Building a $12M Real Estate Portfolio from Scratch | Canada

Matt Buschmans’s story isn’t your typical real estate success tale. This guy went from falling through floors on his first flip to managing 110 rental units and co-founding one of Windsor’s top real estate teams. And he did it all while making every mistake in the book along the way.

Here’s what you can learn from his journey.

The First Deal That Almost Broke Him

Picture this: You’re still in high school and you convince your parents to lend you $47,000 for a flip. You tell them it’s a simple job – just paint and floors. One month, tops.

Then your dad falls through the bathroom floor into the crawl space.

That’s exactly what happened to Matt on his first deal. What was supposed to be a quick one-month flip turned into a year and a half nightmare. But here’s the thing – it got him into the game. Sometimes your worst deals teach you the most.

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The Gym Job That Changed Everything

After the flip saga, Matt took a job at a local gym. He loved fitness and figured he’d meet people. What he didn’t know was that the gym owner was one of the area’s biggest commercial developers.

This is where things get interesting.

Matt started watching what this guy was doing – building plazas, developing properties, creating real wealth. He had no idea regular people could do this stuff. But once he saw it, he couldn’t unsee it.

The Big Idea

Matt decided to take what he learned and scale it down. His plan? Build three four-plexes (12 units total) in a part of town nobody wanted to touch.

Risky? Absolutely. But he found a partner, put together a plan, and went for it.

They rented all 12 units within the first three months of construction. In the bad part of town. During construction.

That’s when Bushanti Development was born in 2005.

When Everything Almost Fell Apart

Fast forward to 2008. The financial crisis hits. Matt’s partner works in automotive and gets crushed. He tells Matt: buy me out or we’re done.

Problem is, Matt has no money. He’s doing his own snow removal and lawn care to save cash. He literally doesn’t have money to pay for water.

So he does what he did before – he goes to his parents. Again.

Think about this from their perspective. Their son is asking for another loan. He’s not making money. The economy is in the toilet. But they believed in him anyway.

That loan saved everything.

Building While Selling

During all this, Matt got his real estate license. He joined Valente Realty and became Rookie of the Year his first year.

But he didn’t stop building. He kept developing properties, kept growing his rental portfolio, and kept pushing forward on multiple fronts.

At one point, he and his wife even bought and renovated a fitness studio called Purefit. They eventually sold it after their third kid was born because they had to focus their energy.

The Big Lesson

Matt’s takeaway from the gym? Just because you’re passionate about something doesn’t mean it’ll be successful.

That’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s true. Sometimes you have to let go of things you love to focus on what actually works.

The Numbers Today

After years of grinding, here’s where Matt stands:

• 110 rental units currently managed

• Over 900 tenants throughout the company’s history

• All buildings self-designed and self-built

• Nearly $9 million in net assets

• $12 million real estate portfolio

In 2023, he hired a full-time VP to run Bouchanti Development so he could focus more on growing his real estate team.

The Move to Keller Williams

After 11 years with Valente Realty, Matt made the jump to Keller Williams in 2018. Not because Valente wasn’t great – he still speaks highly of them – but because Keller Williams offered something different.

They brought team growth systems, technology, and support structures that Windsor hadn’t really seen before. This opened up a new way to think about building a business.

Creating Synergy Real Estate Group

Matt partnered with PJ Lucente to create Synergy Real Estate Group. The name matters here – they didn’t call it “The Matt and PJ Team.”

The idea was simple: everyone brings their own skills to the table. Together, you create something more powerful than any individual could alone.

Today, they run a team of six people, and Matt considers it one of the best teams out there. They’re slowly transitioning from selling themselves to growing and leading the team.

The Philosophy That Keeps Him Grounded

Matt talks about a Japanese concept called Kaizen. It’s his “fail stop” – the thing that makes him slow down when he’s moving too fast.

He’s all about growth, but it doesn’t have to happen overnight. That’s probably why he’s still standing after 20 years while others have burned out.

Finding the Right People

When someone wants to join his team, Matt doesn’t just pitch them on why Synergy is great. He makes sure the fit works both ways.

It’s not about collecting agents. It’s about finding people who naturally align with what they’re building.

What You Can Take Away

Matt’s journey shows a few things clearly:

First, your worst deals often teach you the most. That disaster flip got him in the game.

Second, pay attention to what successful people around you are doing. The gym owner showed him what was possible.

Third, when things fall apart (and they will), keep pushing. The 2008 crisis could have ended everything. Instead, it was just another chapter.

Fourth, focus matters. You can’t do everything forever. Matt eventually sold the gym to focus on what was working best.

Finally, growth doesn’t have to be rushed. Steady, consistent progress beats burning out trying to do too much too fast.

Matt went from borrowing money from his parents to managing a multi-million dollar portfolio. But it took nearly 20 years, multiple pivots, and a lot of help along the way. There’s no overnight success here – just consistent work and smart decisions over time.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Written by

LendCity

Published

December 22, 2025

Tags

Portfolio Growth Multifamily Fix And Flip Development Property Management

Key Terms in This Article

Multifamily

Multifamily

Properties with multiple dwelling units, from duplexes to large apartment buildings. Often offer better cash flow and economies of scale.

Property Management

Property Management

The operation, control, and oversight of real estate by a third party. Property managers handle tenant screening, rent collection, maintenance, and day-to-day operations.

Cash Flow

Cash Flow

The money left over after collecting rent and paying all expenses including mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, and property management.

Leverage

Leverage

Using borrowed money (mortgage) to control a larger asset, amplifying both potential returns and risks on your investment.

Equity

Equity

The difference between a property's current market value and the remaining mortgage balance. If your home is worth $500,000 and you owe $300,000, you have $200,000 in equity. Equity builds through mortgage payments, appreciation, and property improvements.

Hover over terms to see definitions, or visit our glossary for the full list.

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