Mark Campbell is the Co-CEO of Jasper.io has over 13 years of experience with commercial real estate firms in NZ, UK, and Europe. Most recently, Mark led a commercial real estate joint venture between Blackstone and M7, overseeing assets currently worth more than $12 billion NZD, in seven countries. Mark led the fund since inception and oversaw the acquisition and ongoing asset management of c.1,000 assets. On this episode, Mark deep dives into what JV-ing with Blackstone looks like and how a company of that size operates in real estate. They also talk about the inception of Jasper and the decision to turn down an offer from Blackstone as well as the New Zeland market & more. Enjoy! Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/ Follow Fort Capital on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fort-capital/ Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hN5MwEY92E8 (03:08) - Mark’s Background, Career in Real Estate, Professional Rugby, Blackstone, and Jasper M7 Blackstone (27:30) - Was there something in the M7 and Jasper vs. Blackstone opportunities that drove you to take the more risky decision? (31:19) - What makes Blackstone great and what did you learn working for them that will carry through the rest of your career? (38:48) - How does someone like Blackstone's pump deal flow from a $150m portfolio to 8 Billion? (47:18) - How did Blackstone react when you turned them down to start Jasper? (52:14) - What is Jasper and what are you out to accomplish? (1:00:48) - Are you only doing your own deals or can other operators get on the platform to raise capital? (1:03:01) - How are you finding investors and are your investors local or global? (1:05:58) - How big is the New Zealand Market? (1:07:44) - What’s your process in raising for a deal? (1:09:54) - What’s the investor experience post-investment? (1:00:17) - Are you seeing your investors being seasoned RE investors or are they people with capital who have never had access to get into deals before? (1:19:10) - What are interest rates in New Zealand? (1:20:44) - Has tourism picked up? (1:21:22) - What do people in New Zealand think about Americans? (1:22:51) - Is there something about growing up in New Zealand that’s shaped who you are today? (1:24:44) - What’s the best event/festival in Europe? (1:26:22) - How can people get in touch with you and Jasper? Email - mark.campbell@jasper.io">mark.campbell@jasper.io Mark on LinkedIn The FORT is produced by Straight Up Podcasts