WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH AT 12:00 PM EST
What to Look For Before Investing in a Private Real Estate Deal
In this session, Rob and Clay Stanley of Shining Rock Equity walk through a practical framework for evaluating private real estate investments with clarity and discipline. Viewers will learn how to assess risk, pressure test assumptions, and avoid the common mistakes that lead to disappointing outcomes in passive real estate deals. Rob brings nearly 30 years of real estate experience, including sourcing and structuring multifamily equity, to help investors make more confident, better informed decisions in the private markets.
Risk First
You will learn how to identify the true sources of risk in a private real estate deal before focusing on returns. This segment explains why capital preservation should drive every evaluation decision and how overlooking key risks can undermine even strong looking opportunities. Viewers will walk away with a clearer lens for prioritizing downside protection when reviewing deals.
Sponsor Evaluation
This concept breaks down how to properly evaluate a sponsor beyond surface level credentials and marketing materials. You will learn what to look for in a sponsor’s track record, how to ask better questions, and why past performance alone is not enough. The goal is to help you assess alignment, execution capability, and credibility before committing capital.
Model Assumptions
You will learn how to spot the most important assumptions buried inside a real estate financial model. This section explains why projected returns can be misleading and which inputs deserve the most scrutiny. Viewers will gain a practical approach to questioning numbers and identifying red flags before investing.
Our Speaker - Rob Stanley
Rob Stanley brings nearly 30 years of real estate experience, with the past three years dedicated to sourcing and structuring equity for multifamily investments through Shining Rock Equity. As managing partner, Rob works closely with individual investors and experienced operators to create well-aligned capital stacks that deliver long-term, tax-efficient returns.
Before partnering with his son, Clay, and sister-in-law, Kim to form Shining Rock Equity, Rob spent over a decade in Single-Family Rental (SFR) acquisitions, working with institutional platforms including SFR3, American Residential Properties, Silver Bay, MS Renewal, and Opendoor to acquire over a thousand homes nationwide. That experience sharpened his market instincts and refined his ability to underwrite deals, manage risk, and identify value.
Rob’s singular focus today is on the multifamily space, where he applies his investment experience, analytical strengths, and trusted industry relationships to connect capital with opportunity. He is especially passionate about educating investors and building durable partnerships through transparency, thoughtful deal structures, and a commitment to execution.
A graduate of UNC–Chapel Hill, Rob lives in Chapel Hill, NC. Outside of work, you’ll find him hiking with his wife, fly-fishing with his sons, or mountain biking!
American IRA, LLC, a South Dakota limited liability company, serves as a Third Party Administrator on behalf of the Custodian, New Vision Trust Company, a state chartered South Dakota Trust Company. As a Self-Directed IRA administrator we are a neutral third party. We do not make any recommendations to any person or entity associated with investments of any type (including financial representatives, investment promoters or companies, or employees, agents or representatives associated with these firms). We are not responsible for and are not bound by any statements, representations, warranties or agreements made by any such person or entity and do not provide any recommendation on the quality, profitability or reputability of any investment, individual or company. The terms "we" and "us" refer to American IRA, with an office located in Sioux Falls, SD.