Ian Ross founded SomeraRoad in 2016, bringing a fresh, entrepreneurial approach to opportunistic real estate in growing secondary cities nationwide. He has since led the firm’s rapid expansion, overseeing nearly $2.5 billion in acquisitions of 25+ million square feet in more than 70 unique markets. Ian has also augmented SomeraRoad’s core value-add business, building new verticals in industrial net lease, distressed debt, and opportunity zone investing and creating a robust ground-up development practice. Today, SomeraRoad is arguably the fastest-growing commercial real estate investment and development company in the USA.On this episode, Jake and Ian discuss:Building SomeraRoadMicro-neighborhoodsHaving local expertise at a national scalePlacemaking and Hospitality in Office and Hotel assetsConnect & Invest with Jake:Follow Jake on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jwurzakTake the Hospitality Investing Masterclass: https://learn.jakewurzak.com/Learn How to Invest with DoveHill: https://bit.ly/3yg8PwoLinks:SomeraRoadIan on LinkedInTopics:(00:00:00) - Intro(00:03:50) - Ian’s entrepreneurial journey(00:06:27) - Biggest lessons learned on someone else’s dime(00:08:37) - Do local operators tend to miss out on macro trends?(00:15:09) - Early decisions to make when considering entering a new asset class(00:20:05) - Raising capital & funds(00:28:47) - Focusing on neighborhoods instead of cities(00:31:13) - Setting up local offices(00:34:36) - How has your thoughts on placemaking changed?(00:41:45) - What’s your approach to hospitality?(00:46:23) - How much do you think about competitors in your local market?(00:50:58) - 1 Hanover Square(00:56:51) - Keeping teams interconnected and hiring, (00:59:39) - How do you keep the pulse on whether you’re hitting goals?(01:00:45) - The industrial net lease space(01:02:26) - Where do you get inspiration?(01:04:41) - What are your goals for the next 5 years?(01:05:29) - What’s been your favorite deal?(01:08:27) - What’s your favorite hotel?