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Stop Saving, Start Owning: How Ben Reinberg Built a Commercial Real Estate Empire

By November 10, 2025Real Estate Pros Show

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Show Summary

In this episode of the Real Estate Pros podcast, Ben Reinberg shares his journey in commercial real estate and the importance of hard assets in building wealth. He emphasizes the need for a mindset shift away from hoarding cash to investing in tangible assets. Ben introduces his ‘Hard Asset Blueprint’ as a guide for financial freedom and discusses the significance of personal branding and mentorship in achieving success. He encourages listeners to take action now and offers resources to help them on their journey.

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    Investor Fuel Show Transcript:

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (00:00)
    So the savings accounts, while seemingly secure, are actually bleeding value, Kristen. They’re eaten away by the opportunity costs that drains it, inflation, taxes, and by the relentless march of time. See, I’m not here to talk about being rich. Being rich is what you own today. I’m here to talk about being wealthy. And wealth is about securing your future, which a lot of people are looking forward to and controlling your destiny.

    the true secret to true wealth isn’t about hoarding cash. It’s in the power of hard assets,

    Kristen (02:07)
    Welcome back to the Real Estate Pros podcast. I’m Kristen and I’m here with Ben Reinberg, who’s the owner of Alliance CGC. They’re based out of Newport Beach. He’s also got a new book, also got a new TV show. So we have a lot to talk about and I’m excited to get into it. Thanks for being here, Ben.

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (02:22)
    Thanks,

    Kristen. appreciate you having me on today and look forward to adding a lot of value to you and your audience.

    Kristen (02:28)
    Absolutely. Well, you have so much going on and it feels like you’ve really diversified within the industry to really give people education. So I’d love to hear about how you got into this industry to begin with.

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (02:41)
    Well, I started when I was in my early 20s. I come from Chicago. That’s where my headquarters are. That’s where we’re based. And I realized that to build wealth had to be through hard assets. All the billionaire families that were from Chicago, and there’s a lot of them, produced their wealth through hard assets. And the hard asset that I gravitate to is commercial real estate, which most people know out in the ether. And, Kristen, and what if I told you the safest place to put your money?

    isn’t safe at all. And what if I told you that the very thing that you’ve been told to save cash is quietly, relentlessly losing its power every single day? And so, Kristen, for too long we’ve been taught a lie about money. We’ve been told to work hard, earn, save, and hope. And I’m here to tell you that is a losing strategy.

    Kristen (03:37)
    Mm-hmm.

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (03:38)
    So the savings accounts, while seemingly secure, are actually bleeding value, Kristen. They’re eaten away by the opportunity costs that drains it, inflation, taxes, and by the relentless march of time. See, I’m not here to talk about being rich. Being rich is what you own today. I’m here to talk about being wealthy. And wealth is about securing your future, which a lot of people are looking forward to and controlling your destiny.

    building an empire that lasts. And that’s really important because, Kristen, the secret and the true secret to true wealth isn’t about hoarding cash. It’s in the power of hard assets,

    leans into my book, Hard Assets and Hard Money for Hard Times. And as everyone knows, my favorite hard asset is commercial real estate. so a lot of people ask me when you said, well, how’d you get started? I wasn’t born into wealth.

    And like many of you listening, I had to learn the game of money. And I made mistakes. And a lot of them. I learned tough lessons and through it all, I discovered a path to genuine financial freedom, a path that doesn’t rely on luck

    or fleeting market trends. And Kristen, boy, boy, I wish someone would have come along and taught me sooner and taught me about tangible, durable assets that protect and grow your capital.

    even like now when the world feels chaotic. so to make things earlier in my book, I created the hard asset blueprint, which is your cheat sheet for building wealth for everyone listening out there. And so you can transform your financial future starting right now. And I promise you for everyone out there listening, sitting on the sidelines while markets move is the fastest way to fall behind. And hard assets just don’t protect wealth, Kristen, and they grow it.

    even in chaos. so happy to share a story of my first deal that I did when people say, well, how did you really get started, Ben? Like, how does it work? And how do you get into raising millions of dollars ⁓ and owning a large portfolio? Well, let me take you back to the early 1990s when I got started, Kristen and I had no net worth. I didn’t even know the language of net worth, Kristen. And if you can imagine that, and I was at a place where I’d look at my bank account, and there was nothing there. And so

    What ended up happening is opportunity knocked and a 95,000 square foot industrial building landed right on my lap. And I pitched a bank board. I raised $2 million at the age of my early 20s in 30 days. Yep, 30 days, 30 days. And it’s not because I wanted to. It’s because I had to. Because nothing is easy, Kristen and sooner than did I close the 2 million.

