Drew Breneman

Protect & Grow Capital With Our Multifamily Investment Opportunities For Family Offices, Fund Managers, & High-Net-Worth Individuals

When I was 19, I bought my first property.

I didn’t realize it then, but that little duplex changed my life.

Now, almost 20 years later, I’ve sourced, capitalized, and closed on over $250 million of properties for my firm, Breneman Capital.

For the last 15 years, I’ve worked closely with investors — family offices, PE, Fund of Funds, RIAs, and individuals — to help them generate income and wealth through multifamily real estate.

The old real estate adage says, “You make your money when you buy in real estate.”

I agree with that — but I think it’s only 50% true.

The other 50% comes in the execution. And I’ve built Breneman Capital through that lens. 

Over the last 20 years, our realized investments have produced an average gross return of:

• 24% IRR
• 2.2x equity multiple
• 5.6-year hold period

In my opinion, our longest-standing investor relationships come down to 2 factors:

1) Our deals have performed well.
2) We focus on giving investors the best possible experience.

Real estate can be complex. But we like to keep our goals for our investors simple.

Strong returns.
Great experiences.
World-class communication.

If you’d like to set up an exploratory call, feel free to click the link in my Featured Section.

Founder & CEO

I started Breneman Capital in 2005 at age 19 to purchase my first rental properties and grow my own wealth. 

Today, we work with individual investors, Family Offices, PE, Fund of Funds, RIAs, etc., and allow them to invest alongside us in the best opportunities that we find (and have been for nearly 20 years).

Invest with us: https://www.breneman.com/invest

I have a buddy who owns over $1 billion in multifamily with investors. He has one piece of advice: 

Don't quit your day job. Your day job lets you take risks. Just work twice as hard.

He remembers the exact date he quit his job when he was 35: October 1st, 2012.

He told me he'd never been more motivated than that day. Woke up and didn't have to go to his job... All of a sudden, it was all on him. 

He emptied his bank accounts buying those first assets. Literally emptied them.

And then a couple years later...

He went back to a W-2. 

He was too exposed financially, so he had to take a job at a mortgage company.

After he went back to the W-2, he kept buying deals on the side. Eventually, he rolled 1,000 units he owned into his own company. He bought all those units while working as a full-time salaried employee. 

That's what he did for basically 20 years. Nights and weekends. Two jobs, sometimes three. But the whole time, he was building a track record and building relationships.

Then, all of a sudden, his portfolio hockey-sticked. 

When I asked him if there was a recipe to success, that's all he ever says:

Don't quit your day job. Just work twice as hard.

Founder at Breneman Capital. Multifamily Investments That Protect & Grow Capital.

In 2024, we canceled a deal we had under contract.

Here’s why:

During the physical inspection, we discovered a few structural issues:

1. Balconies were detaching from the building
2. Lack of structural support above doors and windows
3. Structural integrity issues with modifications made to the concrete

In one instance, I noticed the rebar appeared to have been cut through during a prior rehab. I brought it up to our architect and structural engineer, and they both saw it as a big red flag. (Pro tip: Make sure you have trusted advisors to run things by.)

I ended up sending a Loom video to the broker to walk him through the issues. As I talked, I pulled up the photos we had and pointed out the specific problems we had noticed.

If you’ve followed me for any time, you know I’m a huge proponent of being meticulous on physical inspections.

Don’t be in a rush. Walk every unit. Take pictures.

I never want to cancel a deal this far in — and I certainly don’t want to build a reputation as someone who does — but I’d much rather back out on a deal that would put our investors at risk than power through because I want to avoid an uncomfortable conversation. 

Have you ever backed out of a deal? If so, why?

I told my 8-year-old his first job should be as a cleaner.

"Why?" he asked me.

"Because it's hard." 

Before I started my first internet business selling video game items, I cleaned a bank and a school. It was boring and entirely unenjoyable, but it was manual labor that forced you to do something you didn't want to do — and do it right. 

So I think being a cleaner is a pretty good first job to get your kid into.

What would you say to your kid asking the same question?

You know how some things sound too good to be true?

That’s what we thought about this deal:

This was a two-building, 16-unit multifamily property we bought back in 2019.

The property is in the trendy Wicker Park/Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago.

When we bought it, it was half a block away from one of the hottest restaurants in Chicago. It’s right next to a Blue Line stop on the L. Right in the heart of everything. 

The location is so good, we called it “once-in-a-generation” on our website.

Deals in perfect locations like this don’t pop up often…

So when this one did, we moved on it immediately.

Since we bought the property, we’ve replaced all the:

- Furnaces.
- Appliances.
- Washer dryers.
- Air conditioners.

