Episode 6: From Dorm Room Dreams to Commercial Real Estate Titan

In this episode, we sit down with Marcel Arsenault, a real estate entrepreneur and philanthropist, to hear his incredible journey from making ice cream in his dorm room to becoming one of the largest private owners of commercial real estate in the western United States, with investments totaling $5.1 billion in acquisition value. Marcel shares the key strategies that have helped him navigate the ups and downs of the real estate industry—what he calls the "real estate rodeos"—and offers his grim forecast for the economy and thus the real estate buying opportunities that will likely arise in 2025.

Beyond business, Marcel and his wife have turned their success into a force for good by establishing foundations aimed at solving some of the world's biggest challenges. As participants in The Giving Pledge, they are committed to using their wealth to make a lasting impact. Don't miss this inspiring conversation with one of real estate's most dynamic figures.

ABOUT MARCEL ARSENAULT

[e-mail] Marcel approaches the real estate business from an academic perspective, constantly reading and analyzing the industry to better understand the story behind the story of real estate cycles. His company, Real Capital Solutions, has purchased and managed more than 395 real estate assets, totaling approximately $5.1 billion in acquisition value. RCS currently has $2.4 billion in Assets Under Management. Marcel is one of the most active private owners of commercial real estate in the western United States. By constantly monitoring developments in the real estate industry, he tries to be ahead of the game. Marcel describes himself as a “real estate theorist who lives in the real world.”

During his career, Arsenault has completed workouts on more than 10 million square feet of property acquired during the RTC and savings and loan crisis and accurately predicted the housing-led U.S. recession, selling 80 percent of his portfolio at market peak. His considerable entrepreneurial experience has enabled him to build strong teams and direct rapidly growing companies. He is frequently contacted by the media to share his expertise; he’s appeared in INC Magazine, Colorado Real Estate Journal, TIME Magazine and Bloomberg News.

Marcel Arsenault is also the Founder & Chairman of One Earth Future Foundation.

One Earth Future Foundation leads initiatives to improve systems that prevent armed conflict through governance. To date, Marcel and his wife Cynda have contributed over $100 million to OEF and two related foundations. With 75 current employees, OEF is growing rapidly and expects to employ over 400 in the next 10 years. OEF’s areas of focus include: Enhancing maritime cooperation: Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) works to facilitate such cooperation around maritime piracy, and Secure Fisheries brings attention to global trends around illegal, unreported, and unregulated, fishing (which precipitates conflict and generated Somali piracy). OBP played an integral part in the release of 26 hostages after being held by Somali pirates in 2016.

Arsenault obtained a B.Sc. degree from McGill University and pursued a Ph.D. in molecular biology at the University of Colorado before embarking on his entrepreneurial career.