Getting Started with Build-To-Rent with Natalie Cloutier, Ep. 762

Natalie Cloutier is a French-Canadian real estate investor who, alongside her husband, has spent over a decade building a successful build-to-rent business in Canada. With a background in architectural technology, Natalie began her journey by constructing her first home at the age of 19 using a sweat-equity loan, transforming a family “secret” into a powerful investment model. Today, she and her husband have built 53 units from the ground up, acquired and renovated four additional properties, and automated their business to support long-term growth. Her approach centers on risk-aware development, ADU maximization, and creative strategies to unlock housing value. She is also the author of The Build to Rent Strategy and co-founder of The New Build Couple.

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Key Takeaways

• Why building your own home with sweat equity can kickstart your investing journey

• The build-rent-refinance-repeat model Natalie uses instead of traditional BRRRR

• How legislation like Bill 23 unlocked value via ADUs

• The risks to watch for when analyzing land deals

• Why burnout forced her to scale—and how hiring a team changed her business

Topics

From Architecture School to First Build

• How Natalie and her husband started by building their own house at 19

• The sweat-equity loan that replaced a traditional down payment

• Living through construction while house-hacking their basement unit

Scaling with Confidence

• Transitioning from guided help to self-led builds

• Building nights and weekends while working 40-hour weeks

• How an employee learned their model and replicated it himself

Why Build-to-Rent Made Sense

• Existing properties in Ontario didn’t pencil out

• Build-to-rent as a better alternative to BRRRR for their market

• The shift from slow beginnings to full-time real estate

Shifting Strategies Through Market Changes

• The effects of COVID, inflation, and interest rates

• Navigating legislative battles with municipalities

• Taking a break to reassess in the face of red tape

Due Diligence in Development

• Natalie’s master checklist before buying land

• Zoning, sewer, easements, internet access, and environmental tests

• The consequences of skipping steps (like a $30k surprise for internet)

How ADUs Became a Game Changer

• Leveraging Ontario’s Bill 23 to turn a duplex into a triplex

• Avoiding six-figure development fees by using ADU classifications

• Applying the ADU model to create sixplexes with cost savings

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Round of Insights

Failure that set Natalie up for success: Burning out from doing too much herself, led to hiring a team and building better systems.

Digital or mobile resource: Buildium, for managing tenant communication and operations, even with just a few units.

Book recommendation: Secrets of the Canadian Real Estate Cycle by Don Campbell, great for understanding market timing and cycles.

Daily habit: Running or walking: movement helps her reset and stay grounded.

#1 insight for real estate investors: Do your due diligence. This is not a risk-free strategy, so run the numbers and know what you’re getting into.

Favorite restaurant in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec: Socal Kitchen.

Next Steps

• Connect with Natalie at thenewbuildcouple.com

• Follow her on Instagram to see project videos and updates

• Grab a copy of her book: The Build to Rent Strategy

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