Community Banks, Conservative Debt, Real Returns

A Banker’s Memory Is a Sponsor’s Edge

Brad Andrus isn’t just another operator in today’s market. He’s the co-founder of Northbridge Commercial Real Estate and a former community-bank lender who cut his teeth during the 2008 crisis. That experience shaped the conservative, cash-flow-first discipline he brings to self-storage, office, and industrial deals across DFW today.

In this episode, Brad lays out why sponsors who master operating discipline—not market timing—win when capital is cautious and debt is expensive.

Here are 5 questions he answers that every sponsor and investor should be paying attention to right now:

1. How do you structure debt so it survives a cycle—even if growth underwhelms?

2. Why are community banks still the hidden edge for sponsors, even in today’s tighter credit regime?

3. What’s the new investor mindset after 2021–2023’s write-downs and capital calls?

4. How do you play offense in self-storage when household mobility (and move-ins) slows down?

5. What really earns sponsors repeat checks from equity investors in 2024–2025?

Brad’s through-line is refreshingly clear: lower leverage, cash-flow bias, relationship banking, and transparent communication.

For anyone raising capital or allocating into deals right now, his insights are a blueprint for surviving—and compounding—across market cycles.

*** In this series, I cut through the noise to examine how shifting macroeconomic forces and rising geopolitical risk are reshaping real estate investing. With insights from economists, academics, and seasoned professionals, this show helps investors respond to market uncertainty with clarity, discipline, and a focus on downside protection. Subscribe to my free newsletter for timely updates, insights, and tools to help you navigate today’s volatile real estate landscape. You’ll get:

• Straight talk on what happens when confidence meets correction - no hype, no spin, no fluff.
• Real implications of macro trends for investors and sponsors with actionable guidance.
• Insights from real estate professionals who’ve been through it all before.

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