Brad Martin is the founder of Reve Estates, a company that acquires high-end luxury short-term rental properties in prime destinations worldwide. Through a unique structure, his investors not only earn dividends but also get to use these properties while enjoying tax benefits and appreciation.
Here is a preview of what you’ll learn in this blog:
Brad’s journey into real estate started with house hacking, like many others.
“I found a house that I wanted to live in. I bought it and had a roommate. He paid almost all of the mortgage and all the utilities. I chipped in a little bit, and he helped build equity from day one,” Brad shares. “That allowed me to really see, man, this real estate game is pretty fun, pretty easy.”
From that first property, Brad expanded into multifamily, light industrial, and office spaces. Eventually, he started buying short-term rental properties that his family could use. Something interesting started happening at that point. People began approaching him for mentorship. They wanted his help identifying markets and underwriting deals.
Brad would guide them and occasionally bring investors along for small syndicated deals.
“What I found was there’s a lot of people that want to be in this space. They just didn’t know how. And my time kind of got a little limited,” he explains. “So instead of guiding and mentoring people on a one-off basis, I decided to put a fund together where we go buy high-end luxury short-term rental properties all around the globe that our investors get to use.”
The model is simple yet powerful. When investors aren’t using the properties, Reve Estates rents them out and pays dividends back to investors. The tax benefits and appreciation provide a comprehensive wealth-building strategy alongside a lifestyle component.
Brad points to a fundamental principle: the multifamily and single-family markets are overcrowded. Don’t compete where everyone else wants a portion of the profit.
“A lot of people aren’t doing short-term luxury rentals. That’s one of the reasons. Everybody is doing multifamily, so you’re competing against a lot of well-known brands and individual investors. The cap rates are compressed,” he notes.
Beyond the competitive advantage, Brad emphasizes the appreciation potential of luxury locations. “If I own a property that is on the beach or a ski-in, ski-out house somewhere in the mountains, that typically is going to have a higher appreciation rate than a standard three-bed, two-bath house in any town in the U.S.”
Homes in prime luxury destinations tend to appreciate faster than average properties, and that appreciation is passed back to investors alongside rental income.
Brad’s approach focuses on sustainability rather than chasing trends.
“A lot of research is the key to finding a good market,” Brad says. “We spend a lot of time looking at places that attract travelers, and it should not be a very seasonal situation.”
He cites Broken Bow, Oklahoma, as a cautionary tale—a market that exploded three years ago as the number-one rated place on Airbnb globally but turned out to be a flash in the pan.
“What we look at is sustainability. We look at drivers that continue to put people in those places. That can be things like mountains, beachfront, and amusement parks, as you see with Disney—Disneyland and Disney World in Florida and California.”
Currently, Reve Estates operates in Arizona, Costa Rica, and Utah, with plans to expand into Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, Hawaii, Colorado, and Florida. Brad’s team is also exploring European markets like Tuscany, London, and Paris—places with consistent demand and proven track records.
The key is working with local realtors and investors to identify properties that meet Reve Estates’ specific criteria, then conducting thorough due diligence before acquisition.
Reve Estates targets a specific clientele: high-net-worth individuals looking for luxury experiences.
“Most of our clients want great luxury homes in great markets,” Brad shares. “Someone who typically stays at a Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons will be a prime candidate to be our guest at one of our properties.”
Branding plays a crucial role in attracting both investors and guests. Reve Estates positions itself as the luxury alternative to five-star hotels, offering entire homes in prime locations where families or groups of friends can stay together without sacrificing privacy or amenities.
Systems are non-negotiable, and Reve Estates invests heavily in building systems before scaling operations.
“We spent a lot of time before we ever started putting our systems in place,” he explains. “We wanted to make sure we had the right systems not only for identifying properties, but also for onboarding those properties and making sure they get utilized as quickly as possible.”
The company has systems for every aspect of the business:
Brad’s first key hire was a virtual assistant who manages these systems and provides him with comprehensive KPI dashboard tracking for each property.
“I would tell anybody who’s trying to do real estate deals to get your systems dialed in. It makes your life easier,” he advises.
With years of experience across multiple asset classes and over $100 million in acquisitions, Brad has seen investors make costly mistakes. The biggest one? Buying in the wrong market.
“A lot of investors buy in places that they want to travel to. And that’s okay. But if you’re really trying to maximize returns and appreciation, buy in places that other people want to go to,” he cautions.
