Episode 186 - REIT's & Redemptive Innovation in the $1 Trillion in Church Real Estate with Nick Bonner of AARE

Faith Driven Investor

In this compelling episode of Faith Driven Investor, Nick Bonner shares his transformative journey in Christian real estate investment and the innovative solutions he's developing to address inefficiencies in church property usage.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The Great Opportunity Report's findings on church growth and the critical role of real estate
• Analysis revealing that churches typically only utilize their buildings 5% of the week
• The stark contrast between business and church property ownership (12% vs 84%)
• Development of the Open Doors model for shared church spaces
• The concept of transforming church buildings into community hubs with multiple revenue streams
• The vision for democratizing faith-driven real estate investment through a Christian impact REIT
• Personal testimony of surrendering business plans and experiencing God's redirection

Notable Insights:

• Approximately $1 trillion in equity is locked in church buildings alone
• Current church property models often burden pastors with responsibilities outside their core mission
• The potential for shared spaces to create "divine collisions" and new ministry opportunities
• How investment capital (150x larger than donation capital) can be leveraged for kingdom impact
• The importance of maintaining Jesus as the central focus rather than the dream itself

Featured Guest: Nick Bonner brings extensive experience from CBRE, the Pine Tops Foundation, and various real estate ventures. His unique perspective bridges commercial real estate expertise with faith-driven investment strategies.