How to Start a Real Estate Podcast That Helps You Raise Capital (Legally)
On this page
- Why does a podcast help a sponsor raise?
- How do you start the podcast?
- What should the episodes be about?
- What can you say about a live deal on the show?
- What about appearing on other people's podcasts?
- Should you take sponsorships for your own show?
- Our take
- Trade-offs and who this is not for
- How DoorRaise fits in
- FAQ
A real estate podcast helps you raise capital by letting listeners hear how you think, week after week, before you ever offer a deal. Start with one clear show topic, a simple format you can keep up, and episodes that teach. When you have a live deal, an episode that promotes it is general solicitation: fine in a Rule 506(c) raise (every investor accredited and verified), not allowed in a Rule 506(b) raise. If anyone pays you or a host to talk about a deal, that pay must be disclosed under Section 17(b) of the Securities Act.
Why does a podcast help a sponsor raise?
Investors back people. A listener who has heard you explain your underwriting, admit mistakes and walk through a deal that did not work out has a far better basis for trusting you than a pitch deck gives. A podcast also builds the kind of list that converts: people who chose to hear from you, many of whom will join your email list.
It also creates relationships. Under 506(b), you may offer a deal only to people you had a pre-existing, substantive relationship with, meaning you have enough information to evaluate, and did evaluate, their status as investors before the offering began (SEC, general solicitation). A podcast alone does not create that relationship, but listeners who reach out, join calls and get to know you can.
How do you start the podcast?
- Choose the topic and the listener. "Small apartment buildings in the Midwest for working professionals" beats "real estate investing".
- Pick a format you can sustain. Solo episodes of 15 to 25 minutes, or one interview a week. Consistency matters more than length.
- Record simply. A good USB microphone, a quiet room and a hosting service that publishes to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.
- Plan 10 episodes before launching. It proves the topic has depth and gives new listeners something to binge.
- Give every episode one call to action. Usually your newsletter or waitlist, not a deal. See building an investor waitlist.
What should the episodes be about?
Topics that build trust without offering anything:
- How you find and screen deals, and why you passed on the last ten.
- Walking through a deal's numbers: rent roll, expenses, loan, reserves.
- What can go wrong: rate caps, insurance, turnover, a bad property manager.
- How syndications work: the waterfall, fees, K-1s, how investors get paid.
- Interviews with lenders, property managers and accountants.
- Updates on deals that have closed, in the same honest format you send investors.
What can you say about a live deal on the show?
It depends on your exemption.
| Topic | Rule 506(b) raise | Rule 506(c) raise |
|---|---|---|
| Episode about the live deal | Not allowed | Allowed |
| Saying "I'm raising right now, link below" | Not allowed | Allowed |
| Teaching episodes during the raise | Allowed, without pointing to the deal | Allowed |
| Who can invest | Relationship investors you can evaluate | Accredited investors, each verified |
Under 506(c), treat the episode as part of the offering. Antifraud rules apply to every word (17 CFR 240.10b-5). Say the risks, say targets are not promises, and send listeners to one place for the documents. Our post on what sponsors can say in videos and posts applies to audio too.
What about appearing on other people's podcasts?
Guest spots are a great way to meet new listeners. The same rules apply: tell your story and teach freely, but mention a live deal only in a 506(c) raise. If you pay to be on a show, or the host is paid to talk up your deal, Section 17(b) requires anyone who publicizes a security for pay to disclose that they were paid and how much (15 U.S.C. 77q). Never pay a host a share of what their listeners invest: that kind of pay is a sign of broker activity. See paying capital raisers.
Should you take sponsorships for your own show?
Ads for products are fine. Paid promotion of other people's securities offerings brings the 17(b) disclosure duty and the risk of being treated as a promoter or seller of that offering. See sponsor or paid promoter.
Our take
The podcast is the long game. Teach openly for months, build your list, and when the deal comes, the people who ask to invest will already know you. Save the deal episodes for a 506(c) raise, and keep them dull and precise.
Trade-offs and who this is not for
- It is slow. Most shows take many months to grow.
- Not a 506(b) sales channel. You cannot promote a 506(b) deal on a public show.
- Common mistake: a "case study" that is really the live deal. If listeners can tell which deal it is and how to invest, it is promotion.
How DoorRaise fits in
DoorRaise helps sponsors raise equity for apartment buildings with 5+ units from friends and followers who already trust them, under Rule 506(b) or 506(c). We are software, legal document preparation, escrow coordination and verification services. We are not a law firm, broker-dealer, investment adviser, funding portal, bank or escrow agent, and we do not hold investor money: investors wire their money to escrow at Enterprise Bank & Trust, in the deal's name.
When you have a 506(c) deal, the link in your show notes can go to the deal page, with call sign-up, documents and commitment steps in one place. Flat fees, never a percentage of the raise (see pricing). Create your free sponsor page.
FAQ
Can I talk about my syndication on my podcast?
About how you invest, yes. About a specific live deal, only in a Rule 506(c) raise, where every investor is accredited and verified.
Can I mention my deal when I'm a guest on another podcast?
Same rule: only in a 506(c) raise. If anyone is paid in connection with the appearance, the payment must be disclosed under Section 17(b).
How long until a podcast helps me raise?
There is no set time. It depends on how often you publish and how well the show fits its listeners. Build your email list from the first episode so the trust you earn has somewhere to go.
Do I need to put a disclaimer on every episode?
On episodes that touch a live 506(c) deal, say plainly that it is an offering for accredited investors only, that investing involves risk and that details are in the offering documents. Teaching episodes do not need deal disclaimers, but avoid anything that sounds like personal investment advice.
Sources
- SEC, general solicitation
- SEC, Rule 506(c)
- 17 CFR 230.506
- 15 U.S.C. 77q (Section 17(b))
- 17 CFR 240.10b-5
This article is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Talk to a securities attorney before you market an offering. DoorRaise is not a law firm, broker-dealer, investment adviser or funding portal.