asset have good structural bones?
3. Is the tenant an investment grade tenant?
4. Does the investment cash flow on Day 1?
5. Does the asset work in the market it’s in?

It doesn’t matter if the deal is $50,000,000 or $330,000.

If the asset hits these criterias?

We’ll buy it.

Curious to learn more about our investment thesis?

Let’s talk.

We’re raising a $100,000,000 CRE fund. 
First stop? 
I’ll be in Switzerland next week.
Speaking to 150 family offices. 
Each is able to write a minimum $1,000,000 check.

Here’s 3 reasons international family offices are interested in single-tenant real estate:

1) The security of investment grade tenants. 
2) The security of retail as an asset class. 
3) The consistency of cash flow.

If you’re building wealth, & you’re looking for wealth preservation?

Investment grade STNL is the asset class to be in.

(In my biased opinion)

Curious to hear about your investment strategy in 2025!

Comment below with your thoughts!

Last quarter, we acquired a CVS for $2,650,000.

Just 3 days later, we sold it for $3,610,000.

• $852,000 equity raised. 
• $960,000 additional equity returned. 
• a 2.13X equity multiple in 72 hours.

Shortly before the acquisition, while on investor calls, I was telling investors about the awesome deal.

• A few investors in particular wanted to get in. 
• But they hesitated.
• They ended up not investing in time. 
• & they regretted missing the opportunity.

I literally told them their equity would instantly multiply.

And they didn’t invest.

So they missed out.

Which led me to ask.

Was there ANYTHING I could have done to get them to invest?

Or

Were they just pretenders who THOUGHT they were investors?

So, as an investor, you should ask yourself.

Are you ready to get in the game?

Or are you going to stay on the sidelines and miss the opportunities?

The choice is yours!

DM “Freedom” to learn how to with us.

I underwrote a $6,000,000 Chase Bank in New Jersey.

Here’s the breakdown of the deal:

• The tenant will begin paying rent in February 2026.
• The avg. income in the neighborhood is $165,000.
• The asset sees 100,000+ vehicles/day pass by.
• The lease has two 5% rental increases.
• The lease is an absolute NNN lease.
• The asset was built in 2025.
• The cap rate is 5%.

We look for 4 major traits of every asset we invest in:

1. Is the tenant an investment grade tenant? 
2. Does the asset preserve investor capital? 
3. Does the asset cash flow from day 1? 
4. Can we repurpose the asset?

We don’t typically invest in banks for 1 major reason.

• It’s hard to repurpose a bank.

Not to say Chase isn’t an excellent tenant. 
Not to say the location isn’t wonderful.

But if something happens, & Chase moves out?

It’s a hard sell to get someone in that building.

Curious to hear your thoughts on banks.

Have you ever seen a bank be repurposed with a new tenant?

We bought an O’Reilly Auto Parts for $415,000. 
The day we acquired it, it was worth $575,000.
Here’s the deal breakdown:

1. O’Reilly Auto agreed to an 11-year lease extension.
2. Adding 38% in value for investors on the day 1.
3. (We got them to agree BEFORE we closed).
4. With the new lease, the rent is $4.30/SF.
5. We acquired the deal at 7.81% cap rate.
6. The Rent/SF is well below market rents.
7. The lease now goes through 4/30/2035.
8. With 5-year options and 6% bumps.
9. We sent distributions month 1.

• Day 1 appreciation.
• Day 1 cash flow.

We collect all this data for 1 reason.

Data tells a story.

& the more you understand the story?

The more you can understand the risk associated with an investment.

P.S. What do you think? Do you buy off “feel?” Or data?

