About Baker 1031 Investments
Discover our history, motivations, and more.
Who is Baker 1031 Investments?
At Baker 1031 Investments, why we do what we do is the foundation of everything we build. For our clients, that purpose makes a powerful difference in their experience and, more importantly, in their outcomes.
Our Story (Short Version)
We didn’t launch Baker 1031 Investments with a flashy business plan—we started it out of frustration.
After decades in both family real estate and institutional finance, we faced a tough 1031 exchange and discovered how broken the DST industry really was: overpriced products, confusing advice, and advisors who didn’t know real estate.
So we did it ourselves—found the right deals, hired institutional-grade due diligence, and got it done the hard way. Then we built the kind of firm we wish we’d had: investor-first, no-nonsense, and grounded in real experience.
Baker 1031 exists to help other investors avoid the pain and get it right the first time.
History of Baker 1031 Investments
Where we came from shapes how we engage with our clients.
Jerry Baker television footage
Baker 1031 Investments is a family story—one that starts with my grandfather, Gerald F. Baker, Jr.—or just “Jerry” to the millions who knew him as America’s Master Gardener. He was truly larger than life. In the early 1960s, he went from working undercover in Detroit to becoming a national media personality, charming audiences on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, The Mike Douglas Show, and Dinah's Place. He was the face of the iconic Garden Weasel, the national gardening spokesperson for Kmart, and the author of over 50 books that sold more than 20 million copies.
But my grandfather didn’t just build a brand—he built an empire on commonsense wisdom and a rare ability to connect with everyday Americans.
In 1987, the next generation picked up the torch. My father, Jeff Baker (Jerry’s son), then at Goldman Sachs, and my uncle, Kim Gasior (Jerry’s son-in-law), a top corporate defense attorney at Butzel Long, saw an even bigger future for the brand. They formed American Master Products and took “Jerry Baker, America’s Master Gardener” to new heights—producing hit shows for PBS, becoming a mainstay on QVC, and launching On the Garden Line, one of the most successful newsletters of its time.
That momentum didn’t stop at the border. By the early 2000s, American Master Products had become a global, multilingual media company—creating content for English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese-speaking audiences. At the same time, my father and uncle branched out into health and wellness, launching Baker’s Best Health Products, which developed a cult following for its arthritis creams, beauty products, and nutritional supplements.
My grandfather & I at my grandparent's home in (very humid) Naples, Florida
My uncle, Kim Gasior, with my brother and I after a golf tournament
All that growth led to a new challenge—and a new opportunity: real estate. The business needed warehouses, offices, and fulfillment centers. What started as a necessity—building properties for our own use—evolved into a full-blown real estate enterprise. As the company grew, we’d develop new space for ourselves and lease out the older properties to other tenants. Eventually, this operation became Arbor Bay Capital Partners, a family office that develops, acquires, and self-manages a diverse portfolio of industrial, office, and tech assets.
That brings us to my chapter.
I’m Gerald F. Baker III—and yes, I go by Jerry, too. Like the generations before me, I started my career outside the family business. After graduating college, I headed to Wall Street, working in institutional real estate for some of the industry’s most respected firms. (My mother was also in finance and worked at Drexel Burnham... but that’s a story for another day.)
When I returned to help run the family businesses, I thought it would be a fairly typical generational transition. It wasn’t. I quickly realized there was a unique opportunity to combine my Wall Street experience with the hands-on knowledge I’d gained managing our family’s real estate portfolio.
That’s how Baker 1031 Investments was born.
I started this company to build on the legacy of my grandfather, father, and uncle. To take the same entrepreneurial force that runs through my DNA and create a firm that offers institutional-quality real estate products—but delivers them with the same commonsense clarity and honesty that made my grandfather a household name.
My first project: 250,000 sf indoor/outdoor mall in Orange County, CA
Our Difference
We don't try to be different. Apparently you stand out when you simply always do the right thing.
Investment Offerings
Institutional-Quality Properties
We only offer large properties or portfolios. The properties you're investing in should be larger than you normally buy, providing economies of scale and diversification you wouldn't otherwise have.
