Kent, a lifelong pastor and missionary, was also the owner of Equistream, a real estate investment firm that helped break down the barrier between investors at all levels of expertise and income. That accessibility extended not just into real estate, but to Kent’s personal philosophy as well.
The first 35 years of his life were dedicated wholly to mission work and involved building churches, drug rehabilitation centers, and food pantries in more than three dozen countries. In fact, his world mission organization once built a 31-acre campus with an “aging in place” vision that provided everything from preschool to assisted living for those in need. However, Kent admitted that early in life, he often overlooked his own future, which is where real estate came into the picture.
With the help of a mentor, Kent began investing in what he would laughingly call “toxic” and “ugly” houses, purchasing homes for less than $5,000, solving their problems, and then turning the improved properties into valuable investments for himself and the company’s clients. Never afraid of hard work, Kent took on properties with clouded titles, troubling maintenance issues, and truly unpleasant exteriors. He also genuinely cared for the real estate industry and those it supports in every facet. He and his family were never too busy to speak to an investor about a problem property, a potential deal, or offer the mentorship and experienced insight that Kent valued above everything when it comes to investing successfully. Never once did I see him walk away from someone seeking advice until their last problem was solved.
Always creative, Kent believed success in real estate and in life hinges on finding the right deals and making the right decisions. This was a common theme in his public speaking and educational sessions, and it held true in his own life as well. “In the end, you have to be willing to do the necessary work to make the deal work,” he would say. For Kent, this meant not just investing in real estate to create a legacy for his family, but helping the people who would live in the homes and own the homes in the portfolio in the process. His company specialized in working with buyers who would not traditionally qualify for a loan and dealing with properties that wouldn’t traditionally pass for a mortgage, as he was fond of saying.
Kent touched a multitude of lives. Within the Think Realty family alone, I have heard dozens of stories in the past few days ranging from his personal kindness to his incredible acumen and honest, tell-it-like-it-is business philosophy. Think Realty is honored to have worked with Kent and his family, blessed by our relationship with the company, and will miss his presence in our family and in the industry for years to come.
– Eddie Wilson, Think Realty President
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