SF Commercial Property Conversations
SF Commercial Property Conversations hosted by Bruce Bean is the go-to podcast for anyone fascinated by the intricacies of commercial real estate in the San Francisco Peninsula and beyond. Each episode dives deep into the world of commercial property investments, featuring insights from seasoned investors, industry experts, and professionals who have shaped the landscape of San Francisco’s market. Join us as we explore successful investment strategies, discuss the challenges and opportunities unique to the Bay Area, and uncover the stories behind the buildings that define our skyline. Whether you’re a CPA, doctor, retired professional, or someone with an interest in commercial real estate, this podcast offers unparalleled insights into making informed decisions in one of the world’s most competitive markets. From the dynamics of Triple Net Leases to the legacy of family trusts in real estate, ”SF Commercial Property Conversations” is your invitation to the conversation about building wealth, creating legacies, and investing in commercial properties wisely. With Bruce Bean’s expert guidance, get ready to unlock the strategies for success and be inspired by the journeys of those who’ve navigated the complex waters of commercial real estate investments.
Episodes

Tuesday Jun 24, 2025
One Property, Endless Potential: Hunter Pogatchnik’s Land Flip Journey
Tuesday Jun 24, 2025
Tuesday Jun 24, 2025
In this episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations, host Bruce Bean welcomes land flipper and entrepreneur Hunter Pogatchnik. Starting with a single lakeside lot purchase in college, Hunter’s unique approach to land flipping now sees him closing over 100 deals a year.
Hunter shares how he transitioned from cold calling during college to owning dozens of land parcels, most of them off-market. He breaks down his buying strategies, including how he finds properties with favorable zoning, uses direct mail marketing, and the ways he physically and legally adds value to raw land.
Hunter also explains how seller financing, JV partnerships, and strategic reinvestments keep his business booming—and why a 30% default rate on financing doesn't worry him at all. If you're interested in real estate investing, this land-focused conversation offers a refreshingly different (and profitable) path.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

Friday Jun 20, 2025
10,000 Units Later: How Zach Haptopstall Left Medical Sales Behind
Friday Jun 20, 2025
Friday Jun 20, 2025
What does it take to walk away from a lucrative career and build a $2.4 billion real estate portfolio from scratch?
In this episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations with Bruce Bean, we sit down with Zach Haptopstall, co-founder and CEO of Rise48 Equity, to hear his extraordinary story. From reporting sports and marketing for hospice care to managing over 10,000 apartment units, Zach shares how he bootstrapped his way into multifamily real estate syndication.
You’ll hear:
Why Zach quit a 6-figure healthcare job to chase a real estate dream
The first 36-unit deal that started it all—and how he survived 14 months with no income
His team’s rinse-and-repeat approach to value-add multifamily deals
How Rise48 built out its own property management and construction companies
Strategies for scaling across Phoenix, Dallas, and North Carolina—and next steps into Florida
Tips for managing investor relations and raising over $1 billion in equity
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

Thursday Jun 19, 2025
From Green Fields to Great Deals: Anthony Price’s CRE Journey
Thursday Jun 19, 2025
Thursday Jun 19, 2025
This episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations with Bruce Bean features Anthony Price, a former environmental consultant turned commercial real estate broker based in Ventura County, California. Anthony shares his unique path from environmental science into the world of commercial real estate, and how his background gives him a rare edge in navigating deals with environmental complexities.
Listeners will learn:
How Anthony’s 23+ years in environmental consulting inform his CRE work today.
The surprising story of a hidden underground tank and how Anthony saved a deal from falling apart.
Why trust and relationship-building are the backbone of his business model.
His thoughts on market conditions and how “Survive to 25” became a mantra for today's brokers.
The role his CRM and personal outreach play in business development.
And yes, we even talk roast beef sandwiches and Willie Nelson birthdays.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

Wednesday Jun 18, 2025
Don Spillane: Hustling the Mob - From Solving Crimes to Writing Lines
Wednesday Jun 18, 2025
Wednesday Jun 18, 2025
What do a London detective, a self-published novelist, and a California real estate pro have in common? Meet Don Spillane. In this episode, Don takes us on a journey from Scotland Yard's gritty East End to the sunny streets of Huntington Beach. With gripping tales of taking down hitmen, navigating the ups and downs of commercial real estate, and writing his international thriller Hustling the Mob, Don's story is anything but ordinary.
Hear how Don transitioned from law enforcement to media, to wealth management, and finally to becoming an author. He shares insights on business succession planning, the realities of self-publishing, and how real-life crime stories shaped his fiction. Whether you’re in business or just love a great story, this episode offers plenty of both.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

Tuesday Jun 17, 2025
Eric Wassmann: From Icy Slopes to Hot Deals in Real Estate
Tuesday Jun 17, 2025
Tuesday Jun 17, 2025
In this episode, Bruce Bean sits down with Eric Wassmann to uncover a fascinating journey from East Coast ski slopes to the fast-paced world of commercial real estate finance. Eric’s career path weaves through snow-covered peaks and Silicon Valley startups, revealing a unique blend of adventure, hustle, and innovation.
Why should you listen?If you've ever wondered how someone pivots from ski bum to Silicon Valley innovator and then builds a thriving commercial lending business, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. Eric shares hard-earned lessons and insights into the world of soft money funding and mortgage tech.
Key takeaways:
Eric’s early days chasing powder in Utah and Colorado
Transition from Wall Street to title insurance to mortgage brokering
Creating a tech-driven loan application process in the late '90s
Founding Soft Money Funding and GeniusLoans.ai
How Eric sees the current and future state of real estate finance
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