Truly Diversified Portfolios
As a firm, we focus on creating diversification opportunities for our clients. We see one of the biggest benefits of our investment products being the ability to acquire enough properties to be statistically diversified.
Investment Flexibility
The ability to acquire numerous properties with as little as $100,000, allows us to create a mixture of investment properties that collectively meet your goals, such as: income, liquidity, and growth.
Pre-Packaged Offerings
We are unwilling to offer any investment opportunity that isn't pre-packaged. The investment sponsor must already fully own the property, have financing in-place (if any), and have historical financials.
Investment Sponsors
Institutional Sponsors Only
Our firm exclusively provides investment opportunities from large, reputable institutions. These firms typically have $5B+ in assets under management, decades of real estate experience, and verifiable history.
Philosophical Alignment
We exclusively partner with sponsors whose investment philosophy aligns with our clients' goals. We focus on firms with deep expertise in specific real estate sectors. This ensures a true alignment of interests.
Curated Strategies
We actively seek out sector specialists—sponsors who are national leaders in high-demand niches of real estate. This allows our clients to invest alongside firms capitalizing on long-term demographic and economic trends, rather than chasing short-term fads.
Co-Investment, NOT Crowdfunding
We provide true co-investment, not crowdfunding. You invest directly alongside institutional partners who commit their own capital to each deal. This ensures complete alignment of interests and gives you access to professionally vetted opportunities with genuine shared risk.
Multiple Step, Independent Due Diligence
Offering Level Audit
We only provide offerings from Sponsor who electively hire one of three largest, most reputable independent due diligence agencies. If the report determines there are no issues, we proceed with the process.
Firm & Offering Review
We partner with a reputable Broker/Dealer that has maintained a spotless regulatory record since its founding in 1999. This firm reviews the third-party reports, audits Sponsor financials, and stress tests the property's financial forecast.
Suitability Filtering
With Baker 1031 Investments, just because an offering meets our standards does not mean it is right for our clients. We perform a thorough onsite review of all offerings to ensure the investments we offer, are the same investments we would choose ourselves.
No Proprietary Offerings
We do not offer propriety offerings. Many of our clients come to us asking about an investment offering that's available direct from a sponsor. It's great that they promise high returns and will pay you to invest. But, these offerings are often available direct through the sponsor because they don't meet some or all of reputable brokerages' due diligence requirements.
Elevated Client Service
Direct, Personal Access
The firm was structured from the start to ensure all clients have direct access to Jerry. The Baker 1031 Investments team is there to support Jerry - not act as intermediaries for Jerry. From your first phone call to completing your 100th transaction, Jerry will be your ONLY point of contact.
Personalized Experience
Unlike other firms we tried investing with, Baker 1031 Investments provides a flexible, personalized experience. Prefer to explore opportunities on your own? Or want to be walked through every available deal? We're here to shape the experience to fit your needs, timeline, and goals.
Real Estate Experts
Most people wouldn't have their appendix removed by their lawyer. So, why do they invest in real estate through their accountant, financial advisor, or attorney? Baker 1031 Investments is real estate-focused with decades of real estate investment experience.
Fully Transparent Process
We believe confidence comes from clarity. You’ll never be rushed, pressured, or left in the dark. From deal summaries to sponsor backgrounds to fee structures, we make sure you understand exactly what you're investing in—and why.
Our Commitment
Disjointed ideas from Jerry Baker regarding how he wants Baker 1031 Investments to operate, how team members should work, and how the overall client experience should be.
Jerry's name is on the door.
"I truly dislike the impersonal nature of today's financial industry, where faceless organizations often hide behind generic names. It leaves you wondering: who's truly accountable? At Baker 1031 Investments, I want our clients to know the human element is front and center. My name is on the door and in the firm's name, signaling that I'm personally staking my reputation on every interaction. I have a vested interest in upholding the unblemished record of value, fair-dealing, and high ethical standards that has always been mine, my family's, and the firm's hallmark."
We keep our word.
