What does it look like to go from just starting to closing 379 units in under a year—while living overseas? In this conversation, I sat down with real estate investor Suzy Sevier to dive into her incredible journey from lockdown curiosity to full-blown multifamily syndicator. Suzy shares how she and her husband Michael turned quarantine into opportunity, the mindset and systems behind their success, and how they used community, grit, and 1% improvements to transform their lives. This is a real, unfiltered look at scaling quickly, staying grounded, and building a business with purpose.
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Hello everyone and welcome! I’m very excited to have Suzy Sevier with me. Thanks for being here.
Yeah, thank you for having me join. I’m super excited.
I’ve known Suzy for years and she has been an awesome real estate investor and syndicator who’s been hustling since the minute I met her. So I’m excited to have her share her story with us today. Now, Suzy, we’re going to start at the beginning—and to be honest, I feel like I’m going to learn a lot here too because I know part of your story, but how did you really get started in real estate investing?
Yeah, I’m happy to go through that part. It really all started because of COVID. At the time, my husband and I were living overseas in England. When COVID happened, the lockdowns in the UK were much more intense than in the U.S. When we were shut down, we were really shut down.
I was working from home, and my husband—who does wet lab research—couldn’t work because that had to be done in person. So we were like, “Okay, what are we going to do for the next few months?” You could only leave your house once a day to go work out, grocery shop, or go to the pharmacy. And those errands had to be done solo—you couldn’t even go with your partner.
So we decided to start a mini book club together. The first book we read was The Slight Edge, and it talked about being 1% better every day. After we finished it, we were like, “Well, we’ve got to read the rest of the books listed in the back.” One of those books was Multiple Streams of Income by Robert Allen, and the whole second section talked about real estate investing. Michael asked, “Do you think we could give this a shot?” and I said, “Why not?”
We jumped online, found BiggerPockets, and then found the group From Military to Millionaire. That one really stuck with Michael, so he posted in their Facebook group asking if anyone was investing while living overseas. Someone replied, “Yeah, I’m in the UK too—just a couple hours away. We should have a call.”
We both had imposter syndrome—like, “Can we actually have a call with this person? Will it be weird?” But after talking, the guy told us about a virtual event happening in two weeks. Each speaker was a different military member involved in real estate—everything from Airbnb arbitrage and private lending to multifamily investing and the BRRRR method.
At first we were like, “Do we want to spend money on a ticket?” But I found out you could win a free ticket by reposting the event content enough times. I ended up winning a VIP ticket!
With VIP, you got one-on-one time with the speakers. The multifamily speaker told us, “You don’t have to start with single family—you can go straight into multifamily.” At the time, we thought he was crazy. But after trying to figure out single family and realizing it wasn’t working, we pivoted into multifamily.
What was your day job before all this? And were you still doing it at the same time?
Yes. I was a project manager for a biotech company in the UK. Our big project was a warehouse transfer from the UK to the Netherlands. I was working on that while we were starting this journey. Of course, everything shifted during the lockdown. Michael was also still writing his PhD thesis. It was a mix of everything at once.
Right? That reminds me of that Lucille Ball quote: “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.” And that’s what I’m hearing in your story.
Totally. And it took a lot of saying no to things. Even when restrictions lifted, we still had to say, “No, we’ve got work to do.” It was all about what we were saying no to so we could say yes to something else in the future.
Can you give some examples of that?
From the 88-unit—just in one year—we closed on an 88-unit in February, a 100-unit in July, and a 191-unit in October. Because we had momentum, we said no to travel, no to nights out with friends. Everyone was excited that restrictions were lifted, but we had an obligation to keep building. That included building our website, communicating our business plan, and making sure our investors were okay.
We had to say no to ourselves, knowing that one day we’d get to say yes—once we had systems and processes in place. And when you’re just starting out, you have no idea what those systems even are.
Right. It’s just brute force.
Yes! But once you start to figure that out, you can see how to make it all work at the same time.
That makes a lot of sense. And I appreciate you sharing that, because I know you’re really good about enjoying life now—but that’s because of the hustle season you put in first.
