168 Western Suburb units In Less Than 10 Years with John Warren

John discusses his start in real estate over a decade ago and reflects on missed opportunities, lessons learned, and success stories! He shares practical advice on simply structuring partnerships and talks about Forte Properties’ plan for growth in the western suburbs. John dives into starting a property management company along with building and remaining loyal to a team to support his portfolio. Mr. Warren closes with motivating words on entrepreneurship and why you should take the leap of faith! If you enjoy today’s episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content! Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Guest: John Warren, Forte Properties Link: Forte Properties (@fortepropertieschicago) • Instagram photos and videos Link: Extreme Ownership (Book Recommendation) Link: Luke Erlandson (Agency Lender Referral) Guest Questions 02:53 Intro to our guest, John Warren! 03:18 Lessons learned from growing a 168-unit portfolio! 06:50 How to simply structure a partnership? 12:00 John’s geographical focus and plans for growth. 21:01 Resetting expectations on real estate investment returns! 23:45 Setting up a property management office. 26:27 Property management software and leveraging virtual assistants. 31:48 John’s recent horror story! 33:53 What would John do differently in his journey? 34:47 Growing a family while pursuing entrepreneurship. 36:50 What is your competitive advantage? 37:18 One piece of advice for new investors. 37:43 What do you do for fun? 38:26 Good book, podcast, or self development activity that you would recommend?  39:00 Local Network Recommendation?  40:15 How can the listeners learn more about you and provide value to you? ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2025.