Chess Master’s Real Estate Strategy with Mike Zlotnik

In the latest episode of Get Your Fill, host Christine McCarron chats with Mike Zlotnik—aka Big Mike, CEO of TF Management Group and a full-time real estate fund manager since 2009. After a successful but burnout-prone IT career, Mike jumped ship right after the Great Financial Crisis, inspired by his earliest wins: snagging his first Brooklyn apartment at a steep discount in 2000 from a motivated seller, then buying eight more units in the same building from an 85-year-old eager to relocate. These deals revealed real estate’s “inefficient” market, where buyers can build hugemargins of safety on acquisition rather than hoping for appreciation. What started as family partnerships quickly scaled into his first fund, turning a passion for predictable passive income into a professional operation—completewith one rare, speculative Manhattan townhome redevelopment that he admits is pure excitement, not core strategy.

Today Mike follows a “who before how” philosophy, laser-focusing on institutional-quality sponsors and then tagging along wherever they find deals nationwide. With interest rates resetting commercial valuations, he’s shifted away from operationally heavy multifamily (hit hard by Sun Belt oversupply and spiking insurance costs) toward ultra-predictable assets like industrial properties and open-air shopping centers. These boast long triple-net leases (10–25 years) where tenants cover taxes, insurance, andrepairs, delivering steady cash flow plus built-in escalations. Recent closed deals—a 25-year sale-leaseback industrial property in Indiana at an 8.6% cap rate and a downtown San Diego retail center—show the power of positive spreadsover financing, proving that supply-demand balance and tenant quality trump flashy locations.

A U.S. Chess Master since childhood, Mike treats investingexactly like chess: prepare thoroughly, analyze every move afterward, and study the grandmasters (think Warren Buffett, Ray Dalio, and Howard Marks). He urges listeners to ditch analysis paralysis for a “ready, fire, aim” mindset—takeaction, learn fast, and remember “sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.” Key advice includes relentless diversification across non-correlated assets and staying engaged with quarterly reports, plus a brilliant self-directed IRA hack: invest in illiquid syndications first, then convert to Roth at a discounted valuation for far lower taxes. His forthcoming book How to Choose a Smart Real Estate Investment Fund and Big Mike Fund podcast dive deeper for anyone ready to build real passive wealth.

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/B9B-yAKaqiU

Connect with Mike:

https://bigmikefund.com LinkedIn (Mike Zlotnik): https://www.linkedin.com/in/mzlotnik/
YouTube (Podcast + Tempo Funding): https://www.youtube.com/@TempoFunding
Facebook (TF Management Group): https://www.facebook.com/TFmanagementgroup