I underwrote a $1,268,000 Dollar General in Mississippi. 
I googled the population of the town. It’s 613 people. 
Here’s why that doesn’t bother me:

1. First, let’s look at the numbers of the property. 
2. The lease is structured as an Absolute NNN. 
•The lease runs through 2033. 
•The remaining term for the lease is 7.3 years. 
•SIDENOTE: 
•Specifically if we’re looking to buy a Dollar General. 
•7 years is the lowest # of years we want on a lease. 
3. The tenant has been in the property since ‘13. 
•This is the year the property was built. 
•DG already extended their lease once. 
4. The listed cap rate of the acquisition is 8%. 
5. The NOI of the property is $101,409. 
6. & the population is 613 people…

DG operates in many towns that have ~500 people. 
↳This is not uncommon for them. 
In fact, it’s a competitive advantage for them. 
With 30,000+ locations around the States. 
(5 times more than Walmart)
They have the distribution to handle it.

In the case of this town, there is only 1 other grocer in a 10-mile radius.

& with DG’s economies of scale, they can make it work.

We’ve actually bought DG’s in populations of < 1,000.

DG is a fantastic investment grade tenant.

P.S. Would you invest in a DG in a town of <1,000 people?

I underwrote a Dutch Bros. in Joplin, Missouri.

Here’s the breakdown of the deal:

• The asset is anchored by a Hobby Lobby & Walmart
• There are four 10% rental increases in the lease.
• The remaining term on the lease is 15 years.
• The property is equipped with a drive thru.
• The lease is an absolute NNN lease.
• The lease is corporate guaranteed.
• The asset has a 5.7% cap rate.
• The asset was built in 2025.
• The NOI is $150,000.

Here's why we'd pass on one of the hottest QSR brands in retail.

The tenant is not an investment grade tenant.

Although the brand is incredibly strong:

We wouldn't buy the asset.

We have strict buying criteria for our acquisitions.

1. Buy assets leased exclusively by investment grade tenants.
2. Buy assets that cash flow from the day we acquire them. 
3. Buy assets that sit on excellent real estate.

Without these criteria, we pass on the asset.

Curious to hear about your buying criteria.

Comment below with your thoughts ⬇️

I spoke with the SEC 2 weeks ago.

(Don’t worry, not in handcuffs)

We spoke with them about the future of the Blockchain. 
More specifically, the blockchain as it pertains to CRE.

We met with the SEC Commissioner &
The Crypto Task Force leader: 
Hester Peirce.

Here’s 2 things we discussed in our time together:

1) Guidelines around tokens as securities.

- The guidelines around the tokenization of real estate.
- The potential for any/all assets to be tokenized.
- Benefits of tokenization vs traditional PE.

2) Regulatory clarity around tokenization/crypto.

- How the SEC plans to regulate tokenization & crypto. 
- Especially within the world of real estate.
- The Clarity Act of 2025 is impending!

The game is rapidly changing.

And Real World Equity is on the forefront of it all.

Curious to hear your thoughts on blockchain.

What do you know (and not know) about the blockchain?!

I underwrote a $2,780,000 Starbucks in New Mexico. 
27 days on the market. 6.25% cap rate. 
Here’s the breakdown of the Starbucks as a deal:

1. The Starbuck’s lease is an absolute NNN lease.
2. The Starbucks has 4, 5 year extension options.
3. The Starbucks is backed by a corporate guarantee.
4. The Starbucks is anchored by Smith’s Grocery.
5. The Starbuck’s lease expires in 2035.
6. The Starbuck’s NOI is $173,760.
7. The Starbucks is right off of I-40,
↳which sees 82K VPD.

If you’ve followed me for even a few weeks, you know I love buying Starbucks.

We’ve acquired 3 in the last 12 months alone.

Here’s 3 reasons I like this Starbucks:

1. The cap rate is within our cash flow requirements. 
• We’re currently getting LOIs for loans at 6% interest. 
• Sometimes lower.
• This asset is experiencing positive leverage. 
• A great sign for long term cash flow.

2. The Starbucks is anchored by a larger, popular tenant.
• Smith’s is a larger regional grocer owned by Kroger. 
• This particular location is the #4 Smith’s in NM. 
• It sees 1,200,000 people annually. 
• That’s really good news.

3. Starbucks is an investment grade tenant. 
• We only acquire assets with investment grade tenants. 
• It’s a standard we do not deviate from. It’s less risky. 
• & in the QSR tenant space. 
• You cannot get much better than a Starbucks.

