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Trigger Warning

Note to Listeners: This episode briefly mentions rape towards the end of the show. Viewer/listener discretion advised.

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In Today’s Issue:

* Intro to the Guest and Topic

* Core Takeaway

* Episode References

* Select Quotes

* Key Moments

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Today’s Topic & Guest:

Ian Stroud | Verti Commercial Real Estate

Today, we’re talking about real estate. Our guest is Ian Stroud, a multifamily investment sales advisor who specializes in the 20 to 250-unit range across the Midwest.

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because his brother Colin was on the show way back in Episode 6 talking about credit card points.

Ian brings a different flavor to the table, focusing on the mechanics of apartment complexes and how Catholics can steward their capital through real estate.

We cover a lot of ground here, from the boring back-office analysis that eventually led Ian to find his true calling, to the gritty reality of the current housing crisis.

My mind was blown when Ian shared a story about a real estate investor who managed to drop crime rates in a neighborhood by 80% by simply engaging with his tenants.

This is a prime example of what it means to be a Catholic entrepreneur — to use our role to bring Christ’s love to those around us, and make practical improvements as well.

We also get into Ian’s personal faith journey — including his family’s conversion and how Exodus 90 eventually led him to his wife.

In short, this is an example of how our interior and professional lives are meant to be woven together (like what Jeff Schiefelbein told us on episode 9)

Core Lesson:

True stewardship in real estate requires moving beyond the ‘greedy landlord’ trope to actively engage in the flourishing of the community and the tenants.

The common narrative around real estate often boils down to a supply and demand math problem, but Ian challenges us to see the human element behind the numbers.

While it is true that we are facing a massive housing shortage — needing roughly 5 million units annually just to stay flat — the role of a Catholic owner isn’t just to fill a gap in the market. It’s about recognizing that the property is a tool for human flourishing. When an owner engages with tenants rather than treating them as mere entries on a rent roll, it can transform an entire neighborhood’s safety and culture.

Again, it’s simple (not easy but simple). Engage with your tenants, as children of God, and you could reduce the crime rate of an entire neighborhood by ~80%. This ultimately leads to an increase in your property value.

Ultimately, for the Catholic business owner, real estate is a way to diversify excess profit while participating in God’s creative work. Whether it’s through multifamily investments or simply being a virtuous landlord, the goal is to be a Faithful Steward of the physical spaces where families live and grow. It’s a reminder that doing the right thing for your tenants often aligns with the long-term value and profitability of the asset itself.

God Bless & Happy Building!

~Silas Mähner

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Key Episode References:

* The Faithful Steward Newsletter

* Verti Commercial Real Estate

* Cornfields and Cap Rates Newsletter

* EWTN

* Exodus 90

* Wild at Heart by John Eldredge

* Save Your Parish by Patrick Neve

* Walsh University

* Patrick Madrid

* Jamie Baxter

* Catholic Founders Episode 6: Colin Stroud

* St. Francis of Asisi

* James 2:14-26

* Litany of Humility

Select Quotes:

* “I think we're always driven to provide. And if we're not providing, then what are we? And I think that's tough. It's a question I have no idea how to answer because I've never encountered it. I don't think I will for a while.” — Ian Stroud

* “I was in my suit and tie, asleep on the living room floor. I was just exhausted. And even though I was bored, it was like it was more draining because I was bored than if I was engaged. And I think a lot of people probably feel that way about their job is when you get bored, you can just kind of implode a little bit.”— Ian Stroud

* “There's a difference… where it's like you know something out there and then kind of taking it and internalizing it. And that was the point for me that I was able to kind of, to take what I knew to what my brain knew to be true and move it into my soul and kind of to bring it home.”— Ian Stroud

* “But we did it as a community and living with the guys that I was doing it with was the best possible way I could have done it because every morning we're complaining about the cold showers. But it's also, we're com...