Real Estate Syndication Professionals to Know 2025

Real estate investing industry expert and digital strategist.Investing | Investor…

Tripp Butler was born in Rome, Georgia and grew up outside of Atlanta. After graduating from The University of Alabama, Tripp began his career in commercial real estate in Atlanta before relocating to Charleston, South Carolina in the early 1990s to join Wild Dunes Real Estate as a sales executive. After several successful years as a full-time sales executive, Tripp advanced into leadership roles at Wild Dunes, ultimately serving as Broker, Partner, and CEO. In this capacity, he held full responsibility for P&L performance, strategic goal setting, operations, marketing, sales management, and the leadership of a 20-person staff. While also working on real estate development projects alongside Wild Dunes Development Company, Tripp oversaw sales, marketing, and infrastructure initiatives that revitalized the residential development arm of the company. By the end of 2005, annual sales had increased by more than $70 million, culminating in the successful sale of the company to Lowe Enterprises, the nation’s fifth-largest independent management company. From 2006 to 2007, Tripp served as Vice President of Genesis Designer Homes, a role he was recruited for based on a recommendation from the mutual CPA of both companies. There, he built and supervised a high-performing sales team and large support staff, achieving 100% of an aggressive revenue goal in 2006, even as competitors struggled and lost market share during a slowing market. In 2008, Tripp purchased Southbridge Realty and rebranded the firm as Southbridge Greater Savannah Realty—a name chosen to reflect the company’s expanding footprint across Tybee Island, Downtown Savannah, the Islands, Southside, Pooler, Statesboro, and as far south as Hinesville. Since 2008, Southbridge Greater Savannah Realty has grown into one of the top boutique real estate firms in the greater Savannah, Georgia area. More than 20% of the company’s business comes from relocation services, partnering with some of the largest relocation companies in the country. These firms consistently choose Southbridge because of its physical office presence, which generates daily walk-in and call-in business, and its strategic location just minutes from major employers including Mitsubishi, JCB, Gulfstream, and International Paper. Tripp has built an exceptional team of agents known for their passion, integrity, strong work ethic, and deep market knowledge, allowing Southbridge to meet the unique needs of every client. Tripp firmly believes that success in real estate begins with attitude and an understanding that this is a 100% service-driven business. Since 2021, Tripp has been recognized as the #1 real estate agent in Savannah and a Top 3 agent in the state of Georgia. Charitable Organizations Supported by Tripp Butler: Christian Families Today Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity Goodwill Southeast Georgia The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Jacob Peistrup is a real estate marketer and consultant. He helps real estate teams and developers grow through SEO, content marketing, and YouTube content. Based in St. Louis, he also runs Living St. Louis, a real estate media brand that generates hundreds of leads annually through neighborhood guides, seller tips, market insights, and new development tours. His work spans SEO strategy, web design, content production, and analytics for real estate professionals. Jacob holds a B.S. in finance from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. He has been recognized among the Top 10 Real Estate SEO Experts of 2025 and holds an SEO Expert Certification from Gotch SEO Academy as well as an FAA Part-107 drone license.

Kimberly Schmidt is a San Diego real estate expert and team lead of Kimberly Schmidt & Associates at Compass, known for providing strategic guidance to buyers and sellers navigating San Diego’s dynamic housing market. With over 19 years of experience and more than 500 successful transactions, Kimberly has built a results-driven business rooted in precision, market knowledge, and a highly personalized approach. Her team is consistently ranked among the top 1.5% of small teams nationwide by Real Trends, reflecting both performance and consistency at a high level. Kimberly is frequently quoted in national publications including CBS News, Travel + Leisure, House Beautiful, Bankrate, and House Digest, where she provides insight on housing trends, buyer and seller behavior, and navigating changing market conditions. She also serves as a TV host for American Dream San Diego, highlighting the lifestyle and communities that define the region. As a San Diego real estate expert, Kimberly works across a range of property types and client needs, including luxury homes, coastal properties, relocations, trust and probate sales, and 1031 exchanges. Her approach is both strategic and detail-oriented, with a focus on pricing, negotiation, and positioning homes to stand out in competitive conditions. Clients value Kimberly for her clear communication, thoughtful guidance, and ability to navigate complex transactions with confidence. Whether buying, selling, or investing in San Diego real estate, she provides a level of service that is both highly personalized and results-focused. CA DRE#01781140

Recognised in the top 1.5% Nationwide, I am a luxury real estate specialist with Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno, serving Silicon Valley’s premier neighborhoods. I work with affluent buyers and sellers throughout the bay area, offering expert guidance on pricing strategy, market timing, and positioning high-end properties for maximum value. My negotiation expertise is the foundation of the results I deliver. I pride myself in being a trusted resource on luxury real estate trends, buyer behavior, and the evolving Silicon Valley housing market.

