Investing in the “Infrastructure of Daily Life”: Express Car Washes, Oil Changes, Healthcare, & More

Chris Salerno started in real estate, but his investment strategy looks very different today.

The founder and CEO of QC Capital Group moved beyond traditional multifamily and into car washes, oil changes, flex industrial real estate, and healthcare. The common thread is what Chris calls investing in the “infrastructure of daily life.”

Why Move Beyond Multifamily?

Chris still believes in the fundamentals of multifamily. People need places to live, and there is still a housing shortage.

The problem is the investment math.

As interest rates increased and investors could earn competitive yields elsewhere, Chris found it harder to justify multifamily deals offering relatively low initial cash flow and relying on future appreciation.

For investors willing to hold for the long term, he believes multifamily can still make sense. For QC Capital, though, the opportunity was elsewhere.

Why Car Washes?

Chris wanted investments that combined real estate, cash flow, and tax benefits. Express car washes checked those boxes.

Car washes can generate strong margins while their equipment and shorter depreciation schedule can create significant tax benefits. But Chris warns that they are also highly operational businesses. Equipment breaks, experienced operators matter, and buying a car wash is very different from simply owning a building.

From Car Washes to Oil Changes

Some of QC Capital’s car wash acquisitions also came with oil-change businesses.

Instead of selling or leasing them out, the team decided to operate them. After seeing healthy profit margins, oil changes became another area of interest.

Chris believes the opportunity is supported by consumers keeping their vehicles longer and spending more to maintain them rather than replacing them.

The “Infrastructure of Daily Life”

Car washes and oil changes are part of a larger strategy.

Chris wants QC Capital investing in things people and businesses regularly need. That includes automotive services, flex industrial space used by plumbers, electricians, and other local businesses, and healthcare.

His goal is to find industries where technology can make the business more efficient without eliminating the need for the service itself.

The Biggest Lesson

For investors looking beyond traditional real estate, Chris says to first decide what you want your business to look like five or ten years from now.

His goal was never to build only a real estate company. He wanted to build a private equity company capable of investing across multiple industries.

That vision ultimately took QC Capital from multifamily to car washes, oil changes, flex industrial, healthcare, and what Chris calls the “infrastructure of daily life.”

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