people have a 401(k) or something equivalent where, you know, you may end up with some retirement money, but it’s not going to be anywhere near what you could get from investing in an alternative investment.” For those interested in real estate investing, Abreu said not everyone has to start out in sin- gle-family or small multifamily properties. “That’s a misconception,” he said. “You can get educated and you can find a way to add value to other multifamily investors. Big multifamily investing is definite - ly a team game, and there’s a lot of partnerships that allow you to learn from others and get into deals sooner.” Sharing what he has learned comes naturally for Abreu, and he sees value in evangelizing for his industry. “I’m a strong believer that the more free content and the more education you can give, it’s going to come back to you,” he said. CREATINGALEGACY For Abreu, this line of work isn’t about just tallying dollar signs in his bank account. He aims to build a legacy for his family. The son of Cuban immigrants, he’s a self-made success. His father died when he was three,
and his mother worked hard to raise him and his sister on her own. When he started investing, he “didn’t come from money, didn’t have a lot of money.” But he wants to write a different story for his children. “Generational wealth is really what I’m going after. I’m not looking for quick money,” he said. “It’s all about building something that’s going to last, that’s going to be here when I’m gone, and my children can prosper from it as well.” Abreu said he exposes his children to his work and teaches them about what he’s doing, but he doesn’t try
to push them into the field. If someday they decide to join the business or the industry, that will be their choice. For now, he’s content to spend time with his kids, whether it’s playing with them or watching them in their sports. (Though he said they can’t beat him in basketball yet, he has a feeling it won’t be long.) In the meantime, he aims to continue growing Ele - vate. In the long term, he said he can see stepping back and letting someone else run the business, but for now, he wants to continue his work and “leave my stamp behind.” •
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