Alberto Gonzalez is a real estate strategist, investor, and founder of Investahaus, where he structures acquisitions, creative financing solutions, and exit strategies for property owners and investors. His work sits at the intersection of real estate, capital strategy, and emerging technology. With a background in marketing and construction, Alberto brings both market psychology and asset-level discipline to his analysis. He has participated in real estate tokenization initiatives and is formally educated in blockchain applications for property ownership, giving him a forward-looking perspective on how digital infrastructure is reshaping real asset investment. As a licensed real estate professional and active investor in Florida, he provides insight on distressed inventory trends, creative finance, business exits, regulatory shifts in wholesaling, and the evolution of real estate into programmable assets. Alberto is available to the media for commentary on housing market dynamics, alternative financing structures, tokenization of real estate, and the future of property investment.

Real Estate Investor/Broker since 2002. Extensive experience in all aspects of real estate: buying, selling, rehabbing, constructing (new construction from the ground up and existing buildings)) and managing residential real estate. Successfully navigated the significant changes and multiple cycles the real estate market has seen over the past 18+ years to significantly grow an investment portfolio Specialties: Clearpoint Properties provides quality homes at affordable prices for renters and buyers. For investors, we generate outstanding returns with a tremendous degree of safely by determining highest and best use for each property.

Dan Yonker is the owner and CEO of Yonker Realty Group and a Realtor®️ with the Grigg’s Group powered by the Altman Brothers. With more than twenty years in real estate, he guides buyers and sellers with insight gained from walking countless properties and studying what influences value, comfort, and curb appeal. His background in building and remodeling strengthens his ability to advise clients, evaluate homes with confidence, and help them navigate transactions with clarity and purpose.

Real Estate Investing - Andy has been investing in real estate since 1990, and in 2006 formed an educational company called Regular Riches and travels the country teaching the “Buy Low, Rent Smart, Sell High” investing model. Andy and his real estate partner have authored two best-selling real estate investment books, and the “Buy Low, Rent Smart, Sell High” model was profiled and recommended by Fortune Magazine. . His first book was featured and profiled by Fortune Magazine. Andy is an expert in REOs, foreclosures, land-lording, investment financing, rehabbing, and lease-options.

Jay Sunde is an accomplished entrepreneur with deep experience across multiple industries. He began his career in financial analysis, producing complex forecasts and strategic projections for regional and national companies in commercial real estate, residential real estate, and healthcare. Driven by an entrepreneurial mindset, Jay founded a custom homebuilding company in his mid-20s and grew it into a multi-million-dollar business, developing both custom and speculative homes throughout central North Carolina. During the 2008 housing crisis, he successfully pivoted by acquiring two pool and spa retail and service companies. He scaled both operations, overseeing all aspects of the businesses, and later exited through sales in 2012 and 2018. Since 2009, Jay and his wife, Danielle, have partnered to launch, grow, and acquire preschools, daycares, and elementary schools across the Southeast. Along the way, they also acquired the commercial real estate occupied by their schools and built a growing portfolio of residential real estate holdings. Today, their education platform generates more than $5 million in annual revenue, employs over 70 team members, and serves nearly 500 families. Jay is active in numerous entrepreneurial and small business organizations and, for the past eight years, has consistently mentored and advised founders, business buyers and sellers, and individuals seeking greater financial and time freedom through business ownership.

I’m the founder of DIY Homebuyer Academy and a real estate broker focused on rethinking how buyers are represented in residential real estate. After years inside the traditional commission-based model, I began publicly questioning whether the system truly aligns with consumer interests. That work has evolved into a national platform helping buyers understand contracts, negotiations, and leverage — and, when appropriate, confidently represent themselves. My expertise centers on buyer strategy, compensation reform, incentive alignment, and the evolving role of agents in an AI-driven world. I work with analytical, independent buyers across multiple states and consult on complex transactions where traditional representation doesn’t always serve the client well. Through writing, long-form video, and public commentary, I explore the industry’s trust paradox — why consumers rely heavily on agents while simultaneously distrusting the system — and what meaningful reform could look like. If you’re covering the future of real estate, consumer empowerment, or the post-commission lawsuit landscape, I bring both inside experience and a reform-oriented perspective.

