In this episode, Michael Blank sits down with Lee Fjord, a real estate investor who has built an $80M+ portfolio and owns over 1,200 units—all starting from a single duplex. But the real focus of this conversation is capital raising in today’s shifting environment. As online funnels and paid ads become increasingly ineffective, Lee shares how he’s built a powerful, scalable system for raising capital locally through in-person events, curated meetups, and relationship-driven strategies. From hosting monthly property tours to creating a repeatable investor “flywheel,” Lee breaks down exactly how he’s raised nearly $2M from his network—and how you can do the same by prioritizing trust, consistency, and community.

• Local Capital Raising Is Back—and It Works
• As online ads and webinars lose effectiveness, in-person events and local networking are proving to be far more reliable for building investor trust and raising capital.
• Consistency Creates a Compounding “Flywheel” Effect
• Hosting recurring monthly events builds familiarity, credibility, and momentum—turning casual attendees into long-term investors over time.
• Start Small, Then Scale Strategically
• Lee began with simple meetups and evolved them into curated experiences, proving you don’t need perfection—just consistency and iteration.
• Curated Experiences Attract Higher-Quality Investors
• Targeting accredited investors, asking the right questions, and filtering attendees helps ensure you’re building relationships with serious capital partners.
• In-Person Connection Builds Trust Faster Than Funnels
• Face-to-face interactions dramatically shorten the trust cycle compared to cold online leads, making it easier to convert relationships into investments.
• Layered Engagement (Events + Webinars) Maximizes Reach
• Combining live events with ongoing touchpoints like webinars and follow-ups creates a powerful ecosystem for nurturing investor relationships.

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For full episode show notes visit: https://themichaelblank.com/podcasts/session523/