As we continue to update the 20+-year-old interiors, we’re able to continue raising rents.

It’s a legitimate trophy location, but that doesn’t mean it’s a walk in the (Wicker) park.

People still move out.
Things still break there. 
People still say the rent is too high.

Even if you find the best deal in the best location, a few things will still hold true:

1) Some things will still go wrong.
2) The work still needs to be done.
3) The execution is still the most important part of the deal.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆? 


Disclaimer: This is not an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy securities. Past performance is no guarantee of future results, and investors may experience different results than those shown, including the loss of principal. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events.

Paying your kids for chores teaches them the wrong lesson about money.

"Allowance teaches money management." 

Does it? 

Or does it teach them that money shows up on a schedule no matter what? 

"Chores for cash teaches work ethic." 

Does it? 

Or does it teach them to expect a paycheck for doing the dishes?

My beliefs: 

Chores are part of being in a family. 
Money is a tool that compounds.

They're two separate lessons.

So when it came to money, I decided to teach my oldest son about investing first. How a dollar today becomes two dollars tomorrow.

This was my approach, but I'm curious:

How do you handle this with your kids?

If you own property in a cold-weather state, you need to prepare for the worst.

Here are my 4 best tips for dealing with winter weather: 

1. Prepare your properties with space heaters. 

Nothing fancy — the small ones you get at Lowe’s or Home Depot work.

Put them in a building maintenance closet before the cold weather hits.

If your property is experiencing a heat outage, odds are others are, too.

That means HVAC companies are busy.

Your residents can get the space heaters from the common area closet and spread them throughout their apartment to keep the temperature up while they wait for a fix. 

2. Get ahead of the game. 

Tune your furnaces up.

Change filters and check/replace thermostats and thermostat batteries.

Fix problems before they need to be fixed.

3. Communicate with your residents.

Don't assume your tenants know what to do. 

Communicate: 

- What to do when they leave town.
- Why they need to leave faucets dripping.
- What temperature to set thermostats at.

The younger the renter, the more information they will need.

4. Set clear expectations.

Don’t rely on text messages for emergencies —set an emergency call line and make sure your residents know to contact it.

For more tips like this, subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://lnkd.in/dSuFcNDY

"What do you wish you knew sooner, Drew?" 
 
Plenty. But here's 1 need-to-know lesson for RE investors: 
 
𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘂𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻.  
 
This goes for: 
 
• Prepayment-penalties  
AND 
• Fixed-rate term  
 
For example: 
 
If you're going to do a 3-year hold, don't get a 10-year fixed yield maintenance loan. 
 
(Sounds simple, but you'd be surprised how often people mess this up.) 
 
In 2020, I bought 3 deals, all from different developers who knew they were going to build and sell the properties. 
 
But they saddled the properties with 10-year fixed loans with yield maintenance prepayment.  
 
This meant 3 things: 
 
1) Paying off the loans would've cost them millions of $$$ in prepayment penalties... 
 
2) So they had limited their buyer pool... 
 
3) Making it a great opportunity for us to bid on the deal. 
 
Of those 3 deals, 2 were off-market. The owners sent them to us because they knew how tough of a sell they'd be with those loans. 
 
(BTW: The same lessons applies to fixed-rate terms.) 
 
This post is a little technical, but it's important to highlight a theme I've seen over and over again: 
 
𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁.  
 
- Don't assume no one makes mistakes. 
- Don't assume deals are priced properly. 
- Don't assume you can't get a good deal. 
 
Do your homework, trust your numbers, and be diligent in finding great deals. 
 
That's what works for us.  
 
-- 
 
If you're an accredited investor who:  
 
• Has capital for real estate investing but... 
• Doesn't have the time for the nitty gritty...  
 
Send me a message so we can set up a call.

Navi Ventures

•	Focused on acquisitions, strategic direction, investor relations, and asset management for the company.
•	Target market in Texas and Arizona.
•	Most recently closed on a $38.5 million, 232-unit deal in Tucson, AZ in July 2022 as General Partners.
•	Acquired a $3.45 million, 22-unit deal in Glendale, AZ in November 2021 as General Partners.
•	Navi Ventures has investments in over 1000 multifamily units in Texas and Oklahoma.
•	The company also has investments in 6 mobile home parks, single family homes, and hard money lending.

https://www.navi-ventures.com/

Partner

DI/D

•	Worked and coordinated with a national hotel brand to develop their new hotel dual-brand prototype to 100% CD. Provided hotel design expertise to minimize cost and maximize efficiency while meeting brand requirements.

•	Implemented updated hotel prototype design to city permitting. Ensure conformance to local zoning ordinances and code standards for building permitting submission. Managed the project and team at the high level to ensure quality project delivery.

