What happens when a firefighter working 24-hour shifts decides to build a future through real estate? Thomas St. John, founder of North Corp Capital, who also worked part of his career as a mailman, shares hear how he went from serving his community to building a successful multifamily investment company with over 20 years of experience in the trenches of real estate. 

Starting with his first duplex back in 2006, Thomas steadily scaled his portfolio and eventually created a vertically integrated operation complete with in-house property management. Today, through North Corp Capital, Thomas specializes in multifamily investing, asset syndication, and helping investors grow wealth through strategic, risk-conscious real estate opportunities. 

We dive into the lessons he’s learned about leverage, scaling responsibly, managing risk, and building strong investor relationships over the long haul. If you’re interested in multifamily investing, creating financial freedom outside of a tra...

What if smarter property management—not just buying more properties—was the real key to financial freedom? Cameron Tope is the founder of Emerson Property Management, and also a real estate investor and entrepreneur who used rental properties to break free from the unpredictability of the oil and gas industry. 

After seeing firsthand how unstable the corporate world could be, he began building a rental portfolio that would eventually allow him to quit his W-2 job and create life on his own terms. When he couldn’t find a property manager he trusted, he built his own company from the ground up. Today, he manages over 300 properties in Houston, owns more than 30 rentals himself, and successfully runs Emerson Property Management remotely—all while living in San Diego, California. 

We break down how he scaled from investor to business owner, the systems that allow him to operate remotely, and why most landlords are losing money through poor management practices. If you want to buil...

What if you could build a $60M real estate portfolio without syndications, big money, or insider connections? James Gleeson shares how he went from buying his first rental at 21 to owning 400+ units—using simple, repeatable strategies like BRRRR and value-add investing in his own backyard of St. Louis. 

He breaks down the real lessons, mistakes, and mindset shifts that helped him scale. Now mentoring dozens of investors who’ve collectively closed $50M+ in deals, James proves that building real wealth through real estate is simpler—and more attainable—than most people think.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Understand why real estate growth is compounding and how scaling becomes easier over time
• Learn how James Gleeson built a $60M portfolio and 400+ units starting from scratch
• Discover how to get started in real estate with limited resources by leveraging relationships and persistence
• Identify the importance of building strong relationships to unlock deals, funding, ...

What does it take to stand out in one of the most competitive real estate markets in the world—and actually make it fun to learn about? David Cinelli is one of Canada’s top 1% Realtors®, HGTV co-host, and a trusted advisor with nearly 20 years of experience helping clients navigate the ever-changing real estate landscape. Known for his charisma and clarity, David has a rare ability to break down complex concepts into simple, actionable strategies anyone can understand. 

Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer, a seasoned investor, or a high-income professional looking to grow your wealth, this conversation is packed with insights you can immediately apply. From behind-the-scenes stories of Toronto’s luxury market to smart, data-driven investing tips, David brings both expertise and real-world perspective to the table. If you’re looking to make smarter real estate decisions—and actually enjoy the process—this episode will leave you informed, inspired, and ready to take action.

Are you ready to buy your first investment property but don’t know where to start? We break down a step-by-step guide for beginner real estate investors to find, analyze, and secure their first rental property. You’ll learn how to define your investing goals, pick the right market, secure financing, and discover deals using MLS, off-market listings, and local networking. We cover essential tips for evaluating properties, performing due diligence, making competitive offers, and setting up your first rental for maximum cash flow and long-term passive income. If you’re interested in house hacking, buy-and-hold rentals, fix-and-flips, or short-term rentals, this episode gives you the roadmap to start building wealth through real estate.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Discover how to build a solid foundation in real estate investing that makes your first property purchase feel easy and confident.
• Uncover the secrets to pinpointing the perfect investment property that aligns wit...

Bonny Wayman is a real estate investor, asset manager, and multifamily strategist passionate about helping others achieve financial freedom through real estate. With an MBA from the University of Denver and a background in marketing, analytics, and project management, she combines data-driven strategy with hands-on experience to drive strong investment performance.

As the multifamily asset manager for Wild Oak Capital and Aligned Asset Management, Bonny oversees operations across a growing portfolio for others while managing her own portfolio for herself. Serving as both a General Partner (GP) and Limited Partner (LP) in syndications, she’s known for turning big-picture ideas into actionable strategies that maximize returns and build long-term wealth through multifamily investing and real estate syndications.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Discover how to kickstart your real estate investing journey with confidence and avoid common beginner mistakes.
• Uncover the powerful...

Neil Henderson is a seasoned real estate investor, co-host of the Truly Passive Income Podcast, and General Partner at Nomad Capital. After nearly two decades as a defense contractor, Neil transformed his career by pursuing financial freedom through real estate investing. Starting with a simple house hack in Las Vegas, he’s now helped investors participate in over $75 million in commercial real estate deals and raised more than $17 million in investor equity. As a thought leader in the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement, Neil shares real, actionable strategies for building passive income, achieving financial independence, and creating time freedom through self-storage syndications and other powerful real estate investing models. Neil’s insights will help you take the next step toward truly passive wealth.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Discover how transitioning to real estate investing can unlock new opportunities and build lasting wealth.

• Learn wh

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We’re celebrating 300 episodes and 5 years of the REL Freedom, the real estate investing podcast designed to help you build wealth, grow your business, and create financial freedom. In this special anniversary episode, host Mike Swenson shares the origin story of the podcast, the biggest lessons learned from interviewing top real estate investors, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders, and some behind-the-scenes stories from the journey. You’ll hear insights on passive income, short-term rentals, multifamily investing, and strategies for long-term success in real estate. Plus, get a sneak peek at what’s ahead for the show as we continue to bring you proven strategies, expert advice, and inspiring stories to fuel your investing journey. Whether you’re new to real estate or a seasoned investor, this milestone episode is packed with reflection, gratitude, and practical takeaways to help you succeed.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Discover how building financial freedom...

Steven Carroll is a former financial planner who has discovered the benefits of real investing and is focused on helping others learn how to "do money better." Through the power of building great relationships with amazing real estate investors and entrepreneurs, Steven has been able to invest in multi-family properties, mobile home parks, motels, short-term rentals, as well as other small businesses. Find out how Steven took the principles he learned as a financial planner, combined them with his obsession for personal finance and all things money, along with his love for entrepreneurship and real estate investment, and is putting it all together to build a life & future he's excited about, and how he wants to help you do the same!

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Discover how investing in real estate for beginners can set the foundation for long-term financial freedom.
• Uncover hidden benefits of owning multifamily properties and why they could be your smartest investme...

Imagine working helping to grow a tech company from 20 to 1,000 employees, going to New York for the celebration of taking it public, and then getting let go just 2 days after returning from paternity leave with your first child. This is one of Kyle Luetkehans' most difficult challenges that he's turning into his greatest success story. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he rolled up his sleeves and used this as his opportunity to leap into the life of his dreams! In in just 6 short months after leaving the W2 world behind, they packed up their lives in Florida, turned their current home into a short-term rental, moved to the Midwest, became a partner on an exciting hospitality deal in North Carolina with some amazing business partners, and are set to close on an amazing business opportunity in Alaska with another new business partner. When life hands you these challenges and stresses, Kyle stands at the top of people looking to turn them into amazing opportunities!

In this ep...