Rochester based Broker Operator Investor Introduction

Rochester based Broker Operator Investor Introduction

Real Estate Broker · Rochester, NY · Member since 2026 · 40 posts · 14 votes

Hi, I'm Joe.
I've been buying real estate in Monroe County since 2008, which means I've owned property through a crash, a boom, a pandemic, and whatever we're calling the current market.

For a long time I was the guy answering the maintenance call at 11pm. Recently, I decided to build the systems that answer it for me and that decision is basically my whole career now.

What that looks like today:

I run Canalside Realty, my own brokerage and in-house property management company. And I'm scaling into commercial multifamily — 15 to 60-unit buildings in the Greater Rochester area. I’m also looking into mobile home parks and developing an energy efficient home community.

Because I’ve done everything myself, I'm also building Victor, an online real estate ecosystem. Mostly because I have control issues but frankly speaking, I couldn't find one that did what I actually needed and I’m too cheap to pay for a mediocre platform.

Every feature exists because something broke in my own portfolio first. It's early, it's real, and it's being built by someone who lives the problem it solves.

Who I'd love to connect with:

Other property owners and investors of all shapes and sizes

Commercial brokers who want to work with someone who’s engaged and in it for the long haul - I have 4 kids and my youngest is 20 months - college ain’t cheap

Attorneys and professionals who work with property owners and want a local operator who does what he says

Lenders and capital partners who like an operator with a real track record and who can execute a deal

If you're building something in this space; reach out. I answer my own messages. (Usually not at 11pm anymore)

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Diana KhanPro Member
Attorney · 10451 Mill Run Cir #755 Owings Mills, MD 21117 · Member since 2024 · 781 posts · 278 votes
1w
Quote from @Joseph Thon:

Hi, I'm Joe.
I've been buying real estate in Monroe County since 2008, which means I've owned property through a crash, a boom, a pandemic, and whatever we're calling the current market.

For a long time I was the guy answering the maintenance call at 11pm. Recently, I decided to build the systems that answer it for me and that decision is basically my whole career now.

What that looks like today:

I run Canalside Realty, my own brokerage and in-house property management company. And I'm scaling into commercial multifamily — 15 to 60-unit buildings in the Greater Rochester area. I’m also looking into mobile home parks and developing an energy efficient home community.

Because I’ve done everything myself, I'm also building Victor, an online real estate ecosystem. Mostly because I have control issues but frankly speaking, I couldn't find one that did what I actually needed and I’m too cheap to pay for a mediocre platform.

Every feature exists because something broke in my own portfolio first. It's early, it's real, and it's being built by someone who lives the problem it solves.

Who I'd love to connect with:

Other property owners and investors of all shapes and sizes

Commercial brokers who want to work with someone who’s engaged and in it for the long haul - I have 4 kids and my youngest is 20 months - college ain’t cheap

Attorneys and professionals who work with property owners and want a local operator who does what he says

Lenders and capital partners who like an operator with a real track record and who can execute a deal

If you're building something in this space; reach out. I answer my own messages. (Usually not at 11pm anymore)

Hi @Joseph Thon! Welcome to BiggerPockets! I can relate to what you shared about building systems instead of trying to handle everything yourself. As a business grows, having the right people and processes in place really makes a difference.

I'm a real estate attorney, broker, and investor based in Maryland, and I work with investors and property owners on contracts, transactions, and other real estate matters. I've seen how much easier things become when expectations are clear and everyone involved knows their responsibilities, especially when managing multiple properties.

I appreciate you sharing your experience, @Joseph Thon! It's great to see someone using the challenges they've faced to build something better. Happy to connect!

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  • Diana KhanPro Member
    Attorney · 10451 Mill Run Cir #755 Owings Mills, MD 21117 · Member since 2024 · 781 posts · 278 votes
    1w
    Quote from @Joseph Thon:

    Hi, I'm Joe.
    I've been buying real estate in Monroe County since 2008, which means I've owned property through a crash, a boom, a pandemic, and whatever we're calling the current market.

    For a long time I was the guy answering the maintenance call at 11pm. Recently, I decided to build the systems that answer it for me and that decision is basically my whole career now.

    What that looks like today:

    I run Canalside Realty, my own brokerage and in-house property management company. And I'm scaling into commercial multifamily — 15 to 60-unit buildings in the Greater Rochester area. I’m also looking into mobile home parks and developing an energy efficient home community.

    Because I’ve done everything myself, I'm also building Victor, an online real estate ecosystem. Mostly because I have control issues but frankly speaking, I couldn't find one that did what I actually needed and I’m too cheap to pay for a mediocre platform.

    Every feature exists because something broke in my own portfolio first. It's early, it's real, and it's being built by someone who lives the problem it solves.

    Who I'd love to connect with:

    Other property owners and investors of all shapes and sizes

    Commercial brokers who want to work with someone who’s engaged and in it for the long haul - I have 4 kids and my youngest is 20 months - college ain’t cheap

    Attorneys and professionals who work with property owners and want a local operator who does what he says

    Lenders and capital partners who like an operator with a real track record and who can execute a deal

    If you're building something in this space; reach out. I answer my own messages. (Usually not at 11pm anymore)

    Hi @Joseph Thon! Welcome to BiggerPockets! I can relate to what you shared about building systems instead of trying to handle everything yourself. As a business grows, having the right people and processes in place really makes a difference.

    I'm a real estate attorney, broker, and investor based in Maryland, and I work with investors and property owners on contracts, transactions, and other real estate matters. I've seen how much easier things become when expectations are clear and everyone involved knows their responsibilities, especially when managing multiple properties.