Let’s go back to that 88-unit. If someone listening is intrigued by syndication but doesn’t have millions in the bank or a rich uncle, what is syndication and how did you make it work?
Syndicating is when there are two groups of partners in an apartment deal.
For the 88-unit, there were five of us as general partners. Michael and I were the lead operators—we found the deal, secured financing, handled acquisitions and operations. We had boots on the ground, which was crucial. Everyone in the GP was active. We needed someone to sign on the loan and someone to help raise capital. That rounded out our team.
Then you have limited partners—those are the passive investors. Our raise was $1.8 million. And like I said, we did not have that kind of money in the bank. So friends, family, and old colleagues invested anywhere from $35K to $100K.
The benefit for them is that they don’t have to be involved in the day-to-day. They’re not on calls with property managers or managing the business. They just want their money to grow while they focus on other things.
That’s such a good breakdown. So when you pitched to those friends and investors, what kind of return were you offering?
If I remember right, over five years it was a 2x equity multiple—so $50K in, $100K out. Our interest rate was 3.86%, so still low. Half the return would come from cash flow, and the other half from the sale. It was probably around a 17% IRR. We also did a cost segregation study, so they got depreciation benefits.
What do you think made people say yes? Was it the deal or was it you?
Funny enough, our very first investors weren’t family or friends—they wanted proof of concept. It was actually other investors we’d met on networking calls. I think it was our consistency. We showed up over and over again. It also helped that our mentor was on the deal. People trusted him and that gave them confidence in us.
We were able to explain, “This is the plan, here’s how it could work—and here’s what could go wrong.” I think that made people feel safe. We were consistent, and we knew the deal.
Exactly. People don’t want a perfect, rosy pitch—they want to know you’ve thought through the risks and have a backup plan.
Yes. And having Carl on our team—he had been through tough situations before. So people knew he’d help guide us through any surprises.
I’m hearing so many great themes: discipline, showing up, the importance of a team, not doing it all alone.
Absolutely. Trying to do it alone gets lonely. We wanted to avoid that.
Now while we’re on the topic of collaboration—Suzy, you and Michael do so much together. You’re like BFFs in addition to being husband and wife. It’s so heartwarming to see. So for people who invest in real estate with their spouse, do you have a word or two of advice for doing that well?
Man. I would say—because I’m the very happy, cheery one (Michael’s happy too, but I’m just always really upbeat)—you’ve got to keep the fun in it.
We have to live a life that lights us up. And if you don’t know what lights you up, take the time to figure it out. For me, I said, “If we’re going to do this, we have to make sure it’s still fun.” I bring in the light and the fun, even when things are hard. That way, the pressure of the business doesn’t start affecting everything else.
So yeah, my advice is: make sure you’re still having fun. Because if you’re not, that stress can creep into your relationship fast. It’s not supposed to—but it does. And once Michael got on board with the “this has to be fun” mindset, it got easier to look around and be grateful. We were like, “Wow, we get to do this—let’s make the most of it.”
Right? You’re going to do it either way—might as well bring a positive attitude. I love that you both made a conscious decision to protect your joy while building something big.
Okay, so fast forward. You bought three properties in 2021. Now we’re in 2025, and it’s been quite a rollercoaster in multifamily. A lot of people listening aren’t full-time syndicators—so what’s that journey looked like over the past few years for you?
The journey definitely expanded—and then we hit pause. Especially with larger properties. Interest rates shifted and that made it harder to buy big.
But we took full advantage of what was in front of us when rates were low. When things shifted, we explored creative financing—like seller carrybacks or letting the seller stay in the deal. That helped make the numbers work better.
Eventually, we saw property prices skyrocket and kind of hover there. So we chose to wait. We’re currently working on a smaller deal—an 8-unit. And funny enough, that feels scarier than the 100-unit!
But we’re still putting in the reps. If you stop, your next 10 deals could all be “no.” But if you keep moving, you’ll get to the yeses again.