Brad emphasizes the importance of having a “buy box”—specific criteria for properties that ensure they stand out in an increasingly crowded market. This includes:
He shares a specific example: “People fundamentally just do not want to share a bathroom with their friends. Most investors do not think about these minor details.” Properties where unrelated couples have to share bathrooms don’t get five-star reviews and struggle with bookings.
Brad recently closed on a property in Scottsdale, Arizona, that perfectly illustrates Reve Estates’ acquisition strategy.
The property was originally purchased by the previous owner for $3.6 million. Reve Estates acquired it from a distressed seller for $2.8 million, then invested approximately $100,000 to add two ensuite bedrooms and bathrooms, converting it from a five-bed, five-bath house to a seven-bed, seven-and-a-half-bath property.
Total investment: $2.93 million on a $3.6 million appraised value which created $600,000 in instant equity.
But the real performance came from operations. Within thirty days of getting the property online, it was generating revenue. In the first sixty days alone, the property brought in over $95,000.
“That house alone, being seven beds and seven-and-a-half baths with all ensuite, means you can have multiple families there, sleep up to twenty people without sharing a bathroom. And that, in the short-term rental world, is key,” Brad explains.
Brad sees two major trends shaping the future of short-term rentals: the continued rise of luxury travel and the integration of AI technology.
“You’re seeing luxury travel really become more and more prevalent across a multitude of facets. You’re also seeing AI start to play a role,” he notes.
Brad envisions AI enabling hyper-personalized guest experiences. “AI will be able to dial in what a consumer is looking for and in what specific area,” he explains.
This could include automatic temperature adjustments based on guest preferences, restaurant recommendations tailored to dietary restrictions, and customized local activity suggestions—all reducing guesswork for property owners while dramatically improving guest satisfaction.
Not every investment goes smoothly, and Brad shares a memorable failure: a tenant who stopped paying rent and changed motorcycle oil inside the living room, destroying the flooring and carpet.
“That is the joy of being an entrepreneur. That’s the joy of owning assets like real estate. You will have bad experiences,” Brad reflects. “The biggest thing is just to know they’re going to come. Be prepared for them.”
His mindset during difficult times centers on one phrase: “This too shall pass.”
Brad compares real estate success to working out at the gym: “Repetition and consistency pay dividends over time. So this is not about how quickly you win. It’s about how long you last, staying really involved in the process, and trusting what you put together.”
Brad recommends several books that have influenced his approach to business:
“As a leader, as the tip of the spear, you must think ahead and have the right team in place to move things in the right direction,” Brad emphasizes. “You’re only as good as your team. You’re only as good as those around you.”
“Start identifying markets that continue to attract tourists. You might see buying opportunities because of the economics right now,” he advises.
He recommends using tools like AirDNA to analyze market data and identify opportunities. Some markets, such as Costa Rica, represent long-term plays with significant upside as they develop. Others, like Hawaii, are more stabilized but offer consistent appreciation.
“The most important task is to identify the markets. Identify what is working well and what’s missing,” Brad says. “With proper research, you can add amenities that will set your home apart, and it’s an easy way to set yourself up for success.”
Brad has ambitious goals for Reve Estates. He wants to acquire seventy homes under management globally over the next three to five years. The company is actively raising capital and expanding into new markets.
Beyond real estate, Brad has acquired a golf course and is exploring additional revenue streams that align with his core principles: making money while having fun doing it.
“It’s really about doing things that check a couple of boxes. Number one, making money. Number two, having fun doing it,” he explains.
Brad also dedicates significant time to mentorship, sharing his knowledge with both experienced investors and those just starting out. Having completed over $100 million in acquisitions across asset classes including oil and gas, multifamily, warehouse, and office properties, he brings a wealth of experience to every conversation.
Personally, Brad is focused on enjoying life as his seventeen-year-old daughter prepares for college. He and his wife love to travel, with recent trips to London, Paris, and Antigua. When asked for his top travel recommendation, Brad doesn’t hesitate: “Santorini, because you get to go to Greece, and Athens is beautiful. You get to see a lot of great history there. Santorini is unbelievable as well, so that needs to be on a lot of people’s bucket lists.”
For investors interested in learning more about Reve Estates or connecting with Brad directly, he can be reached at brad@revestates.com or through Reve Estates’ social media channels.
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