Building a Residential Real Estate Portfolio with Aaron Laster

The Hoosier Hub Podcast

Recorded April 24 th 2023

Today we have 28-year-old real estate entrepreneur Aaron Laster. Aaron shares his story from growing up on the Far Eastside of Indianapolis to his start in bootstrapping a real estate portfolio while still in college. Learn how Aaron finds local real estate deals while supporting affordable housing development using tax credits to square the economics. Aaron is also developing an innovative platform called Ardhio to provide access to fractional ownership in real estate, lowering the barriers to investing. Aaron’s Book Recommendation: Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?: How Reginald Lewis Created a Billion-Dollar Business Empire IBJ 20 in their Twenties 2021: https://www.ibj.com/articles/2021-20-in-their-twenties-aaron-laster LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronlaster/ Ardhio: https://www.ardhio.com/

Guest Bios Meet Aaron Laster, a 28-year-old real estate entrepreneur from the Far Eastside of Indianapolis. With a sharp eye for property investment opportunities and a passion for real estate, Aaron has established a solid reputation in the industry. His drive to succeed has made him a rising star in the Indianapolis real estate scene and he was in the inaugural class for the Indianapolis Business Journal’s 20 in their Twenties. Aaron has an extensive network in the local real estate community and has become known for his exceptional negotiation skills, market knowledge, and ability to close deals efficiently. When he is not making real estate investments or networking in the startup community, Aaron enjoys giving back to his community and spends several hours each month serving on multiple boards of non-profit organizations.

After graduating from Lawrence Central High School, he received a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University Bloomington. While at IUB, he started using his refunds from financial aid and used a few different creative strategies to acquire his first few properties. Starting with a small single-family rental home on the Near Westside of Indianapolis, Aaron has built a portfolio of 10+ properties including vacant land for future development, single-family homes, small multifamily properties, & commercial buildings.

In addition to personal investments, he is building Ardhio, a digital platform for fractional ownership in real estate. Ardhi means land in Swahili and we added the “o” because we are bringing things full circle as we democratize real estate investing for all. By using technology and Regulation A+ offerings, both accredited and non-accredited investors will have the opportunity to invest in institutional-grade real estate assets with as little as $100. Visit ardhio.com to join our investor waitlist.

Who are the hosts?

Austin Crites, CFA: Austin is a past-president and current committee member of CFA Society Indianapolis. Professionally, he is the Chief Investment Officer at Aurora Financial Strategies where he manages US-focused, all-cap, style-agnostic equity strategies as the core of client portfolios. Austin is a 2008 graduate of Marian University in Indianapolis where he is now an adjunct professor in the Byrum School of Business.

Matt Henry, CFA: Matt is a Senior Investment Officer at STAR Wealth Management. He is also a Past President and a director of CFA Society Indianapolis. When he’s not managing porfolios, Matt teaches Finance 300 at Ball State University. He enjoys air conditioning, wi-fi, and the conveniences of indoor living.