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Description:
In this episode of The Builders Podcast, host Matt Levenhagen sits down with Matt Raad, a seasoned entrepreneur and real estate expert, to explore how his offline real estate and bricks-and-mortar business experience translated into building wealth through buying, renovating, and selling digital “real estate” — websites.
Matt shares how foundational lessons from running and systemizing physical businesses helped him master the online business landscape. From buying underperforming websites to turning them into profitable, cash-flowing assets, Matt walks us through his journey, strategies, and actionable insights.
What You'll Learn:
- How Matt applied real estate principles to digital assets.
- Why websites are the perfect low-risk “side hustle” for beginners.
- The importance of due diligence when buying online businesses.
- Strategies for identifying, renovating, and growing niche websites.
- How to build passive income through a portfolio of digital assets.
Matt Raad
Matt Raad has used a very unconventional method to create financial freedom in his lifetime, starting with nothing and building a high cash flow portfolio through buying and selling businesses.
He and his wife Liz are website investors, which means they use digital assets to generate cashflow and build wealth. They were one of the first in the world to buy, build and renovate websites, a strategy they now teach beginners to reach 6 and 7-figure incomes.
Matt will share his insights into his journey as a successful entrepreneur and investor, starting out a zoologist with his wife Liz, buying their first business, expanding into multi-million dollar mergers and acquisitions, transitioning to tech and the digital world, and how they successfully worked together as a team for the last 27 years.
Their mission is to inspire people and help them replace their incomes with more leveraged, high cash-flow, location independent digital skills. When he is not researching & talking about high cashflow websites you will find him out riding his mountain bike with Liz or training for Ninja Warrior/CrossFit with his kids.
THE MEAT OF IT!
- Introduction
- Who is Matt Raad? From zoology to entrepreneurship.
- Transitioning from bricks-and-mortar businesses to online ventures.
- Lessons from the Bricks-and-Mortar World
- Discovering Digital “Real Estate”
- The turning point: Why Matt and Liz pivoted to websites.
- Applying real estate principles to online businesses.
- Building a portfolio of niche websites for cash flow.
- Buying, Renovating, and Selling Websites
- The “buy and renovate” strategy explained.
- Why due diligence is the #1 skill for success.
- Identifying profitable niches: Sites that answer questions.
- Renovation techniques: SEO, content creation, and traffic growth.
- Why Websites are the Perfect Side Hustle
- Low startup costs, scalability, and reduced risk.
- How anyone can get started by learning to build a website.
- Key Takeaways for Beginners
- Build foundational web skills.
- Focus on passion niches (health, wealth, hobbies).
- Leverage mentors and proven systems.
- 7. Closing Thoughts
- Matt’s advice for aspiring digital entrepreneurs.
- Final reflections on offline-to-online success.
| Timestamp | Summary |
| 0:00 | Building Wealth Through Buying and Selling Online Businesses |
| 6:59 | Pursuing Zoology and the Quest for Financial Freedom |
| 7:57 | From Bricks and Mortar to Online Business Success |
| 15:43 | Building a Business Through Learning and Systemization |
| 21:02 | Networking and Learning in the Manufacturing Industry |
| 24:45 | Learning Business Valuation in McDonald's Car Parks |
| 26:13 | Building Online Business Portfolios With Unified Web Design |
| 27:28 | The Power of Networking and Learning from Business Mentors |
| 31:38 | Building and Buying Online Businesses for Passive Income |
| 38:05 | The Importance of Domain Names in Website Investments |
| 39:39 | Building Profitable Websites by Answering Popular Questions |
| 42:16 | Building Websites as a Foundation for Online Business Success |
| 48:57 | Turning an Old Gardening Site Into a Profitable Asset |
| 50:30 | Investing in Online Businesses: A Beginner's Guide |
| 54:45 | The US as a Prime Market for Online Business Ventures |
| 56:13 | E Business Institute's Mission to Retrain Burnt-Out Professionals |
| 58:07 | Exploring Social Media Preferences and Website Renovation Passion |
Check out these related Episodes:
- Episode 202: Kirsten Pedersen – From Strawberry Jam to a Thriving Catering Business: Building a Culinary Dream
- Episode 201: Nick Jain – Small Changes, Big Impact: Introducing New Features & Intentional Innovation
- Episode 200 – Celebrating 200 Episodes: Recap & The Builders’ Refined Focus for Season 2
