In this episode of Burning the Ships, I sit down with Sam Hopkins, a 26-year-old real estate investor who’s built a powerhouse business in record time. From buying his first deal at 20 with just $11,000 in savings, to scaling into 180+ transactions a year, Sam’s journey is proof that focus, discipline, and the right mindset can accelerate your success.

We talk about his early days working two jobs while wholesaling on the side, how he transitioned into flips and rentals, why he brought on an integrator to free himself for high-level work, and the role fitness plays in keeping his discipline sharp. Sam also opens up about working alongside his fiancée, building a team, and what legacy means to him this early in the game.

If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re too young or too inexperienced to succeed in real estate, this conversation will flip that belief on its head.

Key Talking Points of the Episode

00:00 Introduction

01:06 JJ’s Joke of the Week

02:51 Sam’s background: Growing up in small-town Virginia & first exposure to real estate

04:45 Discovering Rich Dad Poor Dad at 19 and shifting his mindset

07:00 Early mentorship experience: Shadowing a flipper while making $11/hour at AT&T

08:53 Wholesaling in 2020 to doing 100 deals a year and breaking seven figures

11:19 Transitioning from wholesale to flips, rentals, and private capital

12:40 Building a team: cold callers, acquisitions, transaction coordinators

13:29 Bringing on an integrator: Why visionaries need operators

15:45 “Who Not How” and learning to focus on unique ability

19:11 Confidence, imposter syndrome, and buying glasses to look older

21:08 Lessons on logistics: Flipping nationwide vs. Focusing on Virginia, 100+ flips a year

25:55 Taxes, cost segregation, and why syndications don’t appeal to him

27:25 Why Sam doesn’t want a fully passive business just yet

31:32 Working with his fiancée inside the business + future roles

33:48 Business and personal life overlap—why they don’t separate it

35:40 Coaching & mentorship: Why Sam is not focusing on it yet

37:36 Who are Sam’s customers in business?

38:22 Lessons from The One Thing and Jesse Cole’s Fans First

40:01 The next 12 months: EOS & operations upgrades

42:23 Thinking about legacy and impact beyond money

44:23 Lending partnerships, integrity in deals, and working with 608B Capital

47:49 Fitness, bodybuilding, nutrition, and discipline through structure

54:45 How consistency on social media can attract deals and capital

Quotables

“I actually bought glasses at 20 years old just to look older so people would take me seriously.”

“No one cares how old you are. In fact, most people want to help you when they see you hustling young.”

“I don’t want 1,000 rentals. I want quality doors in good neighborhoods that appreciate.”

Links

Sam Hopkins

https://www.facebook.com/sam.hopkins.3726

608B Capital

https://608bcapital.com