    Kristen (07:08)
    Wow.

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (07:23)
    I had a tenant leave the building right after the closing a week later. Poof, half the income was gone. So what I do, I didn’t panic. I problem solved. I subdivide, renegotiated, and improved the property. And this was the turning point that taught me one of the greatest lessons I learned about investing, the ability to hold. Four years later, we 3X our investors capital. But Kristen,

    The payoff wasn’t in the 3X. It was what I learned and what I bring to everyone here today. Everything I’ve learned in real estate, especially commercial real estate and building wealth, I put into the hard asset blueprint so you can achieve your goals faster and with way less ups and downs than I did. The hard asset blueprint is on benreinberg.com. It’s free. It’s also in the book. And I will show you step by step. made the book actionable and visible so you can understand exactly how to build a hard ass empire.

    And it’s not just for the Ben Reinberg getting started 32 years ago. It’s also for the billionaire that’s out there listening. It’s for the person that wants to build a hard-ass empire step by step. And I take you through. And then we went a level deeper. said, if you want to improve and really understand how the book works and bring it to life, we have courses that follow on the benreinberg.com website. So I’m extremely committed to teaching everyone what I wish someone would have taught me at an early age.

    Kristen (08:51)
    Yeah, I mean, that’s so impressive. And I think you touched on something really important. Obviously, there’s the education piece of it, but it’s also the mindset. I think a lot of people have limiting mindsets surrounding their finances and particularly building wealth. They think there’s a ceiling. And you mentioned how people hoard their money and hold it really tightly. Can you talk more about that mindset of building wealth?

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (09:15)
    Well,

    you know, let me just for the first time, do remember when you learned a shortcut to something and you said to yourself, wow, I wish I would have known this sooner. That’s my motivation why I’m here. you know, the hard asset blueprint takes the complexity of hard assets. So you have to worry about hoarding cash and teach you how to protect, create cash flow and grow your wealth. And so this hard asset empire blueprint is a protection against inflation.

    Kristen (09:26)
    Yeah.

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (09:45)
    generate income, increase appreciation of your net worth, Kristen, control and autonomy, leverage opportunities, diversification and

    chaos and crisis resistance. And so what I want everyone to know when I wrote this book is this isn’t just a theory. The hard asset blueprint was forged in the fires of real world experience that I went through and my colleagues have been through too. And I’m going to show you how hard assets can shield you from inflation, generate real income.

    amplify your net worth and give you control that cash simply can’t, which answers your question about hoarding cash. And in a world of fleeting trend, the hard asset blueprint, Kristen, offers enduring strength. And so I ask everyone out there to join me. I ask them to stop hoping and stop guessing and start building your empire. People don’t pull the trigger. I’m giving you the opportunity through this book and my lessons to be able to do that.

    Kristen (10:56)
    Yeah.

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (11:18)
    And so let me help you take control of your financial future and secure your future. So I ask, are you ready to build your empire? Because the Hard Ass Blueprint are here for me to guide you. And the time to begin is right now. I mean, don’t wait. And what’s really important is the last chapter of the book. Last chapter of the book is on mindset. Because what ends up happening, Kristen, as you go through and you build your hard ass empire, you’re growing business. You’re going to shut off people out of your life, family members, friends, colleagues. And I tell people,

    Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future. It’s extremely important you see who do you want in your green room? Who’s going to protect you even when you’re wrong? And who’s going to be there for you in tough times? Because tough times don’t last, tough people do. And you need people to uplift your energy to become a hard-ass and empire thought leader. And so I ask people out there is who do you want to be? Who do you surround yourself with? And what’s your desired outcome?

