Ryan Chaw
“Double your rental income through rent-by-the-bedroom student housing”
Ryan built a $1.5M net worth and replaced his full-time Pharmacist income at age 31, not through big commercial deals or short-term rentals. But by turning single-family and small multifamily homes into high-cash-flow co-living rentals for students and young professionals.
Ryan was inspired to get into real estate investing by his grandpa. Grandpa Chaw faced discrimination in the 1950s while trying to buy his first property, but he and Ryan’s grandma persevered. Grandpa Chaw eventually purchased three rentals in the SF Bay Area, using the income to help pay for Ryan and his brother’s college tuition – a gift Ryan never took for granted. This inspired Ryan to build a legacy of his own.
Ryan graduated as a pharmacist in 2015 and worked in infectious diseases and pediatrics. The skills he gained in healthcare translated into real estate, especially in managing people, having a mindset of service, and providing excellent customer care.
By working 12-16 hours overtime per week and 2 jobs, Ryan saved up enough money to put a downpayment on his first property, a single family home in the Bay area, at the end of 2016. He began buying one single-family home every year and built a reputation for high-quality student housing near his local college. By renting by the room, he doubled and tripled the rental income compared to traditional rentals. For example, one of his single-family rentals makes $6,550/month, which he purchased for $367,000 in 2022. By age 28, he became a millionaire, earning multiple six figures in student rental income. Ray retired from Pharmacy at age 31.
Today, Ryan leads a community of creative real estate investors who focus on one great deal at a time while providing affordable, high-quality student and co-living housing. In his free time, he loves traveling to absorb other cultures including Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Belize, and Europe.
In his presentation, Ryan will discuss:
- How Ryan went from pharmacist to financially free in 5 years
- Creating 2-3x rental income with co-living and student housing
- Hard lessons from losing over $30K in real estate and how to avoid them