Friday Jun 13, 2025
Rodrigo Serzedello: Unlocking Wealth from Tech to Real Estate
Friday Jun 13, 2025
Friday Jun 13, 2025
What happens when a seasoned tech entrepreneur trades Silicon Valley for real estate investing in the Midwest? In this episode, Bruce sits down with Rodrigo Serzedello, a Brazilian-born tech veteran who made a bold transition from building RFID startups to flipping homes in Cincinnati—and he's doing it with smart strategy and a tech-savvy edge.
Rodrigo shares how selling his company, Instafob, gave him the runway to dive into real estate, and why he chose out-of-state properties over San Diego’s high prices. He breaks down the BRRRR strategy (Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat) that’s helping him scale his portfolio, and dishes on his latest ventures: launching an AI real estate agent and lighting up the skies with drone light shows.
From practical investment tactics to futuristic tech applications, this episode covers:
Why Rodrigo left tech and went all-in on real estate
How the BRRRR strategy enables rapid portfolio growth
His AI platform to help homebuyers find smarter deals
How drone light shows are creating a new entertainment industry
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest
Insights into investing in San Diego’s real estate market

Thursday Jun 12, 2025
Sam Lauter: From 10-Year-Old Prodigy to Public Affairs Powerhouse
Thursday Jun 12, 2025
Thursday Jun 12, 2025
In this engaging episode, Bruce Bean sits down with Sam Lauter, founding partner of BMWL & Partners, to trace a unique career path that started with political activism before grade school. Raised in a deeply political household, Sam shares how early exposure to national figures and movements led him to a lifelong passion for public affairs.
Listeners will get a behind-the-scenes look at Sam’s journey—from walking precincts at age four to founding a powerhouse public affairs firm in San Francisco. Sam recounts his time working for legendary political figures like Phil Burton, Joe Biden, and Nancy Pelosi, and the pivotal moment he helped shut down a major power plant in SF—negotiating a secret deal that would transform a toxic site into a future community asset.
This episode is rich with lessons on strategy, advocacy, and the human side of government relations. Hear how Sam navigates the intersection of politics and real estate, why developers seek his counsel, and what he thinks about state vs. local control on housing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

Wednesday Jun 11, 2025
Jimmy Rios: Where Business Advisory Meets Real Estate Expertise
Wednesday Jun 11, 2025
Wednesday Jun 11, 2025
In this episode, Bruce Bean chats with Jimmy Rios, the dynamic founder behind Rios Business Advisors. With over two decades of experience and a passion for serving underserved communities, Jimmy shares his journey from starting in a small Arizona room to building a multifaceted financial services empire. His company offers everything from credit repair and wealth management to real estate and tax strategy—all designed to help clients achieve financial freedom and business success.
Jimmy discusses how his firm’s “Eye Level to High Level” program helps small to midsize businesses transform financial disarray into structured growth by leveraging innovative investment and credit strategies. He also breaks down how hedge fund-style investing and AI-driven systems are used to generate compounding returns for clients, helping them fund real estate deals, pay off debt, and build generational wealth.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
How Jimmy evolved from managing properties to building a multi-vertical advisory firm
The philosophy behind “Eye Level to High Level” and how it empowers clients
Using credit and financial education as tools for transformation
How AI and hedge fund strategies are leveraged in modern investing
Jimmy’s vision for long-term, community-driven growth through trust and education
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

Tuesday Jun 10, 2025
Tuesday Jun 10, 2025
From surfboards to site plans, Ryan Gautereaux’s career path is anything but typical. In this episode, host Bruce Bean sits down with Ryan, a Development Manager at Dedeaux Properties, to explore how his early days running a surf camp led to a passion for real estate development.
Ryan walks us through his unique journey—from teaching kids to surf in Malibu to managing the construction of logistics and distribution centers across California. He shares insights into project management, commercial kitchen design, the complexities of entitlement processes, and how he evaluates sites for development. Ryan also discusses current market challenges like tariffs, financing pauses, and the importance of strategic partnerships in navigating the industrial real estate landscape.
If you're curious about what it takes to thrive in industrial development, especially in a market as dynamic as California, this conversation is full of insights and inspiration.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

Thursday Jun 05, 2025
From Labs to Job Sites: Laurance Lee’s Leap into Construction Tech
Thursday Jun 05, 2025
Thursday Jun 05, 2025
In this episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations with Bruce Bean, we sit down with Laurance Lee, a San Francisco native whose unique path from biochemistry at Harvard to the world of real estate investment offers fascinating insights.
Laurance shares how personal life changes led him from a biotech career into real estate, initially investing in Salt Lake City before expanding his efforts to the East Bay and now Phoenix. He dives into the challenges and opportunities of urban development, including dealing with slow permitting in the Bay Area and the appeal of faster-moving markets like Phoenix.
We explore:
Why Laurance shifted from science to real estate
His ground-up multifamily project in Utah
Insights on the Phoenix market and why it’s his new focus
Lessons learned on financing, 1031 exchanges, and managing partnerships
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest
His passion for scalable, repeatable real estate strategies