“A good buy opportunity isn’t when everyone says you should do it. A good buy opportunity is when it doesn’t feel good.” In this episode of the Hard Truth Podcast, I sit down with Kasey Wong to talk about the realities of being a landlord and building a real estate portfolio over the long term. From difficult tenants and unexpected challenges to scaling into larger multi-family buildings, Kasey shares lessons from decades of real estate investing. We break down how experienced investors ana...

“If you’re underwriting deals the same way you did two years ago, those pro formas are not going to work today.” In this episode of the Hard Truth Podcast, I sit down with Chris Sayers of 4Capital to break down recent CMHC rule changes in 2026 and what they actually mean for real estate investors and developers across Canada. CMHC just changed the rules, from energy efficiency requirements to rental achievement holdbacks and if you’re underwriting deals the same way you did a year ago, you ...

"The market isn’t crashing — it’s correcting. And the best opportunities don’t feel good while you’re buying them." In this episode of the Hard Truth Podcast, I sit down with Mica Sadler, a real estate investor, former tech executive, and co-founder of the Real Estate Collective, to unpack 20 years of real estate cycles, from BRRRRing student rentals before YouTube, to navigating today’s volatile market with conviction. Mica shares how he started buying student rentals in Kitchener-Waterloo...

“I had the mayor standing in my unfinished basement because the city was blocking housing they said they wanted.” In this episode of the Hard Truth Podcast, I sit down with Dan Illes, a real estate investor and developer with a background in civil engineering and urban planning, to break down the real challenges behind infill development, zoning, and municipal approvals in Ontario. Dan shares how a three-year battle over parking and basement units led to a public city council presentation a...

“If CMHC wasn’t around, the multifamily construction side would have completely collapsed over the last couple of years.” In this episode of the Hard Truth Podcast, I sit down with mortgage broker and multifamily financing expert Ehren Laycock of BLD Financial to break down the realities behind CMHC financing, MLI Select, commercial lending, and how the last 5 years have completely reshaped Canadian real estate. From rapid growth during the 2020–2022 boom to today’s tougher underwriting, stri...

“The laws have not protected anyone, not even the good tenants.” In this episode of the Hard Truth Podcast, I sit down with landlord and housing advocate Kayla Andrade of Ontario Landlords Watch to explore the realities of property management, tenant rights, and navigating Ontario’s complex housing policies. From managing multi-unit properties to advocating for landlords, Kayla shares her journey of balancing cash flow, tenant accountability, and government regulations. We dive into: ✅ How...

If your goal is to make $10,000/month of cashflow off your rental properties, Kory MacKinnon has a Hard Truth you need to hear! In this episode of the Hard Truth Podcast, Kyle Ford sits down with real estate investor and coach Kory MacKinnon, who shares how growing up in a duplex gave him an early start in real estate and how he went from buying his first off-market six-plex in London, Ontario to building a scalable, diversified portfolio. Before going full-time into real estate, Kory...

In this episode of the Hard Truth Podcast, I sit down with realtor and investor Abe Thiessen to reveal the unconventional strategies making flips profitable in Ontario. From from growing up in Mexico to buying his first property at 19 off Kijiji, Abe shares how he scaled into duplex builds, double-lot severances, and deep-discount flips that most investors overlook. We dive into: ✅ How Abe bought his very first rental property at 19 on Kijiji ✅ Why he avoids long-term rentals in favor of fa...

"Politicians say things like, 'We want to build communities.' These are the guys actually building communities..." In this episode of the Hard Truth Podcast, I sit down with Kartik Singla and Jimmy La from the Sustainable Development Group, who are real estate developers and entrepreneurs building a village of over 100 units in Barrie, Ontario. They share their journey from buying a single-family home to creating multi-unit communities, including how they navigate city approvals, scal...

Bouncer to Brokerage CEO: The Hard Truths Behind Real Estate Success In this episode of the Hard Truth Podcast, I sit down with Justin Konikow realtor, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Prime Real Estate Brokerage. We cover: ✅ Why most agents and investors stay stuck ✅ The “success trap” no one talks about ✅ How Justin earned mentorship from giants like Ryan Serhant & Scott McGillivray ✅ Why real wealth comes from relationships, not transactions ✅ The mindset shift that made Prime a domin...