    Kristen (12:18)
    Absolutely, I think that’s really great advice and you know taking the step to educate yourself is a really important part of the mindset because then you feel a little bit more confident. You you’ve said that the time is now, I would love for you to talk about in

    because I think people have a little, they’re a little confused about the market, they don’t know if it’s a good time. Can you talk about maybe the urgency of getting into it sooner than later?

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (12:45)
    Well, when look at commercial real estate, which is my bailiwick, I look at there’s trillions dollars of loan coming due. There’s going to be some great buying opportunities. It’s a great time to get in, but there’s various other hard assets you could buy. And so it could be gold and silver. could be all different types, but you need hard assets in your portfolio. And the time to start is now don’t wait. And it’s never too late to start. I don’t care if you’re in your fifties like me, just get started. people ask like, why the book?

    Why did I write it? And Kristen, it was always something I wanted to do. And now it’s part of our overall strategy at Alliance Consolidated Group of Companies. And the reason why is the book is anchored in authenticity of the new brand. And it contains insight of how I run my core business at Alliance, while at the same time serving as a blueprint for smart money like you all, and a guide, someone that’s getting started like I did over 30 years ago. And for really anyone that wants to build generational wealth. And so.

    I want our audience out here to take away that complexity is the enemy of execution. It’s extremely important. Yet we live in increasingly complex times, don’t we? And we all need a blueprint. Doesn’t matter how successful you are because pictures, Kristen, are worth a thousand words. And pictures keep our teams alive.

    and they keep us focused on our goals. And so whether it’s a business plan, a people plan, or a technical roadmap, the blueprint tells us where it is so everyone can know what it is.

    Kristen (14:25)
    Absolutely, I think that’s wonderful. ⁓ And you’ve been able to really help people through your career, obviously, you know, with mentorship and through this book. What does that mean to you? Can you just talk about the importance of having a mentor and kind of your personal experience with that?

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (14:44)
    Well, you know, when I was growing up in the business, no one really helped me. No one taught me. So I said, if I could bring someone higher on the learning curve than I did

    to make less mistakes, lose less money, ⁓ make it a more enjoyable business when you’re younger. That’s why I was set out to do. I said, what would I would have want as a young Ben Reinberg and what, what would I seek? And that’s exactly what I was able to produce for people out there in the public is.

    I got this incredible hard-ass and empire blueprint that guides you to build your own hard-ass and empire.

    Kristen (16:03)
    Yeah, I mean, and all this information, it’s so hard to source on its own. So it’s great to have it in one condensed book. I

    that’ll help a lot of people. And then you also have a TV show that’s kind of originated from a podcast. Can you talk a little bit more about that?

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (16:14)
    Mm-hmm.

    So we started the podcast when I first, you know, I first opened my personal brand about five years ago and every founder and CEO needs a personal brand, especially in this market. And what happened was my team sat me down and said, Ben, you need a, you need a brand, you need a personal brand. And they say you got to get on social media. So I got on social media about five years ago and we’ve grown it to millions of followers. But what’s important about it is the ability to give back the ability to share my knowledge because

    before the baby borners didn’t really want to share when I was early in the business. They kind of said, kid, fend for yourself. And so that’s what ended up happening. And I said, you know what? There’s a better way to do it. If I teach it, ⁓ it will increase our resources, bring in more equity, more deal flow, more abundance. And it feels good too. So I was able to kind of turn that around, that philosophy, and say, hey, let’s talk about what we do. Let’s talk about how we can help people.

    Kristen (17:17)
    Absolutely, and what kind of people do you interview and connect with through this?

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (17:23)
    Well,

    it’s really we have high profile men and women business folks from all over the world that come on our show. The first season was obsessed. The second season. I’m sorry. First season was leveraged. Second season

    obsessed and ⁓ it’s done very well. And so it’s going on a brand new digital platform starting the first quarter of this year that gets millions of people ⁓ that will view it every single episode every month. And so.

    the show should take off very rapidly so we’re very excited about that.

    Kristen (17:55)
    That’s really impressive. How have you been able to grow such an impressive community?