We’ll let you know our progress on the asset.

P.S. I’m curious to hear your thoughts on the deal. 
Comment below with your thoughts!

I spoke with an investor who makes $750,000 a year from his W-2.

& he doesn’t invest $1.00 in the stock market.

He only buys hard assets.

2 key takeaways from the conversation:

1) High-income earners should invest in real estate

- He pays almost $0 in taxes by using RE to shelter income. (REP status)
- While making over $750,000 a year.

2) Investors should invest in areas they understand.

- “Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing” Warren Buffet. 
- He picked 1 asset class and learned all he could..
- Then focused his investing in that 1 area.

The reason the rich get richer?

They invest in what they know best.

P.S. What are your thoughts on this investor's strategy?

P.S.S. Be sure to consult with your accountant on tax questions!

We bought a Rite Aid for $3,600,000 in 2020.
Our original plan: Hold the asset for 5+ years. 
Then Rite Aid went bankrupt.

Rite Aid vacated, & no rent came in.

For real estate operators,

We’re compensated for our ability to plan, 
& we’re compensated for our ability to act.

In times like these, we need to act fast.

Here’s how it went:

We immediately tapped all sources to fill the property. 
& an unlikely call came in…
Chick-fil-A wanted to be at this site.

So…

1) Chick-fil-A proposed a 15-year NNN ground lease. 
2) Chick-fil-A offered to pay for all the renovations.

This significantly increased the value of the property.

& our investors continue to receive a return today.

Curious to learn more about how you can invest in cash flowing NNN deals?

Click the link in my bio to schedule an intro call.

I spoke with an investor who makes $1,000,000/year from his business.

He’s invested over $2,000,000 of equity into real estate.

Here’s why he likes real estate so much:

• The investment in his business is his “risky” money. 
• He believes real estate is his “safer” money. 
• He invests for 3 reasons: 
• First, he wants to build cash flow outside his business. 
• Second, he wants to preserve his wealth. 
• Third, he wants the tax benefits.

ALL of the wealthiest people in the world invest in real estate.

Do you utilize real estate in your portfolio?

If not, what’s stopping you?

We bought a $870,000 Dollar Tree in 2022. 
Here’s a breakdown of the acquisition:

1. We acquired the property with $245,750 in equity. 
2. We acquired the property with an LTV of 75%. 
↳the loan amount was $652,500
↳with a 5.41% interest rate. 
3. The property’s annual rent was $70,000. 
4. The annual debt service on the property: 
↳$48,600
5. Annual cash flow was: $21,400. 
6. Distributed monthly.

The cash-on-cash return for the investment is: 
↳$21,400 / $245,750 = 8.71%

With investor distributions every single month.

Curious to learn more about how you can invest in deals like this?

Click the link in my bio to schedule an intro call.

I underwrote a $4,364,000 Shake Shack in Missouri.

Here’s the breakdown of my thoughts on the deal:

1. The Shake Shack has 12 years remaining on the lease.
2. The average income within a 1-mile radius is $281,000.
3. The Shake Shack’s lease is an absolute NNN lease.
4. The tenant is not an investment grade tenant.
5. The Shake Shack’s NOI is $240,000.
6. The Shake Shack’s cap rate is 5.5%.
7. The Shake Shack was built in 2023.

3 things stuck out to me about the deal,

1. The average income in the 1-mile radius is high. 
• The median income for an American is $66,456.
• $281,000 per year is an incredibly high amount. 
• Shake Shack, despite its “fine casual” brand, 
• is still fast food. 
• That demographic is least likely to be a regular.  
• & competition is brutal in high income areas. 
• But there are pros to being in that area too. 
• Namely, their spending power. 
• & their resistance to reactionary issues.

2. The cap rate is low for our cash flow requirements. 
• Cash flow is an integral part of our investment thesis. 
• Low cap rates hinder our ability to provide cash flow.

3. The tenant is not an investment grade tenant. 
• This is an automatic no go for us.

I’m curious to hear your thoughts on the Shake Shack!
Comment below!