"'Meum dictum pactum' isn't just a dusty old Latin phrase for me; it's the bedrock of Baker 1031 Investments. I spent seven formative years at an all-boys Jesuit Catholic preparatory school, where learning Latin was part of the curriculum, and this particular phrase truly stuck. My word is my bond, and that simple, powerful truth guides every single action here. When I say we'll do something, consider it done, with integrity and precision. When I give advice, know it's backed by genuine commitment to your success. It means my personal reputation, and the trust you place in Baker 1031 Investments, are absolutely inseparable."
Midwest values. East coast mentality. West coast...
"I grew up in a small Michigan town, 30 minutes north of Detroit. A place where you know your neighbors. Beyond the accent and lingo, I carry a distinct set of Midwestern morals: looking after one another, respect, and treating clients like family. I couple this 'Would I recommend this for my own parents?' mentality with the hustle, quantitative rigor, and drive I learned from school and work in New York and Boston. I believe this provides clients a truly unique, beneficial perspective.
My current home is Los Angeles, purely because my wife is from here and we're caring for her aging parents. Frankly, if you're like me or many of my clients, a West Coast investment firm might raise an eyebrow. But rest assured, I'm not here for the 'flashy or laid-back Hollywood' lifestyle. In fact, feeling a bit like a 'fish out of water' ensures I stay sharp and focused on what truly matters for your investments."
Sometimes others have a way with words.
During his formative preparatory school years, Jerry Baker was uniquely chosen by the then-President of Quicken Loans' Holding Company to join their inaugural internship program—the only non-college student among a dozen. He completed three internships across Quicken Loans and their sister companies, gaining experience in Technology, Mortgage-Backed Securities Origination and Trading, and Venture Capital.
While the experience was tremendous, it was their culture that truly shaped his perspective. The Quicken Loans family of companies (now Rocket) operates on a powerful set of guiding principles called "ISMs." Unlike mere mottos, these are lived daily, both at work and in personal lives. Jerry frequently shares a few of these key ISMs with his team today.
Jerry wanted us to add: "If you had a bad experience with Quicken Loans/Rocket Mortgage, I was just an intern. Don't hold it against me!"
Jerry also wanted us to add: "This isn't like stealing Nike's "Just Do It" or taking "Bo Knows" and using "Jerry Knows", Quicken implored us to take the ISMs with us into our lives and businesses. It sounds very cult-like now that I'm saying this, but it had a very positive impact on 16-year-old me."
Always raising our level or awareness.
As renowned baseball player Yogi Berra once said, “You can see a lot just by looking.” Keep your head up. Look. Be curious. Notice what is actually happening around you. Really notice. Listen. Listen to your clients. In fact, listen to everyone. Everything starts with awareness. Being alert. Being awake. Tuning into the frequency. It is a perpetual choice to both stay aware and raise your level of awareness. Success starts with the thousands of eyeballs of our team members. That’s you.
Obsessed with finding a better way.
Our never-ending quest is to find a better way for everything we do. This isn’t something we wait to do until we magically “find the time.” Instead, we’re eager to jump into new ideas with a mindset of curiosity and possibility.
Our heart beats faster for the “yes” side of life. We’re all about seeing the big picture and tapping into the limitless potential of our team members. This is the land of yes before no. If something is just meh, let’s make it better. If it’s good, let’s aim for greatness. And if it’s great, let’s strive to make it extraordinary. Don’t settle for less. In fact, don’t settle at all.
Finding a better way is our priority, our passion, our way of living…our obsession.
You'll see it when you believe it.
We lead with our hearts and minds. We take the opposite approach to, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Nothing significant in this world has ever happened without someone believing in it first. We know that when we believe in our ability to impact the outcome, we dramatically increase our odds of success. If we believe it can happen, it will.
Every client. Every time. No exceptions. No excuses.
People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. Could it be any clearer? A great company is built one relationship at a time. AMAZE every client every chance you get. We are on a relentless pursuit to create experiences that WOW. Love your team members. Love your clients. No exceptions. No excuses!
Responding with a sense of urgency is the ante to play.
Time, not money, is the most valuable commodity of all. Every second counts and is an opportunity to be seized. This means we must act swiftly and decisively, knowing that hesitation or lack of proactivity can mean falling behind. This isn’t just about keeping pace; it’s about forging ahead.