We didn’t go passive. We’re still very active in managing operations for our current portfolio. When we decided to wait for the next big acquisition, we turned our focus inward—on what we already owned. That’s been key. Even if it takes a year or more for the next purchase, it’s fine. We’re optimizing in the meantime.
So many people get stuck on acquisitions—the excitement of deal flow—and forget about what happens afterward. You do such a great job putting systems in place, managing well, and focusing on the long game. There’s a lot of money to be made there.
Totally. That was a huge aha moment for us. When we paused and focused on our current operations, our income kept increasing. Our net worth did too. We realized there’s massive upside in doing a great job with what you already own.
People fixate on that next big number. But if you pay attention to all the numbers, there’s big growth waiting in optimization too.
Especially in multifamily, where your valuation is based on net operating income. The more you improve operations, the more your property is worth.
Yes, exactly. And that goes even deeper—we started educating our property managers about syndication. We didn’t want them thinking, “Oh, Suzy and Michael just have deep pockets.” We wanted them to understand how everything fits together.
When everyone involved understands the big picture, people treat the property differently. We explained, “We’re not just cutting costs to save money—we’re making smart, strategic choices.” Like shopping around for appliances instead of always using the same vendor. Saving $60 might not seem like a lot, but over a year across multiple units, that’s real impact on NOI.
For sure. That’s such a smart approach. Now what about exits? Any wisdom for that final phase—when you’re preparing to sell?
Yes! Your broker can make or break your exit.
One thing we do is give the property a full makeover before selling. Fresh paint, re-striped parking lots, whatever it takes to make the first impression pop. We want buyers pulling in and thinking, “This place has been taken care of,” not “This place needs love.”
And the broker decision? Huge. Michael and I work with three different brokers, and choosing the right one for each deal really matters. We’ve seen people go with a broker just because they knew them—and it cost them. You want someone who knows the area and has the right buyer network. That’s what gets you the best results.
Right. So many people treat that like a casual relationship when it’s really a high-stakes business decision. That’s great advice.
Let’s end on a few quickfire questions. First: what’s your favorite tool for managing operations?
I love Asana. It helps me track projects, KPIs, photo uploads—all of it. There are other great platforms too, but the key is having one. When everyone uses the same project management system, everything stays organized. And when you train your team on how to use it, it’s a dream.
Love that. I’m a monday.com person myself, but totally agree—just pick one and use it. Second: what advice would you give your younger self when you were just starting out?
That we get to live a life that lights us up. Go after what excites you. And if you don’t know what that is yet, take the time to figure it out.
Life is short. Not living as your true self is such a bummer. Go after what energizes you—sooner than later.
Yes. That’s so powerful—and very different from the old narrative of “pick something practical” or “make money first, then be happy.”
Exactly. But when you chase what excites you, everything else starts lining up. You get that same energy reflected back at you.
So true. And you can always tell when someone isn’t doing what lights them up. It’s written all over them.
Yes, 100%.
Final question: what’s one book that’s been transformational in your investing journey?
Definitely The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. The way he explains how being just 1% better every day compounds over time—it really stuck with me.
1% isn’t a lot. When you first hear “invest in real estate,” it feels huge and overwhelming. But when you think about making tiny, daily improvements—that’s what builds real momentum. That mindset made it all feel possible.
That’s my favorite.
And I’m guessing that mindset has helped with your triathlon training too?
Oh, absolutely. Right now I’m training for a full Ironman. I’ve been training consistently since May 2022—that’s a long time!
Just last night I told myself, “You have 10 weeks. You can do anything for 10 weeks.” That’s not long in the grand scheme of things. So I remind myself: this workout is part of the 1%. It’s part of making sure race day isn’t awful. That mindset has gotten me through a lot.
I love it. You’re amazing—and I’m so excited to cheer you on. Now, if someone wants to connect with you or learn more, where should they go?
The best place is our website: adventurousrei.com/info. You can choose how to reach out—email, LinkedIn, or social media. Whatever works best for you.
Awesome. And if you’re reading this and thinking of someone who needs to hear Suzy’s story—go ahead and send this to them. Text it, email it, or share it however you like. You never know whose path this might change.