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The Best Ever CRE Show

JF 4080: Feasibility Studies, Niche Innovation and Recession-Resilient Storage ft. Charlie Kao

The Best Ever CRE Show

Best Ever CRE

Investing, Entrepreneurship, Business

4.7996 Ratings

🗓️ 5 November 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Amanda and Ash interview Charlie Kao. Charlie shares how growing up as “free labor” on his dad’s properties eventually led him back into commercial real estate, where he’s now best known for self-storage. He explains why he’s cautious on self-storage at a national level, how overbuilding and new alternatives are changing demand, and why he’s leaning into highly localized markets where he has an unfair advantage. Charlie also walks through innovative ways he’s turning basic storage into a true service business, from accepting and placing medical shipments to offering boat/RV add-ons, all while using feasibility studies and data-driven pricing to stay ahead of the competition. Charlie KaoCurrent role: Principal and Asset Manager, Twin Oaks CapitalBased in: Grand Rapids, Michigan Say hi to them at: https://www.twinoakscap.com/ | LinkedIn Alternative Fund IV is closing soon and SMK is giving Best Ever listeners exclusive access to their Founders’ Shares, typically offered only to early investors. Visit smkcap.com/bec to learn more and download the full fund summary. Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It’s free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at ⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠ Podcast production done by ⁠Outlier Audio⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:43.2

Have you ever noticed every investment pitch deck paints a beautiful picture? The charts point

0:47.7

up into the right. The business plan sounds bulletproof and the returns look great.

0:52.5

But here's the real question. How do you know if those

0:55.0

projections are realistic? Which sectors are the most stable? And which sponsors can you trust?

1:01.2

That's where SMK Alternative Fund 4 comes in. In the past six months, SMK reviewed over 350

1:09.2

opportunities and invested in five high conviction deals.

1:13.6

Alternative Fund 4 gives accredited investors access to recession-resistant real estate,

1:19.0

industrial, multifamily, mobile home parks, and private debt, with top operators.

1:25.6

Investors can avoid high individual deal minimums

1:28.4

and gain diversification across multiple assets all through one allocation.

1:33.1

SMK Capital Management, a family-owned firm with over 15 years of experience,

1:38.9

is known for discipline, selectivity, and rigorous due diligence.

1:43.3

Each investment undergoes deep underwriting

1:46.0

to ensure strong performance potential, capital preservation, and long-term value creation.

1:53.0

The fund targets a five-year hold with immediate cash flow and 11 to 16 percent annualized

1:58.1

returns along with tax benefits through 30 to 40% passive losses in the first year.

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