•	Provided multiple design iterations for a feasibility study to a developer after an acquisition of land. Met with city planners and building officials for pre-development conference and clarifications. Submitted zoning application on behalf of the client.

Founder

5Gstudio_collaborative

•	Managed comprehensive drawing sets for a complex 170,000 sq ft dual-brand AC and RI Marriott hotel from SD to CA. Involved in making major architectural and interior design decisions. Engaged in coordinating extensively with clients, consultants, brand, and contractor.

•	Developed project as design architect for a new 110,000 ft2 office facility from concept to design development and ensured sufficient documentation to hand over to Architect-of-Record.

•	Devised a winning design competition scheme for the renovation of Solana Business Park, a 230-acre $60 million redevelopment project in Southlake.

Project Architect

Ziegler Cooper Architects

• Developed multiple schematic proposals for a masterplan project consisting of 2,000,000 SF of office, hotel, and retail on a pre-existing site.

• Designed and managed the renovation of a 3,500 SF commercial lobby space with responsibilities that include selecting materials,producing drawings, and coordinating with the client, general contractor, and consultants.

• Prepared design documentations of various facets of commercial buildings in Revit, including drawings of interior details, elevations, plans, and site.

Project Designer

Aedas

• Contributed to design and coordination for a 225 meter tall apartment tower in Chengdu; designed multiple iterations of the building façade and coordinated drawings with interior designers and mechanical/structural engineers.

• Rationalized complex geometry of tower facades by developing suitable massing options, conceiving efficient panelization of glazing, and assigning material specification to make a buildable and cost-efficient project for construction.

• Delegated design and technical materials for a 155,400 square meter of residential and retail with affiliate office for an international competition.

• Designed facades for 4 housing prototypes for a 108,000 square meter prefabricated housing project in Korat, Thailand while balancing low-cost with achievable designs; assisted in reaching targeted budget of $55,000 per house through cost-estimation analysis and contacts with local manufacturers and construction companies in Thailand.

• Developed a proposal for an 80 meter tall, 17,000 square meter office tower in Shanghai with a small team under an accelerated schedule.

• Consulted an international school in Beijing on space-planning for expansion and renovation of existing campus.

• Implemented sustainability strategies such as analyzing sun-shadow studies to determine optimum tower orientation and building height limit for reducing passive heat gain in buildings.

• Worked extensively on typical room layouts for hotels, residential towers, and office buildings with an emphasis on implementing adequate circulation and space.

• Executed multiple, concurrent responsibilities, such as creating site documentation and research, 3D models, program diagrams, plans, and sections.

Architectural Assistant (Post-Graduate)

Urbahn Architects

• Assisted on an RFP project by creating room schedules, drawings, and renderings in Revit.

• Designed lobby of an office building and coordinated with a rendering company on design execution by defining FF&E, colors, and materiality.

Architecture Intern

Weiss/Manfredi

• Updated red-lined construction drawings of ceiling plans, structural systems, and FF&E plan for a university building.

• Created models and presentation drawings for book publications and project submissions.

City of Houston

• Worked independently from the supervisor to execute responsibilities such as redrawing old plans into AutoCAD and conducting space audits of Houston’s public multi-centers and clinics.

• Advised building facility managers to reflect changes in building programs and spaces.

Architectural Assistant

Partner at Navi Ventures | Multifamily Investor | Developer | Architect | 2023 Bisnow DFW Women Leading Real Estate

Diana is a Partner and Co-Founder at Navi Ventures, where she is focused on acquisitions and asset management of existing value-add opportunities and ground-up multi-family developments in the Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico markets.

Navi Ventures is a real estate company that seeks to acquire and/or develop multi-family assets that will positively impact the lives of their communities and investors. The company has investments in 1,800 multi-family units (700 units as a general partner) for an aggregate acquisition value in excess of $215 MM (with currently $93MM AUM).

Diana is an AIA licensed Architect with over 10 years of experience working in New York, Texas, and China where she has designed and managed large scale award-winning buildings in office, multi-family, hospitality, and retail. Her design and technical background as an Architect uniquely position her to envision and identify real estate opportunities beyond numbers that are otherwise overlooked.

Diana received her Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University. She was the 2022 Dallas Equitable Development Initiative (EDI) Inaugural Cohort Member, a member of ULI Young Leaders Group Partnership Forum, and the AIA Dallas 2018 Emerging Leaders Program. Diana runs a local Dallas meet-up called Real Estate Ladies, which is focused on empowering and educating women to invest in real estate.

She was recently awarded Bisnow DFW’s Women Leading Real Estate in 2023.

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Drew Breneman

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