Why the “Small and Mighty” Real Estate Strategy Might Be the Best Investment You’ve Never Considered

When it comes to real estate investing, there’s no shortage of strategies—and no shortage of gurus telling you that theirs is the only way.

You’ve probably heard of these:

• BRRRR (Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat): Focused on building fast equity and recycling capital. Powerful, but it can be risky and intense.

• House Hacking: Living in one unit of a multi-unit property (or renting rooms in a single-family home) to reduce housing costs and accelerate savings.

• Fix and Flip: Renovating distressed properties to sell for a profit. High risk, high reward—and highly active.

• Short-Term Rentals: Leveraging platforms like Airbnb for higher income potential. Great in the right market, but time- and management-intensive.

• Turnkey Rentals: Buying fully renovated, tenant-occupied properties. Low effort, but often at a premium.

• Syndications/Passive Investing: Pooling capital in larger deals led by experienced sponsors. More passive, but you lose some control.

Each of these has its place, depending on your goals, time availability, and risk tolerance.

But if you’re someone who values peace of mind, flexibility, and freedom over hype, there’s another path worth paying attention to:

The Small and Mighty Real Estate Strategy, made popular by Chad Carson.

What Is the “Small and Mighty” Strategy?

At its core, this strategy is about building a lean, high-performing real estate portfolio that gives you freedom—not just more units, more debt, or more work.

It focuses on three key ideas:

1. Keep it Small

Rather than chasing 100+ doors or massive scale, this approach encourages owning enough—maybe 5 to 15 quality rental units that generate strong cash flow and long-term appreciation.

2. Keep it Simple

You’re not trying to optimize every dollar. You're focused on solid, steady performance. Fewer properties, fewer headaches, more control.

3. Make it Mighty

Each property is selected and managed intentionally. You’re looking for durability, low risk, and high functionality—not flash. You might focus on paying off debt, improving operations, and building systems.

The ultimate goal?
Buy back your time.

Why This Strategy Resonated with Me

Before I ever read Chad Carson’s book, I was already investing with many of the same principles. Not because I set out to be contrarian, but because I have a large family—and with that comes responsibility, real-life needs, and a stronger preference for low-risk, high-stability investments.

I had tried the more aggressive approach. I had leveraged hard. I had chased equity growth. But what I found was that more leverage doesn’t always equal more peace—and it certainly doesn’t guarantee more freedom.

Reading The Small and Mighty Real Estate Investor gave me language for what I was already doing—and the framework to refine it.

It helped me:

• Reassess my debt strategy

• Prioritize quality over quantity

• Feel confident stepping back during intense family seasons

• And realize that stepping off the gas doesn’t mean failure—it means intentional living

Flexibility Through Life’s Seasons

One of the things I appreciate most about this strategy is its built-in flexibility.

You’re not locked into one phase forever. Chad breaks the journey down into three stages:

1. The Build Phase: Grow your portfolio, reinvest earnings, build momentum.

2. The Harvest Phase: Slow down, enjoy the fruits, reduce debt, stabilize cash flow.

3. The Reinvention Phase: Choose your next move—scale up, downsize, pivot, or coast.

This seasonal approach fits perfectly with real life. As a parent, business owner, and investor, my bandwidth isn’t always the same. Sometimes I’m in growth mode. Other times, I want simplicity and space to focus on family.

This strategy gives you permission to shift gears without guilt—and that’s powerful.

The Peace of Mind Factor

We often talk about financial freedom like it’s a number on a spreadsheet. But for me, freedom isn’t just about passive income. It’s about:

• Sleeping well at night

• Having flexibility with my time

• Being present for my kids

• Saying no to projects that drain me

• Knowing my portfolio doesn’t collapse if one thing goes wrong

That’s what the Small and Mighty strategy offers—a sense of control and calm in a world that rewards chaos and scale.

Final Thoughts

If you’re just getting started in real estate, or if you’ve been at it for years but feel like the game is getting heavier instead of lighter, consider this:

You don’t need to go big to win.
You just need to go intentionally.

The Small and Mighty strategy isn’t about shrinking your dreams.
It’s about redefining success so it serves your life—not someone else’s definition of empire-building.

It helped me clarify what I actually want from my real estate portfolio.
And it gave me permission to focus on freedom—not just unit count.

Curious about how this strategy could work for your life stage and goals? I’d be happy to share how I’ve implemented it in my own investing—and how you can too. Contact Erik Caseres Today!

Learn More About Chad Carson & the Small and Mighty Strategy

• Book: The Small and Mighty Real Estate Investor by Chad Carson
  Buy on Amazon
  A practical guide focused on building a small, flexible portfolio that supports your life—not the other way around.

• Coach Carson Website (Chad Carson’s official site)
  https://www.coachcarson.com
  Offers blog articles, courses, and resources focused on financial independence through real estate.

• Podcast: Real Estate & Financial Independence Podcast
  Coach Carson Podcast on Apple
  Weekly episodes breaking down investing strategies, interviews with everyday investors, and Q&A episodes.