From $19M Family Office Deals to Raising Retail Capital

He Built Fire Stations, Police Stations, and Medical Centers. Then He Started Syndicating.

Shannon Robnett grew up around real estate. His mom was a third-generation broker. His dad was a developer. By the time Shannon was in his early twenties, he had already built commercial projects from the ground up—everything from gyms to government buildings.

But the real turning point came when a family office backing his developments suddenly pulled out. That forced him to learn how to raise capital from scratch.

What followed was a crash course in building trust, scaling investor communication, and bringing in $75M from high-net-worth individuals and financial advisors. Today, Shannon manages over $150M in assets and runs Shannon Robnett Industries, focusing on ground-up development across multifamily and industrial.

Here’s how he scaled and what operators can take from his journey.

The Play: Ground-Up Multifamily and Triple Net Industrial

Shannon isn’t polishing distressed C-class properties. He builds from the ground up.

His core strategy today? Develop brand-new multifamily in growth markets and long-hold industrial assets with predictable cash flow.

He focuses on:

• Ground-up multifamily in 8 target markets with wage growth

• Class A tenants who can absorb rent increases without moving out

• Industrial assets with 5 to 10-year leases, predictable escalations, and tenant-covered expenses

Unlike most sponsors flipping deals in 3 to 5 years, Shannon prefers to hold for 10 years or longer and structure his investor base accordingly.

Why This Works

1. He builds assets that scale with rent and wage growth
Instead of chasing underpriced assets, Shannon builds new units where tenant income supports future rent bumps—and value compounds over time.

2. He treats investor communication as a product
Early on, Shannon learned the hard way that quarterly updates weren’t enough. Now he sends newsletters, market insights, and investment performance reports proactively to build trust and reduce investor anxiety.

3. He invests where tax advantages boost real returns
Shannon actively uses opportunity zones, depreciation, and 1031 strategies to deliver strong after-tax outcomes. For long-term LPs, the tax story is as compelling as the cash flow.

The Risks (And How He Manages Them)

Development Debt:
Rising interest rates hit everyone, including developers. Shannon managed the risk by locking in higher rents. One townhome deal underwrote at $1,795 but is leasing at $2,350.

Overbuilding:
Shannon avoids markets with excessive supply, like Nashville. Instead, he targets metros with wage growth and manufacturing investments, like Phoenix and Boise.

Investor Education Gaps:
High-earning professionals often overlook the tax drag of stocks. Shannon meets them where they are, showing how real estate outpaces public markets after taxes are considered.

What You Can Learn (and Steal)

1. Smaller deals are harder
It takes nearly the same effort to close a 4-plex as a 100-unit. Shannon urges new sponsors to start with scale—either through partnerships or co-GP models.

2. Your resume is a moat
Shannon leaned on his 25-year construction background when raising capital. If you lack experience, go get it. Work with the operators you want to become.

3. Long-term wins beat short-term flips
Most of Shannon’s returns don’t come from quick exits. They come from holding great assets in great markets long enough to let compounding do the work.

Listen to the full episode

🎙 Groundbreakers with Shannon Robnett

In it, we cover:

• How Shannon transitioned from builder to syndicator

• What happened when a family office pulled $19M of capital

• How he communicates with LPs to build trust over time

• His strategy across multifamily and triple-net industrial

• Why he believes smaller is harder and scale beats speed