You’ve got to harness the inner spark that pushes you to accomplish things in a timely and intentional manner. We respond with urgency to all forms of communication from everyone within 24 hours or faster, regardless of the outcome. We’re the reliable friend who always responds, relentless in our pursuit of progress and meeting clients where they are.
There’s no other way. There’s no other option. How will you invest the 31,536,000 seconds you are gifted each year? Choose wisely.
Simplicity is genius.
Simplifying things in this fast-moving, complicated world is true genius. Think about it: Simple design, simple process, simple packaging and simple communication. It’s embracing the philosophy of “less is more” with an extra dash of clarity thrown into the mixing bowl. When we communicate with others, we cannot assume they know the same information we do. Because of this, we boil things down to what really matters. Simplicity doesn’t just clarify; it makes things better for everybody. It’s that simple.
Do the right thing.
The high road is not optional; for us, it’s the only choice. To our clients and team members, trust is the most valuable thing at Rocket Companies. Cultivate that trust by always doing the right thing. Doing the wrong thing is never worth it. We stick to the highest standard of integrity, without compromise.
Who the h*ll is Jerry Baker?
I don't typically use such language, especially not on my client-facing website! However, I wanted to pay a little homage to one of my grandfather's first marketing attempts. It was a slogan K-Mart used on promotional shirts that, as today's kids would say, went viral.
Gerald F. Baker, III
Founder, Baker 1031 Investments
Jerry Baker is the founder of Baker 1031 Investments, a firm built from firsthand experience navigating the intersection of institutional finance and generational family real estate. Before launching the company, Jerry spent over a decade on Wall Street, working at some of the world’s most prominent real estate private equity and hedge funds. Throughout his career, he was directly involved in more than $10 billion in real estate transactions, spanning global portfolios and complex investment strategies.
Jerry holds a dual degree from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, where he studied Computational and Mathematical Finance (Applied Mathematics in Finance) and Business Analytics (Applied Statistics). His academic background gave him a deep understanding of data-driven decision-making—an edge he carried into institutional real estate and now applies to client portfolios at Baker 1031 Investments.
His foundation in real estate, however, began long before his time on Wall Street. As a third-generation investor, he grew up learning the business from his father and uncle—who developed and managed a diverse portfolio of industrial, office, and technology properties for their family office, Arbor Bay Capital Partners. When Jerry returned to help run the family’s real estate operations, he brought institutional knowledge home, adapting the tools and strategies he'd used at the highest levels of finance to the needs of individual investors.
That blend of Wall Street experience, analytical training, and real-world family investing led him to create Baker 1031 Investments—a firm designed to offer institutional-quality real estate solutions with the clarity, transparency, and respect individual investors deserve. Like the generations before him, Jerry is driven by a deep commitment to long-term relationships, commonsense investing, and helping families preserve and grow their wealth.
Our Story (Full Version)
My family has been in real estate for over 60 years—three generations of us buying, managing, and developing industrial, office, and tech properties. I’m Jerry Baker, and I grew up in this business, learning the fundamentals by working alongside my father and uncle.
After college, I wanted to explore beyond the family business, so I headed to Wall Street. I worked at top real estate investment firms, applying everything I’d learned growing up to institutional finance. I did well—managed trading desks, sat on investment committees, and helped design new fund strategies. Over the years, I was involved in more than $10 billion in real estate deals and helped launch one of the country’s largest Opportunity Zone Funds.
But family called me back. Things were changing, and they needed help running our businesses and managing the portfolio.
That’s when our real story begins.
A few years after I returned, we needed to complete a 1031 exchange. If you’ve ever done one, you know the drill—tight deadlines, strict rules, and the pressure to find the right replacement property fast. But like many investors today, we hit the same wall: there just weren’t enough quality properties available in the markets we wanted.
During one of many frustrated conversations, my dad asked a simple question: “Is there some kind of institutional product out there that works for a 1031 exchange?”
So I started digging. That’s how I found Delaware Statutory Trusts—DSTs. (Although my father would say he found them. It's worth noting he also claims to have invented half-caff coffee.) On paper, they seemed perfect. In practice? Most were massive, inflexible properties with fee structures that would make your stomach turn.