We recently acquired a $2,300,000 Starbucks in S. Carolina.

Here’s 7 lessons I learned along the way:

1. I worked for a PE firm, a brokerage, & an asset manager before I owned my own business. Why? Because knowledge is the main ingredient to risk mitigation.

2. Investing in real estate that the best brands in the world invest in is a cheat code to risk mitigation.

3. Capital expenditure is an ingredient to an investment most operators shouldn’t touch.

4. Helping people create financial freedom is one of the coolest jobs in the world.

5. The NNN lease is the greatest contract structure to grace this earth.

6. Simplicity is one of the more underrated investment theses.

7. Cash flow = financial freedom.

P.S. Which lesson resonated the most with you?

I spoke with a tech executive who made $750,000 in 2025. $125,000 of that came as a bonus in March.

He’s been investing in real estate for 5 years now.

Every time he gets his bonus?

He invests in real estate.

• If he had put the $125,000 into our funds the last 5 years? 
• He’d have $625,000 producing 7% cash flow this year. 
• In monthly terms (which is our distribution cadence)
• He’d receive $3,645.33 in passive income. 
• EVERY single month.

This is the power of passive investing.

You put your money to work for you.

No calls from tenants. 
No calls from lenders. 
No calls from insurance agents.

Just money getting deposited in your bank account every month.

Curious to learn more about how we can help you create passive income?

Click the link in my bio to schedule an intro call.

We just acquired a Sherwin Williams for $2,470,000.

Here are some tips when underwriting single-tenant properties:

Know the core risks associated with the asset/property. 
• The location. Tenant solvency. The lease structure. 
• Once you understand the core risks of the asset, 
• Then, understand how to mitigate those the risks. 

Here’s how we mitigate 3 risks of retail:

1. For the property’s location: 
• We identify vehicle traffic & foot traffic trends. 
• How does the surrounding retail look?
• How visible is the asset from the street? 
• What are the access points: ingress/egress?

2. For creditworthiness of tenant(s): 
• We exclusively buy assets w/ investment grade tenants. 
• Rated by credit agencies at BBB- or better. 
• This reduces our need to “chase” rents.
• and it increases our rent collection %.

3. For lease structure: 
• We focus on how the lease compares to local market rates. 
• We focus on the duration of the lease, rent PSF, rent replacement costs.
• The lower the rent, the easier it is to replace.

Use these tools when analyzing your next acquisition!

P.S. What was your biggest takeaway from this post?

I’ve acquired $300,000,000 worth of real estate.

& if there’s 1 thing I know about real estate?

Everything is about to change.

For my investment firm, that looks like utilizing blockchain technology for future acquisitions.

With blockchain technology on the rise, we’re committed to bringing the benefits of the technology to our investors.

• We’ve acquired real estate using a fund model. 
• We’ve acquired real estate using a JV strategy. 
• & now? 
• We’ll be acquiring CRE utilizing the blockchain.

1 major reason for this?

1. Liquidity.

- Often, investors are locked into an asset for 3-5 years. 
- The blockchain is more liquid than PE investments. 
- With blockchain technology, liquidity will be solved.

My goal from the beginning of my real estate journey was to bring financial freedom through real estate to my investors.

& I believe the blockchain will unlock another level of this mission.

Curious to hear your thoughts on the blockchain & CRE.

Comment below with your thoughts ⬇️⬇️⬇️

I invested in a $2,470,000 Sherwin Williams. 
I invested in a $1,835,000 Dollar General. 
I invested in a $2,285,000 Starbucks.

These are some of the biggest brands, & largest corporations in the world.

We invest in real estate leased to these corporations for a reason:

• Consistency. 
• Reliability. 
• Trust.

Which all are leading indicators to my favorite investment outcome:

• Cash flow.

Cash flow is the true key to financial freedom.

So as a company, that’s our primary investment thesis.

To help our investors experience financial freedom.

Freedom to work where they want. 
Freedom to live where they want. 
Freedom to do what they want.

Curious to learn more about our investments?

Click the link in my bio to schedule a call.