He Got Laid Off, Then Built Two Real Estate Businesses That Print Cash and Offset Taxes

From Laid Off to Lean and Leveraged: How Sean Graham Built Two Cash-Flowing Real Estate Businesses

Sean Graham didn’t expect to lose his job during COVID. But when it happened, he didn’t panic. He doubled down on the triplexes and house hacks he had been working on after hours, and started treating real estate like his new full-time job.

That decision led him into two powerful lanes. The first was self-storage, where he partnered with experienced operators to acquire four facilities across the Midwest. The second was tax strategy. With a CPA license in his back pocket and firsthand experience as a sponsor, Sean launched Maven Cost Segregation to help GPs and LPs keep more of what they earn.

He didn’t raise a massive fund. He didn’t build a big team. He kept his overhead lean, focused on what worked, and scaled quietly through trust, clarity, and repeatable results.

Today, Sean’s companies are helping investors earn better returns and pay fewer taxes, while he continues to grow a storage portfolio that cash flows without chasing yield.

The Play: Self Storage + Cost Seg for Cash Flow and Tax Shielding

Sean used a CPA license and a few small multifamily assets to springboard into self-storage. Instead of syndicating from day one, he partnered with capital-rich operators and brought the deal flow and ops muscle to the table. That led to four facilities across Michigan and Ohio, including a ground-up expansion with climate-controlled units and a public 506(c) raise.

But that was just the start. With interest rates up and deal flow slowing, Sean pivoted into a different lane. He launched Maven Cost Seg, a firm that helps investors unlock bonus depreciation by reclassifying components of a property into shorter-life assets.

Today, he works with syndicators across multifamily, self-storage, medical, and retail to cut their tax bills and boost after-tax IRR.

Why This Works

1. Lean ops, high leverage
Sean built his self-storage business using remote teams and GP partnerships. No massive overhead, no full-time W2 team, just efficient execution.

2. Tax as a weapon
By combining accounting chops with real estate know-how, Sean helps sponsors pass major tax benefits to their LPs and offset income at scale.

3. Cost seg for LP stickiness
Most LPs want more than cash flow. They want to shield their W2 or passive income too. Cost seg studies provide immediate paper losses that create real investor loyalty.

The Risks (and How He Manages Them)

Short hold periods: Sean avoids cost seg on deals with planned exits under two years. The recapture can crush returns if you don’t defer long enough.

Aggressive claims: His team follows IRS guidelines but doesn’t leave value on the table. They apply detailed engineering studies to maximize benefit without risking audit red flags.

Limited capital early on: Instead of raising full syndications, he co-GP’d with experienced operators and scaled gradually. His sweat equity became ownership.

What You Can Learn (and Steal)

1. If you’re not doing cost seg, you’re leaving money on the table
A single study can save hundreds of thousands in year-one taxes. It’s not just about returns. It’s about capital preservation and LP retention.

2.You don’t need a full team to go full-time
Sean runs two companies with help from virtual staff, overseas engineers, and trusted GP partners. Lean execution beats bloated org charts.

3. Use tax to win deals
In today’s tight market, bonus depreciation might be your best edge. Help your investors save on taxes and they’ll come back for the next raise.

Listen to the full episode

🎙 Groundbreakers with Sean Graham

In it, we cover:

• How he built a self-storage portfolio and raised capital without a platform

• Why he pivoted into cost segregation and how the business works

• The three ways GPs and LPs can offset active income using depreciation

• What most sponsors get wrong about tax planning

• How to use passive losses to cover capital gains from other exits