Brennan Buzz — Real Estate, Risk & Rolling the Dice
Not every hotel deal starts with a LoopNet link or a brokered introduction.
Reilly Brennan’s first hotel? That came from a tax record, a map of the Northwoods, and a gut feeling so strong he booked a room before he ever made an offer.
Let’s rewind.
Reilly had spent years scaling a family office real estate portfolio from $3M to over $300M—but this was different. He wanted something with soul. Something small, neglected, overlooked. A place where he could actually build a brand, not just renovate a balance sheet.
So he started skip tracing.
He pulled public records to identify older hotels in northern Minnesota owned by longtime proprietors. The kind of places that might not hit the MLS but had been quietly cash flowing for decades. The kind where the owner might be open to a handshake, a story, and some creative financing.
One listing stood out. A no-frills inn tucked just outside Duluth—nothing fancy, but it had character.
Reilly didn’t call ahead. He booked a night. Showed up. Took in the property the way a guest would.
He noticed the pine smell, the wood paneling, the honest way the rooms hadn’t changed in years. And he loved it.
The next morning, while sipping coffee in the dining room, the owner kicked the door open—literally—and said:
“So I hear you’re buying the damn place.”
Reilly laughed. “I just might.”
That moment? That was the deal. No fancy pitch deck. No financing yet. Just mutual recognition—this was the right place, and the right buyer had shown up.
And yeah, they worked it out. The deal went through. Seller financing, a little renovation budget, and a full rebrand into what’s now one of Duluth’s most unique boutique hotels.
🔑 The Takeaway:
You don’t always find good deals—you create them.
It takes research, resilience, and sometimes, a bold trip into the middle of the woods. But the magic is real. The right place, the right story, and the right gut feeling can change everything.
🎙️ Stories like this are just the start. Reilly unpacks the full journey on Brennan Buzz, a new podcast for investors who think a little differently—who chase not just ROI, but purpose.
Subscribe for real estate stories with bite, vision, and maybe even a door-kicking breakfast or two.
