Our Recommendation for Ronen Strassburg
A tailored recommendation based on your specific goals, concerns, and financial situation.
What You Value
Based on our conversations, these are the priorities that matter most to you:
Full Exit from Active Management
Transition completely from hands-on property management to fully passive ownership with zero operational responsibilities.
Passing Wealth to Heirs
Preserve and transfer wealth to the next generation with the potential for a stepped-up cost basis, potentially eliminating deferred capital gains.
Tax Deferral
Defer 100% of federal and state capital gains taxes on the sale of deeply appreciated properties through a 1031 exchange into a DST.
Institutional-Caliber Management
Entrust your capital to world-class real estate operators with decades of track record and billions in assets under management.
Addressing Your Concerns
Loss of Control
The most common concern among experienced landlords considering a DST is the loss of direct control over property-level decisions. This is a legitimate consideration — and it's precisely why the choice of sponsor matters so much.
With a smaller, less-credible DST operator, loss of control can be a genuine risk. But with institutional-caliber sponsors like Brookfield, Ares, and Hines, you are entrusting your capital to firms that collectively manage over $1.7 trillion in assets. These are not speculative operators — they are among the largest and most experienced real estate managers in the world.
Their track records, institutional governance, and alignment of interests (through master leases guaranteed by their operating partnerships) provide a level of accountability and professionalism that mitigates the control concern significantly. In practice, you are trading hands-on control for institutional-grade stewardship.
The Recommended Path
At Flock, we work with landlords who own portfolios of rental properties — often free and clear or with low leverage — and are looking for a tax-efficient path to retirement. Many self-manage their properties and are ready to step away from the day-to-day demands of being a landlord. Some have explored DSTs before but were put off by experiences with smaller, less credible operators. We specialize in connecting these investors with institutional-caliber solutions they can trust.
Our Recommendation
We recommend executing a 1031 exchange into one or more DSTs sponsored by Brookfield, Ares, or Hines — firms with exceptionally strong management, institutional governance, and proven DST track records.
Sell properties through a Flock-referred broker
Experienced with investor portfolio dispositions — likely sold to another investor as a portfolio or in small groups, not one-by-one on the MLS.
1031 exchange the proceeds into one or more DSTs
Sponsored by Brookfield, Ares, and/or Hines. By splitting across multiple DSTs, achieve diversification by sponsor, property type, and geography.
Defer 100% of capital gains taxes
Given properties held for a long time with deep appreciation and likely low cost basis, the tax savings could be very significant.
Transition to fully passive ownership
Receive regular income distributions without managing any properties.
Convert to REIT OP units via a 721 exchange
After the DST hold period, gain further diversification and estate planning advantages — with the potential for a stepped-up basis when assets pass to heirs.
This approach directly allows you to exit active management, defer significant tax liabilities, preserve wealth for your family, and do so in a cost-efficient manner without relying on unknown or aggressive operators.
Flock isn't your advisor — and we don't earn fees from where you end up. A typical advisor or placement agent might take 5–10% off the top. We don't. Our only incentive is to make sure you have a great experience. If we do right by you, you'll tell other landlords — and that's how we grow this business.