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.
Book Your Strategy CallThe 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.
Book Your Strategy CallFrequently Asked Questions
Matt borrowed $47,000 from his parents in high school to buy his first flip property. While that deal took 18 months instead of one month, it got him into the game and taught him valuable lessons about renovation and property assessment.
Bouchanti Development is Matt’s property development company, founded in 2005. He started by building three four-plexes (12 units) and has since grown to manage 110 rental units. All buildings were self-designed and self-built by Matt.
When his partner needed out during the 2008 crisis, Matt borrowed money from his parents again to buy him out. He was doing his own snow removal and lawn care to save money, but the loan allowed him to keep the business and eventually thrive.
After having three children, Matt and his wife decided to focus their energy on real estate sales and development. He learned that just because you’re passionate about something doesn’t mean it should be your business focus. Family came first.
Synergy Real Estate Group is Matt’s real estate team at Keller Williams, co-founded with PJ Lucente. The team has six members and focuses on combining everyone’s unique skills to create something more powerful than any individual could build alone.
Matt currently manages 110 rental units through Bouchanti Development. Throughout the company’s history, he’s had over 900 tenants. In 2023, he hired a full-time VP to run the daily operations of the development company.
Matt follows the Japanese concept of Kaizen, which keeps him from moving too fast. He believes in expansion but doesn’t think it needs to happen overnight. This balanced approach has helped him sustain multiple businesses over nearly 20 years.
After 11 years with Valente Realty, Matt moved to Keller Williams in 2018 because they offered team growth systems, technology integration, and support structures that aligned with his expansion goals. Keller Williams brought these concepts to the Windsor market in new ways.
