In this episode of The Distribution, host Brandon Sedloff sits down with Patrick McBride, co-founder and co-CEO of Coastal Ridge, to explore the firm’s evolution from a small entrepreneurial venture to a vertically integrated investment platform managing $5 billion in gross AUM.

McBride walks through the pivotal moments that shaped Coastal Ridge’s growth, including early partnerships with family offices, scaling with institutional joint ventures, and the recent transition to discretionary fund management. The conversation covers the strategic advantages of student housing, why vertical integration has been core to their model, and how Coastal Ridge's Midwest roots influence its culture and execution.

They discuss:

• How Coastal Ridge began as a partnership between college friends and scaled through $400M in backing from family offices
• The firm's three-phase capital evolution: private capital, institutional JVs, and discretionary funds
• Why student housing complements multifamily and what’s driving double-digit rent growth in the sector
• What makes a great student housing investment and how Coastal Ridge adds value to 10–20-year-old properties
• How vertical integration enhances performance across living strategies and creates competitive advantages

A valuable listen for investors, operators, and entrepreneurs seeking to understand how durable real estate businesses are built over time.