The Real Asset Investor

Founder and CEO Dave Zook leads investment decisions. He established the firm after his own business exits and frames the strategy around his personal experience reducing tax liability through real-asset investing. Zook also works alongside business partners in specific verticals, notably in the ATM space where over $90 million has been deployed.

The firm emphasizes off-market and operator-partnered origination. Its Multi-Family Fund's first portfolio — 679 units across four states — was sourced directly from a lender at note value. The Car Wash Fund develops sites in partnership with the Tommy's Express brand. This approach aims to avoid broad auction processes.

Alongside physical real assets, Dave Zook holds an advisory role at Off the Chain Capital, a digital-asset fund reported as one of the world's top performers over a recent five-year period. The firm's website also lists blockchain assets as a distinct investment strategy available to its accredited investors.

The Real Asset Investor operates through syndications and dedicated funds. Current offerings include a Car Wash Fund targeting 50-plus Tommy's Express sites and a Multi-Family Fund holding a garden-style portfolio. Investments are open to accredited investors. The firm raises capital on a deal-by-deal and fund basis rather than running a pooled evergreen vehicle.

The firm's model is built on co-investing with operating partners. The website states it partners with proven operators across asset classes, and Zook has publicly discussed co-deploying with a business partner in the ATM market. Specific co-investment terms for individual deals are not published.