050: How to Raise Money with David Thompson

David has strong experiences in real estate investing in both domestic and international projects covering single-family, multi-family and land development. He earned his MBA in finance from Thunderbird School of Global Management, and graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. degree from Arizona State University. David spent over 20 years in high-tech management positions at Dell, AT&T, and Lucent Technologies. At Lucent he managed a $2.5B investment portfolio and raised over $1B in funds for acquisitions.

After leaving the corporate world, David started Thompson Investing and has raised significant private equity capital. He helped provide investor funds to Ashcroft Capital (a strategic partner) to purchase over 1450 apartment units in six separate communities worth over $120M. He’s also helped fund a $50M self storage and mobile home park fund sponsored by the CoveMark Group.

David prides himself on building long-term relationships with investors and partners while providing a great customer experience. David has lived in Austin, Texas for twenty years with his wife and has two daughters.

Key Points

  1. Starting with stable sing family properties in Austin Texas, then transitioning into small multifamily properties in San Antonio
  2. Using a mentor to gain traction and learn the industry
  3. Raising $1M in two weeks on your first deal
  4. Transparency to investors is key

Lightning Questions

  1. What was your biggest hurdle getting started in real estate investing, and how did you overcome it?
    • David was listening to the negatives of real estate, and let that impact his perception. He eventually listened to the right people and took the plunge.
  2. Do you have a personal habit that contributes to your success.
    • David values reading and learning.
  3. Do you have an online resource that you find valuable?
  4. What book would you recommend to the listeners and why?
  5. If you were to give advice to your 20 year old self to get started in real estate investing, what would it be?
    • Start networking and look at different types of real estate that can provide income. Figure out what it is that you like. Also, don’t be fearful!

Contact David

Thompson Investing

David@thompsoninvesting.com