We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Soli Cayetano. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Soli below.

Soli, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I started my real estate journey during a time of complete uncertainty – spring quarter of my senior year in college when the 2020 pandemic hit. One day I was juggling a packed schedule – working full-time as a commercial real estate broker while taking a full course load – and the next day everything came to a screeching halt. Campus shut down, and suddenly no one wanted to lease office space when the entire world was working from home. My commission-based income dried up almost overnight, and that financial instability lit a fire in me to find something more sustainable.

After being go-go-go for years, having a job and going to school, suddenly everything went quiet. I had this unexpected gift of time to redirect my thoughts. I decided to use that fear to fuel a new passion and got interested in buying my first rental property. I wanted to build some passive income to create more stability for myself.

The journey from idea to execution was surprisingly quick! I knew a couple people who had already invested in real estate, so I jumped on a Zoom call with an investor from Cincinnati who I had previously met through my work. Looking back, I didn’t even know what I was getting into, which is probably why I didn’t have time to be afraid!

It took just 12 weeks from getting interested to closing on my first investment property in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2020. I had spent 3 years saving up $50,000 working all sorts of odd jobs – as a barista in high school, delivering food in college, reselling thrifted clothes, and working that full-time brokerage job throughout college.

What I didn’t realize was that I’d spend ALL of that hard-earned money on just ONE property! 🙃 After closing, I immediately thought, “How in the world do people keep buying rental properties if it took me so long to buy just one?!”
But I built an audience online by sharing my journey, continued to learn more, and got absolutely obsessed with growing. Through surrounding myself with other investors and learning how to use private money, I bought 25 units in a year and quit my 9-5 job just 15 months after purchasing my first property!

From there, I was off to the races. I started telling EVERYONE what I was doing, creating content on Instagram, and building a community. This approach has helped me raise $10M in private money and scale to 50 units and a wellness inspired boutique hotel.

Soli, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As a real estate entrepreneur and educator, I’ve built a $13M portfolio since starting my journey during the 2020 pandemic. What began as a response to financial uncertainty has evolved into a thriving business that helps others create their own path to financial freedom.

My business is pretty straightforward:

I invest in both long-term and midterm rentals that generate significant cash flow, plus I’ve recently expanded into boutique hotels with Terra Palm Springs (so excited about this wellness-focused property!). The best part? I’ve created systems that allow these properties to run almost entirely without me being involved day-to-day.
I also run HelloRentals, a community of real estate investors working toward financial independence. We’re all about practical strategies that actually work in today’s market—not just theoretical concepts that sound good but don’t deliver results.

The problems I solve for my community are the ones I faced myself:

-Finding cash-flowing deals when everyone says “there are no good deals”
-Funding properties without depleting your life savings
-Creating truly passive income that gives you freedom to travel and work on your terms
-Setting up systems so your real estate doesn’t become another full-time job

What makes me proudest is seeing people take action. There’s nothing better than getting a DM from someone who just got their first property under contract or scaled to 10 units using strategies we’ve covered!

I’m not a guru with unrealistic claims—I’m just someone who figured out this real estate thing and loves sharing what works. My whole philosophy boils down to: “If your business depends on you, you don’t own a business—you have a job.” I’m all about creating investments that give you back your time, not just your money.

If you’re looking to create financial freedom through real estate, I’ve got the roadmap—no fluff, just proven strategies that actually work right now.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My biggest tip for building an audience on social media is to start before you’re ready. So many people tell me they don’t feel like they have anything to share, but the journey itself is what’s inspiring and educational. Even if you’re just half a step ahead of someone else, your experience has value!

I built my audience on social media pretty organically – basically by vlogging my first property on Instagram and then totally diving into the real estate investing community. I’ve grown to 145k followers without paid promotions or anything fancy.
Here’s what worked for me:

1. Share wins AND struggles. This is core to my brand and what draws people to me. I’ve been open about mistakes and challenges – like how after my first deal, I was basically broke! People connect with real vulnerability, not just highlight reels. This authenticity is what builds true community.

2. Consistency over perfection. I posted regularly, even when I didn’t feel like an “expert.” I shared what I was learning in real-time rather than waiting until I had it all figured out.

3. Storytelling over stats. People connect with stories more than dry numbers. I’ll share the experience of buying a property, including the anxiety and excitement, not just the cap rate and cash flow.

4. Engage genuinely. I spend time responding to DMs and comments. Building a community isn’t just about follower count – it’s about real connections.

5. Give actionable value. Every post should leave people thinking “I learned something I can use.” Whether it’s a hack for finding deals or a template for raising private money.

Social media has been one of the most important pieces of my success as an investor. I’ve met partners on deals, raised over $10M from followers, and completely changed my friend circle – the power of social media is real!

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Finding the capital to start real estate investing wasn’t some overnight success story for me. It took me 3 years to save up $50,000 for my first property, and honestly, that part of the journey doesn’t get talked about enough.

The time that people spend saving is really unsexy but it’s part of the process and teaches a lot of good lessons. During those three years, I worked as a barista in high school, delivered food in college, resold thrifted clothes, and had a full-time job as a commercial real estate broker throughout college.

Every extra dollar went into my savings account. I packed lunches instead of eating out. I turned down trips with friends. I drove an old car that was paid off. None of this makes for exciting Instagram content, but these sacrifices were crucial to getting started.

What’s ironic is that I spent my entire savings on just that first property in Cincinnati! After closing, I realized I couldn’t keep investing if it required that much capital each time. That’s when I started learning about creative financing and using other people’s money.

The key lesson here is that while saving was my entry point, scaling required a different approach. I had to learn how to raise private money and structure deals where I wasn’t the only source of capital. This shift in thinking is what allowed me to grow from one property to a $13M portfolio.

If you’re in that saving phase right now, know that it’s teaching you discipline and delayed gratification – skills that will serve you well as an investor. But also know that there are strategies to accelerate your growth once you have that first deal under your belt.

My advice? Don’t wait until you have “enough” saved to start learning about real estate. Use that saving period to educate yourself, network with other investors, and prepare for your first deal. The knowledge you gain during this time is just as valuable as the capital you’re accumulating.

Contact Info:

• Website: lattesandleases.com, hellorentals.com, hotel: terrapalmsprings.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/lattes.and.leases

Image Credits

typing photo + holding house light – Hillary Jeanne
photo of hotel. – Pablo Enriquez