Inspiring Conversations with Craig Stevens of Groundbreaking Real Estate

Today we’d like to introduce you to Craig Stevens.

Craig, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? 
I was a CPA working as Head of Finance for 25 years in the financial services industry. 10 years ago, while working my day job, I started to acquire small multi-family apartments. My portfolio grew to 9 buildings and 35 tenants with assets worth over $6M. I quit my day job in July 2022 to focus full-time on two real estate business start-ups. Groundbreaking Real Estate acquires commercial real estate properties around the country and brings opportunities for individuals to invest in them. Shore Term Rentals is a property management and listing company to help owners with their short-term rental homes in beach areas. 

This adventure has been very exciting, especially considering that I grew up in a small town in NH with a very humble background.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Starting my own businesses has had some incredible highs and lows. The biggest challenge for me has been wearing the many hats of a business owner, several that I am not familiar with. For example, I have had to learn how to properly market my company and manage operations. This has been challenging for me, considering that I have an accounting background mainly. Additionally, having two businesses stretches me thinly at times, as I have to switch focus frequently to make sure they are both moving forward. 

As you know, we’re big fans of Groundbreaking Real Estate. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
We work with partners around the country to find large commercial properties and find ways to increase the cash flows & asset values. I bring these opportunities to individuals that have an interest in real estate to invest alongside us. With my strong finance background, I am able to perform diligent analysis on these transactions to help ensure that we are investing in the best deals possible. Additionally, I love educating families on different savings and investing tactics that they can use to grow their wealth over the long term. I am passionate about helping others to build their net worth and even spoke in a TedTalk on this topic. 

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
It is most important to really educate yourself and actively participate in all aspects of your business to start. As soon as you are able, make sure to build the right team to support you so that you can work on the business and pull yourself out of the day-to-day operations. I made the mistake of hiring people too quickly before I had my business plans and strategy properly set. This resulted in a slower start to my business and wasted money because I was not able to provide clear direction to the team. 

Pricing:

• Minimum investment is typically $50,000 to be a partner in our real estate projects.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.groundbreakingre.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Groundbreaking-Real-Estate/100068963777421/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/groundbreaking-real-estate-llc/