Presidium: Lessons from Managing 20,000 Units across Multiple Real Estate Cycles w/ John Griggs

Season 8, Episode 1: How did two lawyers turn a handful of Arizona fourplexes into a vertically integrated real estate powerhouse with over 20,000 units renovated? Today, we sit down with John Griggs, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Presidium, to break down the strategy behind that rise. John shares how he spotted his first opportunity in the "golden age" of the Arizona housing market before shifting his conviction to Texas just as the landscape was beginning to transform. We dive into how Presidium scaled its early portfolio to 5,000 units, the hard lessons learned from internalizing management during the GFC, and the strategic move of acquiring a special servicing company to master the mechanics of distressed debt. Whether you’re interested in ground-up development, creative capital stacks involving HUD debt, or where multifamily opportunity sits in today’s cycle, this episode is a must-listen. Join us as we explore the risk discipline and long-term vision that helped Presidium evolve from a grassroots startup into a dominant institutional investment platform. Shoutout to our sponsor, Lennar Investor Marketplace. New construction rental investments with comps, returns, and underwriting built in. TOPICS 00:00 – Introduction and Presidium's Background 01:32 – From Silicon Valley Law to the 2003 Arizona "Golden Age" 08:03 – Moving to Texas and Raising Capital for Scale 10:11 – Navigating the GFC and Internalizing Management 14:58 – The Institutionalization of Multifamily Real Estate 19:27 – Strategic Acquisition: Buying a Special Servicer 24:56 – Launching a Development Platform and Spotting Market Peaks 31:18 – Today's Creative Financing: HUD Debt and Housing Authorities 36:38 – Targeting Distress and Partnering with Lenders 42:15 – Delo Capital and the Outlook for Sun Belt Migration For more episodes of No Cap by CRE Daily visit https://www.credaily.com/podcast/ Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NoCapCREDaily About No Cap Podcast Commercial real estate is a $20 trillion industry and a force that shapes America’s economic fabric and culture. No Cap by CRE Daily is the commercial real estate podcast that gives you an unfiltered ”No Cap” look into the industry’s biggest trends and the money game behind them. Each week co-hosts Jack Stone and Alex Gornik break down the latest headlines with some of the most influential and entertaining figures in commercial real estate. About CRE Daily CRE Daily is a digital media company covering the business of commercial real estate. Our mission is to empower professionals with the knowledge they need to make smarter decisions and do more business. We do this through our flagship newsletter (CRE Daily) which is read by 65,000+ investors, developers, brokers, and business leaders across the country. Our smart brevity format combined with need-to-know trends has made us one of the fastest growing media brands in commercial real estate.