Multifamily has been one of the most popular real estate strategies for years.

But when the market shifted, Mike Stohler went looking for a better opportunity.

In this episode of Raise the Bar Radio, I sit down with Mike Stohler, co-founder of Gateway Private Equity Group, to break down why he pivoted from multifamily into hotels, and why he’s now investing in boutique hotels and historic properties in Spain.

Mike has owned and operated more than 1,500 units across hotels, multifamily, and residential real estate. After moving into hotels for stronger returns and better value-add opportunities, changing U.S. market conditions, higher interest rates, and thinner margins led him to expand internationally into Spain.

You'll learn:

• Why Mike moved from multifamily into hotels • What makes hotels different from traditional multifamily investments • How dynamic pricing allows hotels to adjust rates every day • Why Mike started looking outside the U.S. for opportunities • What attracted him to boutique hotels and historic properties in Spain • How European hotel valuations compare to similar U.S. properties • The challenges of investing and operating real estate internationally • Why having the right local team matters when entering a foreign market • How Mike approaches raising capital for international investments • Why investor education is critical when introducing a new market or strategy

One of the biggest lessons from this conversation is simple:

Sometimes the best opportunity isn't in the asset class or market everyone else is chasing.

Hotels require more active operations than traditional multifamily.

But they also provide flexibility through dynamic pricing and create value-add opportunities that work very differently from apartments.

And when U.S. economics became more difficult, Mike didn't stop investing.

He changed the strategy and changed the market.

For investors willing to look beyond traditional multifamily and familiar U.S. markets, there may be opportunities most people aren't even considering.

Links to watch and subscribe:

Seth Bradley’s Links:

X: x.com/sethbradleyesq YouTube: youtube.com/@sethbradleyesq Facebook: facebook.com/sethbradleyesq Threads: threads.com/@sethbradleyesq Instagram: instagram.com/sethbradleyesq LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sethbradleyesq TikTok: tiktok.com/@sethbradleyesq

Mike Stohler's Links:

Website: gatewaype.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelstohler Youtube: youtube.com/@mike.stohler