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (18:01)
    You know what? Just being authentic. You know, I am who I am. I I built my business and then I got

    You know, I’m not the guy who stands and lays with his shirt off on a Ferrari. I don’t need to do that. I’ve already proven myself. So either you like me or you don’t, I don’t really care. I just care about helping people, Kristen. And by doing that, it’s giving back, it’s giving information, and it’s doing the right things. And it’s being authentic.

    and not having anything to prove. And so for me, I don’t need people to see me online and see what I have. he’s got gorgeous homes and cars and he’s been successful. That’s not what motivates me. What motivates me is changing lives. We have a Stata here at Alliance of how many kids have we put through college. That’s an impressive stat that has meaning. How many people have we helped? How many people’s lives have we changed to make it better and create a better society?

    Kristen (18:51)
    Yeah.

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (18:59)
    The money comes, but as you get older, you get wiser. And you realize that there’s more important things to life than money. It’s about how do you feel? How do you look at yourself in the mirror and see who you are and your identity? And what is your identity? And so when I talk about mindset at the end of the book, it has a lot of relevance to me because it talks about how do you show up in life? How do you be present? How do you be a listener? How do you connect with people?

    And we’ve taken more people in my company that didn’t have hope and now are in power positions.

    Kristen (19:38)
    Yeah, and it’s not just helping, you you help people directly, but it’s a trickle down effect where future generations, kids, grandkids benefit from the wealth that’s been earned, you know, through the lineage. ⁓ So I loved what you were saying about how it’s important to build a personal brand as a business owner. Can you go into that a little bit more?

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (19:59)
    Yeah, for sure. Every ⁓ CEO and founder needs a personal brand. And the reason why is because that’s where we’re going as a society. We’re going where people are online, people are raising money, being online. And I’ve realized that having a personal brand gives you the ability where you can create a legacy for your leadership team.

    and

    employees and everyone involved in the Alliance universe and being the thought leader and an expert in commercial real estate, I have a lot of knowledge to enhance. So what does that do? Well, it attracts capital and investors that want to invest with us. have high net worth of credit investors and family offices from all over the world that invest with us. It produces great resources. We have a lot of folks that want to work at Alliance because they see me out there and what we’re doing and how exciting it is. And it’s also

    My mission, my mission in life is helping people. So my personal brand allows me to do that, fulfills a need and a value that’s inside me. And so not only is a dual purpose which helps the business alliance, which is what it’s geared towards, it also allows me to help people and create impact and create change that I want to see. I feel that commercial real estate is not taught correctly, and I’m here to help people learn it the correct way. It’s a complicated business.

    Kristen (21:24)
    Yeah.

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (21:26)
    It’s challenging. It’s not for the faint of heart. But if you could learn and be patient and be resilient and dependable and persistent, you can do very well in commercial real estate.

    Kristen (21:38)
    Yeah, I absolutely agree that commercial has its own challenges with it. ⁓ And with building a personal brand, it’s important because if you do

    else, your community follows you. So if you put everything just into one company, if you do something else, you’re not able to cross promote for, you know, generally speaking. But this has been, I mean, this has been awesome. I’m sure so many people are very anxious to get a hold of your book and to listen to your podcast, watch your show. Please tell everybody where

    to find you and how to get their hands on this book.

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (22:11)
    Well, if you’re looking to invest in commercial real estate, go to AllianceCGC.com. That’s AllianceCGC.com. Click on the button, invest now. Fill it out. Someone will get a hold of you. And we’ll show you how to build wealth for you and your family through commercial real estate. If you’re looking to follow me personally, go to benreinberg.com. I’m on all the social media platforms like Instagram. I’m at The Real Ben Reinberg, TikTok, Facebook, you name it, LinkedIn. So you’ll find me. And on the website, you can buy the book.

    You could join the Alliance Academy and join the classes and sign up for the classes. ⁓ And you could even link the TV show where it is in the podcast. So there’s a lot on there, a lot of value that we offer the public. And we continue to increase that value proposition.

    Kristen (22:56)
    Amazing. Well, thank you so much for being here, Ben. I think that people probably learned a lot and got a lot of good inspiration from this.

    Ben Reinberg – Alliancecgc.com (23:03)
    well thank you for having me i appreciate it

    Kristen (23:05)
    Awesome, and thank you everyone for listening. I really encourage you to check Ben out. Definitely go to his website and get his book, because it all seems like really important information that you can grow quickly from. So we will see you back next time. Bye.

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