    I appreciate you sharing your experience, @Joseph Thon! It's great to see someone using the challenges they've faced to build something better. Happy to connect!

    • Real Estate Broker · Rochester, NY · Member since 2026 · 40 posts · 14 votes
      1w

      Thanks Diana. I’ve been grinding away the last 12-15 years and haven’t taken the time to look up and connect with people who have been doing the same thing I’ve been doing for all these years. It’s fun to connect with other like-minded people and share experiences

  • Matthew MorrowBusiness Member
    Investor · PA - NY - NJ · Member since 2019 · 960 posts · 348 votes
    1w
    Quote from @Joseph Thon:

    Hi, I'm Joe.
    I've been buying real estate in Monroe County since 2008, which means I've owned property through a crash, a boom, a pandemic, and whatever we're calling the current market.

    For a long time I was the guy answering the maintenance call at 11pm. Recently, I decided to build the systems that answer it for me and that decision is basically my whole career now.

    What that looks like today:

    I run Canalside Realty, my own brokerage and in-house property management company. And I'm scaling into commercial multifamily — 15 to 60-unit buildings in the Greater Rochester area. I’m also looking into mobile home parks and developing an energy efficient home community.

    Because I’ve done everything myself, I'm also building Victor, an online real estate ecosystem. Mostly because I have control issues but frankly speaking, I couldn't find one that did what I actually needed and I’m too cheap to pay for a mediocre platform.

    Every feature exists because something broke in my own portfolio first. It's early, it's real, and it's being built by someone who lives the problem it solves.

    Who I'd love to connect with:

    Other property owners and investors of all shapes and sizes

    Commercial brokers who want to work with someone who’s engaged and in it for the long haul - I have 4 kids and my youngest is 20 months - college ain’t cheap

    Attorneys and professionals who work with property owners and want a local operator who does what he says

    Lenders and capital partners who like an operator with a real track record and who can execute a deal

    If you're building something in this space; reach out. I answer my own messages. (Usually not at 11pm anymore)

    @Joseph Thon welcome. Taking the 11pm maintenance calls yourself for years is how most of us learned what systems are actually worth. Going from there to 15 to 60 unit buildings is a big step, so I'm curious what changed about the numbers for you at that size and what you wish you'd known before the first one. I mostly work in smaller multifamily and mixed-use across PA, NJ, and NY, so I'll be reading along.

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    • Real Estate Broker · Rochester, NY · Member since 2026 · 40 posts · 14 votes
      1w

      Thanks Matt. I feel like there are two plateaus in real estate investment. The first is hitting 6-8 units. Usually, you're working a full time job and acquiring and working on the properties on the side. It's tough. Once you get there, you can usually focus on your properties full time and quit your 9-5 job.

      The second plateau is about where I'm at. You've got a sizeable portfolio that gives you 30-40 hours of work per week (if you're handling all the maintenance requests yourself) so taking on more properties/units just adds to your existing work load but you don't yet make enough money to justify a full time property manager hire - $65k/year salary, benefits, etc, etc

      Sure, some people hire 3rd party PMs and scale that way, but most investors I've talked to, bring PM in-house in an effort to save money and have more control over their operating expenses.

      To answer your question, I realized that I'd have to add another 15-20 single family units before I was able to truly afford to hire out a full time PM staff position within my Brokerage. At 2 acquisitions per year, I'm staring down the barrel of 7-10 years, all the while, adding more units for me to manage and take care of. Hard pass

      To answer your second question, I wish I would have known how fickle and self serving people can be. I'm certainly much more jaded now than I was when I started. I learned that I have to look out for myself and my business first and foremost. Sad to admit

  • Robin SimonBusiness Member
    Lender · Austin, TX · Member since 2022 · 5k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    6d

    Welcome to BP! 38 doors in Monroe County since 2008 through all those cycles is a real track record - and having the in-house PM piece is a big deal when you move up to the 15-60 unit stuff since commercial lenders tend to look VERY hard at the sponsor's experience and the management plan, not just the numbers. One thing I would say is the financing on those bigger buildings is a pretty different world from the 1-4 unit side (more bank, agency and bridge debt underwritten on the property's NOI and DSCR) so its worth lining up a couple of those lending relationships early before you're under contract on the first one.

  • Technology · Vancouver, BC · Member since 2026 · 223 posts · 56 votes
    5d

    Hello @Joseph Thon,

    Welcome to BiggerPockets! Your "second plateau" description is one of the most honest things I've read here this week. Thirty to forty hours a week on maintenance, but not quite enough units to justify a $65k hire, is a really tough place to be, and I think a lot of owners in that range will recognize themselves in it.

    I also think that gap is where writing the process down pays off the most. If you decide the dollar amount a vendor can approve without you, which jobs need a before and after photo, and who checks with the tenant a few days later that the fix held, a part-time coordinator or a good assistant can take a big share of those hours off your plate long before a full-time property manager makes sense.

    I'm curious, of those 30 to 40 hours, how much goes to the actual repair decisions and how much to the back-and-forth around them?

    Talk soon,
    Lee

    • Real Estate Broker · Rochester, NY · Member since 2026 · 40 posts · 14 votes
      4d

      I’m not necessarily addressing every maintenance request in person. I keep a healthy vendor bench and rotate contractors in and out.

      Im building out my AI operations platform to handle those triage decisions and the back and forth with the tenants for me.

      Ultimately, my goal is to have my AI platform be the first touch point for tenants and contractors. Interactions should only be escalated to me when certain dollar thresholds are met or the system does not have the capacity to respond intelligently or needs a human to intervene.

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