But here’s the thing: the math behind a 1031 exchange is too good to ignore. If you miss one, you can set your family back financially for years—maybe generations. We had to figure it out.
Finding the product was the easy part. Finding someone decent to work with? That was the nightmare.
The DST world was a mess. We talked to dozens of firms. Half promised returns that sounded too good to be true (spoiler: they were). We sat through meetings with “advisors” who couldn’t explain basic real estate concepts like cap rates—but were somehow selling sophisticated securities.
If you take one thing away from this story, let it be this: "If someone self-proclaims themselves to be a 'guru', run. Fast."
In one especially memorable case, we got a 40-minute pitch from one of these advisors on a “bulletproof” deal from an investment company with “decades of experience.” A quick internet search told us they’d already been shut down—for weeks—after being in business for just three years.
Eventually, we said enough. We started sourcing deals ourselves, hired a due diligence firm (the kind institutional investors use), and did all the heavy lifting. The final step was finding a broker who could execute the transaction professionally. (Remember—we were still doing all of this within our 45-day identification window.) After a long search, we found one, paid the fees, and got our first DST investment done—just under the wire.
But here’s what really pushed us over the edge.
A few months later, we needed to do another exchange. We called the same broker, ready to invest another significant amount. His reply?
“Thx. Pick a deal from the attached list. Cal my son when ready.”
That was it.
That dismissive, lazy response (with typo) told us everything we needed to know about how this industry treats its clients.
That’s why we started Baker 1031 Investments. Not because we thought we were smarter than everyone else, but because we’d lived through the frustration ourselves. We knew what investors needed—because we were investors. We built the firm we wished we could have found: one that actually understands real estate, respects its clients, and knows it's offerings inside and out.
Want to learn more?
"Not sure where to start? Have a specific question? I've been there before. Reach out to me with any questions!"
Call/Text: +1 646 389 1810 | Email: [email protected]
Call/Text: +1 646 389 1810
Email: [email protected]
Baker 1031 Investments • +1 646 389 1810 • [email protected]
The information herein has been prepared for educational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase or sell securitized real estate investments. Such offers are only made through the Sponsor’s Private Placement Memorandum (PPM) which is solely available to accredited investors and accredited entities. DST 1031 properties are only available to accredited investors (generally described as having a net worth of over $1 million dollars exclusive of primary residence) and accredited entities only. If you are unsure if you are an accredited investor and/or an accredited entity, please verify with your CPA and Attorney.
There are material risks associated with investing in DST properties and real estate securities including liquidity, tenant vacancies, general market conditions and competition, lack of operating history, interest rate risks, the risk of new supply coming to market and softening rental rates, general risks of owning/operating commercial and multifamily properties, short term leases associated with multi-family properties, financing risks, potentially adverse tax consequences, general economic risks, development risks, long hold periods, and potential loss of the entire investment principal. Potential cash flows/returns/appreciation are not guaranteed and could be lower than anticipated. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss in a declining market. It is a method used to help manage investment risk. Because investor situations and objectives vary this information is not intended to indicate suitability for any particular investor. This material is not to be interpreted as tax or legal advice. Please speak with your own tax and legal advisors for advice/guidance regarding your particular situation.
Securities offered through Aurora Securities, Inc. (ASI), member FINRA/SIPC. Baker 1031 Investments (Baker 1031) is independent of ASI. To access Aurora Securities’ Form Customer Relationship Summary (CRS), please click HERE. Baker 1031 Investments, Jerry Baker, and (ASI) do not offer legal or tax advice. Please consult the appropriate professional regarding your individual circumstances.
Client examples are hypothetical and for illustration purposes only. Individual results may vary.
This site is published for residents of the United States only. Representatives may only conduct business with residents of the states and jurisdictions in which they are properly registered. Therefore, a response to a request for information may be delayed until appropriate registration is obtained or exemption from registration is determined. Not all services referenced on this site are available in every state through every advisor listed. For additional information please contact +1 646 389 1810 or email [email protected].