From $3B in Transactions to Building Smart: How Michael Kron Strategically Scaled a 13,000-Unit Real Estate Empire
Decades before net lease funds became hot topics and Texas and Arizona dominated multifamily headlines, Michael Kron was already ahead of the curve—swapping out California C-class properties for A-class opportunities in emerging Sunbelt markets. In this wide-ranging conversation, Michael pulls back the curtain on how he built and operates a 13,000-unit portfolio, shares hard-won lessons from the trenches of development, and explains why controlling your own construction timeline might be the ultimate inflation hedge. One particularly unforgettable moment: the time an architect’s plans didn’t mathematically add up to four walls—an early but formative lesson in choosing the right partners.
Guest Bio
Michael Kron is the Chief Operating Officer of a family-owned real estate firm with a portfolio of over 13,000 multifamily units in Arizona and Texas. He is also Chairman of Guardian Net Lease Fund. With more than $3 billion in real estate transactions under his belt, Kron has led the acquisition, development, and disposition of thousands of apartment units, always with a sharp eye on market cycles and portfolio strategy. A California-licensed attorney and real estate broker, Kron holds a B.B.A. in Finance and a J.D./M.B.A. from the University of Michigan. He began his career practicing land use and real estate law in Los Angeles before transitioning to full-time development and operations leadership.
Episode Highlights and Chapters
00:00 Michael’s real estate roots and early landlord lessons in Ann Arbor
01:25 Trading California C-class for Texas and Arizona A-class assets
03:00 First Phoenix deal: from “crazy investor” headline to record-setting sale
04:00 The leap from landlord to developer—out of necessity and opportunity
05:00 Hiring lessons: When the architect's plans don't add up
06:30 Switching architects midstream: liability, copyrights, and control
08:00 Why they insist on owning all design and engineering plans
11:00 From acquisition to ground-up: building for long-term value
12:30 The case for development over acquisition in a volatile interest rate climate
14:00 How Michael underwrites and manages development risk
17:00 The strategic advantage of being your own end buyer
22:00 Managing refinance risk and construction debt in high-rate environments
24:30 Conservative leverage: Why 50–65% LTV works better for long-term operators
28:00 Inside Guardian’s net lease fund: credit tenants, bonus depreciation, and why Walgreens is out
32:00 Fundraising lessons: mistakes made and what to ask capital partners before you hire them
36:00 The Fed, interest rates, and the housing supply paradox
38:00 Predicting the unpredictable and positioning for long-term success
Contact Information
Michael Kron
Email: mike@guardianadvisory.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-kron-296428a
Guardian Net Lease: https://guardiannetlease.com/
For more episodes and insights, visit Eugene Gershman’s podcast page: https://giscompanies.co/podcast/
