How does a former high school administrator go on to control more than $100 million in real estate across eight states in less than a decade? And what happens when you focus on operations instead of hype? In this episode of REI Freedom, Jeremy Beland sits down with New Hampshire real estate investor Michael Ketchen to break down the real mechanics behind scaling multifamily properties, self-managing remotely, and surviving the post-2022 syndication shakeout.

Michael shares a candid behind-the-scenes look at what actually creates wealth in real estate, efficiency, disciplined underwriting, and solving problems others avoid.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• From Educator to Investor: How Michael transitioned from school administration to full-time real estate in just eight years
• Scaling to $100M+: Completing 25+ full-cycle deals across multifamily and short-term rentals
• The Power of Self-Management: Why Michael self-manages all properties remotely and how it boosts NOI by 12–14%
• Operations Over Hype: How a 5% NOI improvement can create millions in portfolio value
• Multifamily Buy Box Strategy: Landlord-friendly states, population growth, and strong economic drivers
• Finding Deeply Discounted Deals: Networking, brokers, direct-to-seller strategies, and solving hard problems
• Syndication Reality Check: Red flags investors should watch for and questions to ask before investing
• Short-Term Rental Case Studies: Beach houses, luxury STRs, and creative deal structures
• Mindset & Mentorship: Why Michael invests heavily in masterminds and believes proximity accelerates growth

Connect with Michael Ketchen

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelketchen/
  
  
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/FS4bN7zlCuk
  
  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-ketchen-68b202201/
  
  

Ready to Take the Next Step

Are you ready to unlock the potential of real estate investing and learn from operators who are actually in the game Subscribe to the REI Freedom Podcast for real world strategies from top experts like Michael Ketchen Don’t forget to leave a review and share this episode with someone serious about building wealth through real estate

If Michael Ketchen’s story inspired you and you are ready to take your first step toward financial freedom book a discovery call with Jeremy Beland and the REI Freedom team Visit reifreedom.com apply to start your journey today With the right mindset strategies and persistence REI freedom is possible