Today, we’re featuring an uplifting episode about investment success and overcoming life’s most difficult times. Matt Drouin shares the challenges he faced in his 20s, how his mindset helped him with his decisions, and eventually reached his goals through his investment strategies. Don’t miss this motivating conversation to prosper in the commercial and development space! 

Key Points & Relevant Topics

• Matt’s real estate background and his personal and business goals
• Things that influenced Matt’s success and growth despite the difficult times he had to face
• How “The 10X Rule” book has changed Matt’s outlook and fulfillment in life
• Effective strategies for growing and building a real estate portfolio
• The importance of being clear with what you’re looking for when finding a good deal
• How to identify a good opportunity in real estate
• The role of having the underwriting skills to overcome your negativities in grabbing real estate opportunities
• Value-add and exit strategies in offices and commercial real estate
• The possibilities and freedom real estate investing could offer

Resources & Links

• MLS.com
• The 10X Rule
• Go Big! Live Podcast
• Apartment Syndication Due Diligence Checklist for Passive Investor

About Matt Drouin

Matt grew up in Rochester, NY as the son of a dialysis nurse and general laborer at Genesee Brewery. After losing his parents to health issues in his 20s, Matt descended into an existential crisis.  How could two hard-working Americans doing everything the “right” way struggle financially their whole life and then die young with little to no savings? Matt looked around and found that his parents weren’t the only ones victim to this, and if he didn’t do something to drastically change his trajectory, he would wind up the same way. He wanted to be present for family.  He never wanted money to be the reason why him and his family couldn’t act on their dreams or aspirations. He needed to find a way to “exit the Matrix.” 

He made it his lifelong goal to become “retired” by his 40th birthday. Building wealth in real estate was the way. After obsessively pursuing this lofty goal; thinking about it everyday over 10 years, he achieved financial freedom by his 33rd birthday. You might think that this moment was euphoric, however the moment Matt realized that he achieved his lifelong goal, he descended into depression. After spending weeks introspecting and reading, he was able to reinvent himself and develop a new vision beyond the confines of his life on Earth so that he would never have to go through the painful process of reinventing himself again. 

Today, Matt is Partner at OakGrove Development, a real estate investment and development firm with a special focus on value-add commercial and residential properties in Rochester, NY. Over the last 17 years, Matt has been in real estate management, brokerage and development and grown his portfolio to 176 units of residential and commercial property. His company mission is in developing real estate projects that not only add value to their investors but also puts long-term community interests front and center. Matt believes that you can do well and do good as a real estate developer and that ultimately community-centric development boosts long-term profits for investors.

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