The Retail Secret Behind 1.3M Sq Ft of Financial Freedom with Adam the Brit
Episode guide
Written by The Real Estate Investing Club from the episode’s show notes (). It summarizes what Adam the Brit said on the show; it is not a transcript.
Gabe Petersen talks with Adam the Brit, who has built a commercial portfolio of about 1.3 million square feet across multi-tenant industrial, shopping centers and now mobile home parks. Adam explains his path from a small industrial building in the Netherlands to Houston apartments and net-lease properties, his case for grocery- and big-box-anchored centers in Hispanic markets, and why he is shifting toward mobile home parks. He also tells a due diligence story about a second environmental report.
Questions this episode answers
- Why buy grocery-anchored shopping centers in Hispanic markets?
- Are larger shopping centers steadier than small strip centers?
- Why are commercial investors moving into mobile home parks?
- Why are resident-owned homes preferred over park-owned homes?
- Why order a second Phase One environmental report?
What Adam shared
- Adam believes Amazon will not replace in-person retail for underbanked, underserved Hispanic communities, which underpins his grocery- and big-box-anchored center thesis.
- He argues centers of 40,000 to 110,000 square feet can offer steadier cash flow than a small four-tenant strip because vacancy risk changes with tenant count.
- Adam is shifting toward mobile home parks for scalability, citing depreciation, the affordability crisis and permitting restrictions that limit new supply.
- Adam prefers resident-owned homes as the cleaner play; Gabe adds his own warning about park-owned homes and says renting out the dirt is the appeal.
- Adam says he once sold foreclosed US homes to investors in Southeast Asia and China after the financial crisis.
- On one retail property, Adam says a second Phase One environmental report uncovered potential remediation costs of about $2 million: trust but verify.
- Adam names broker relationships as his favorite way to find deals and says he is open to joint ventures with mobile home park operators.
Go deeper on this site
Show notes
Commercial real estate investing with 1.3 million square feet
Welcome back to the Real Estate Investing Club podcast! I'm Gabe Petersen, and in this episode I sit down with Adam the Brit, an investor who has built a commercial real estate portfolio of 1.3 million square feet focused on multi-tenant industrial, shopping centers, and now mobile home parks. If you want to learn how to invest in commercial real estate and build long term wealth, this conversation is packed with practical lessons on cash flow, asset management, and scaling.
From house flipping to commercial real estate
Adam walks us through a career that started with a small industrial building in the Netherlands, grew into apartment buildings in Houston, and moved into triple net lease mixed use properties. He explains how he sold foreclosed US homes to international investors across Southeast Asia and China after the financial crisis. We dig into how real estate arbitrage works, why family offices want diversification, and how flipping houses for investors differs from flipping to owner occupants.
Why mobile home park investing is on the radar
Adam shares why he is shifting focus toward mobile home park investing as an asset manager looking for scalability. We talk about the tax benefits and depreciation, the affordability crisis, the moat created by NIMBY permitting restrictions, and why resident owned homes are the cleaner play. I also share my own warning about park owned homes and why renting out dirt is the real appeal. If you are researching how to invest in mobile home parks, this section is for you.
Retail real estate investing and shopping center strategy
Adam explains his thesis for buying grocery anchored and big box anchored shopping centers in Hispanic markets, and why he believes Amazon will not replace in person retail for underbanked, underserved communities. You will hear why centers of 40,000 to 110,000 square feet can offer steadier cash flow than a small four tenant strip, how vacancy risk changes with tenant count, and where value add retail opportunities exist in Southern California.
Deal sourcing, due diligence, and lessons learned
In the quick question round, Adam shares his favorite books and groups for real estate education, his best advice for his younger self, and why broker relationships are his favorite way to find deals. He also tells the story of ordering a second Phase One environmental report on a retail property and uncovering potential remediation costs of about two million dollars. The lesson is simple: trust but verify, and always run your own due diligence.
About adam and his new book
Adam is also the author of Your Life GPS: Grind, Pivot, Succeed, with all proceeds supporting build.org and its entrepreneurial education for underserved students. He is open to joint ventures, especially with mobile home park operators.
Who this episode is for
Whether you are a beginner looking for real estate investing tips or an experienced investor exploring multi-tenant retail, industrial, or mobile home parks, you will walk away with ideas on scaling a portfolio, finding off market and broker deals, building JV partnerships, and protecting your capital with smart due diligence. Adam's story proves that persistence, thinking bigger, and surrounding yourself with the right people can move you closer to financial freedom.
Want to learn more about our guest? Connect here: britholdings.com
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