Now Is the Time for Courage: What It Means for Real Estate Investors

In times of economic uncertainty, most people play defense. They freeze. They retreat. They wait for the storm to pass. But as Harvard Business School professor Ranjay Gulati’s recent article in Harvard Business Review argues, that’s exactly when bold action matters most.

For investors, fund managers, and real estate operators, courage isn’t just a personality trait. It’s a discipline. And in today’s volatile market, it’s a competitive advantage.

The Data is Clear: Fortune Favors the Bold

Gulati’s research based on 4,700 companies across three recessions found that only 9% emerged stronger. What set them apart? They didn’t just cut costs. They invested strategically during the downturn. They took calculated risks when everyone else was retreating.

That playbook aligns with everything we believe at NNG Capital Fund.

While others pull back, we lean in—identifying overlooked assets, creating value through strategic improvements, and solving complex problems to deliver long-term results for our investors.

Five Ways Courageous Leaders Make Bold Moves

Here’s what the article outlined and how it applies to our strategy at NNG:

1. Create a Positive Narrative

Instead of letting fear dominate the story, courageous leaders reframe the moment as a mission. For us, that means seeing today’s market not as a crisis, but as an opportunity to solve housing challenges, build community, and offer investors access to value others can’t see.

2. Cultivate Confidence Through Preparation

We’ve spent over two decades building our expertise in real estate, from distressed debt to ground-up development. That preparation gives us the confidence to move decisively when others hesitate.

We don’t speculate—we underwrite with discipline, vet every assumption, and lean on data, not guesswork.

3. Take Small Steps, Adjust as You Learn

In a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world, you won’t always have perfect information. We de-risk deals by starting with pilot investments, testing improvements, and adapting to shifting market dynamics.

We’re actively stabilizing assets through step-by-step improvements in operations, occupancy, and collections—driving returns without gambling.

4. Build a Trusted Network

No one wins alone. Courageous leaders surround themselves with mentors, truth tellers, and allies. At NNG, our success is built on deep relationships with local contractors, brokers, lenders, and our investor community. That ecosystem gives us an edge in sourcing deals, executing renovations, and exiting strategically.

5. Stay Calm, Even When Others Panic

Turbulence reveals character. While some panic in today’s high-rate, low-liquidity environment, we stay grounded in our strategy. We manage risk proactively, prioritize cash flow, and lean on experience—not emotion.

As the article notes: “Most of us tend to be too cowardly, not too reckless.” Inaction is often riskier than doing the hard thing.

This Is the Moment for Strategic Courage

In 2008, those who had courage—who bought when others sold—are the ones who built generational wealth.

The same opportunity is here again.

At NNG Capital Fund, we’re investing in value-add multifamily in rising Southeast markets and flipping luxury homes in Northern New Jersey not because the market is easy, but because we’re prepared. Because we’ve done it before. Because the fundamentals are there. And because courage, backed by strategy, creates outsized returns.

If you’re an accredited investor looking to partner with a firm that knows how to win in any cycle, now is the time to act.

👉 Visit nngcapitalfund.com to learn how we’re turning uncertainty into opportunity.