I help homeowners, investors, and property owners unlock the full potential of real estate through smart investing, creative financing, and hands-on property management. With over 15 years of experience in the Sacramento market, I’ve flipped hundreds of homes and built a portfolio of Airbnbs and short-term rentals. Through my company, Insightful REI Buy Houses, I make real estate simple, profitable, and accessible for anyone ready to take the next step.

Entrepreneur in Real Estate with extensive alternative investments, including product development, capital raising, and investor relations (institutional and private wealth / HNW) experience in private equity and real assets.

Craig Stevens unlocks the potential of busy professionals to invest in real estate with little to no effort. Craig is a Certified Public Accountant with 25 years' experience as a senior executive in the financial services industry. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences, a financial coach, and a published author. Craig has also been featured in a Ted Talk for his creation of the “Wealth Factor” which offers individuals the opportunity to openly discuss their financial position on a level platform. After three decades in the financial services industry, he left Corporate America in 2022 to focus full time on his real estate investment company, Groundbreaking Real Estate. His personal success in wealth building is built upon the fundamentals of saving and investing strategically. Craig is passionate about helping individuals develop their own personalized wealth growth strategies which has led him to found several start-ups that give the common investor ways to tap into high return investments that may have been previously out of their reach.

I'm a specialist commercial finance broker with 16 years of experience helping Australian business owners access commercial property finance. As founder of Smart Business Plans, I've overseen $550 million in commercial finance across more than 3,300 clients, with a 92% approval rate working across a panel of 60+ specialist lenders. My expertise sits at the intersection of commercial property, business finance, and wealth strategy — particularly for small to medium business owners looking to buy their own premises, invest through their SMSF, or fund development projects. I work exclusively in the commercial space, which means I specialise where the major banks often can't or won't go. I'm also the author of The Premise Effect (2026), which makes the case for why Australian business owners are leaving millions on the table by renting rather than owning their business premises. I'm available to comment on: commercial property finance, SMSF borrowing, business lending, commercial mortgage rates, Australian property market trends, and small business wealth building.

Founder & Principal | Real Estate PR, IR & Placement Strategist Manou Estates is a boutique consulting firm offering integrated PR, Investor Relations, and Capital Placement solutions for real estate funds, land developers, GPs, and family offices.

I help home buyers, homeowners, and investors understand market trends, mortgage options, and building considerations so they can make confident, informed decisions about real estate.

Leo Marzen is a Managing Partner and Co-founder of Bridgewater Advisors with over 30 years of experience in complex wealth management. A triple-credentialed expert (CPA, CFA, CFP®) and Barron’s-ranked advisor, Leo bridges the gap between sophisticated financial theory and practical, tax-efficient execution. Inspired by an entrepreneurial upbringing in his family’s hardware store, Leo’s pragmatic approach focuses on utility and foresight. He is a sought-after expert for commentary on Tax-Efficient Innovation (Direct Indexing, Tax Loss Harvesting), Estate & Advanced Gift Planning (GRATs, Family Gifting), and Real Estate Optimization (1031 Exchanges, DSTs). Leo is dedicated to providing fiduciary-aligned perspectives on generational wealth transfer and integrated family tax planning, stripping away industry jargon to provide clear, actionable insights for high-net-worth families, individuals, and media outlets alike.

Ben Roper is a Richmond, Virginia-based real estate investment professional specializing in multifamily investment strategy, REIT growth initiatives, and structured real estate transactions, including Section 721 exchanges and UPREIT strategies. His experience spans apartment operations, business development, innovation initiatives, and long-term portfolio planning, giving him a broad perspective on both the operational and strategic sides of multifamily ownership. Ben works closely with apartment owners, developers, and investors navigating liquidity planning, succession considerations, and tax-efficient transition strategies. He is known for his practical, long-term approach to real estate decision-making and frequently writes about multifamily ownership trends, investor psychology, operational complexity, and wealth planning within the apartment industry.