Before becoming a partner at Momentum Multifamily, Hayden Harrington was an entrepreneur in a very different industry. From launching a nutrition company to navigating challenging real estate markets, his journey has taught him valuable lessons about partnerships, leadership, and building a business for the long term.
In a special episode of On The Move, Hayden sat down with Dustin Miles to discuss his path into multifamily real estate, the experiences that shaped his approach to business, and what it takes to build a successful investment company.
An Entrepreneurial Mindset From the Start
Growing up in The Woodlands, Texas, Hayden was exposed to real estate early. Although his parents worked in the oil and gas industry, they also purchased rental properties and fix-and-flip homes on the side. Watching them find properties, make improvements, and create value helped spark his interest in entrepreneurship.
After starting college at UT Tyler, Hayden realized the traditional classroom environment wasn’t the best fit for how he learned. He was more interested in practical experience and figuring things out by doing them.
Rather than following a conventional career path, Hayden eventually left college to launch a nutrition company. His interest in health and fitness had led him to search for products that worked for him, and when he couldn’t find what he needed, he decided to create his own.
The business gained traction through a partnership with manufacturers in Dallas. With access to manufacturing, distribution, warehousing, and established business infrastructure, Hayden and his partners grew the product line into approximately 80–90 stores across eight or nine states.
The experience taught him an important lesson: the right partnership can accelerate a business in ways that would be difficult to accomplish alone.
Learning the Value of Partnerships
Hayden credits his early business partnerships with helping him understand how much the right people can influence the direction of a company.
His manufacturing partners helped turn an idea into a product on store shelves in less than a year. But the experience also showed him that not every partnership works equally well. Strong relationships can amplify a business, while poor working relationships can create friction and slow progress.
Those lessons carried into his transition to multifamily real estate.
Hayden eventually realized that his nutrition company was no longer something he wanted to continue growing. Rather than forcing himself to stick with a plan simply because it was the path he had chosen, he took time to evaluate what he wanted next.
He believes entrepreneurs should be willing to reassess their direction as they gain experience and learn more about themselves.
That decision ultimately led him toward multifamily investing and his partnership with Dustin. The two connected in late 2018, and they began building their network through a meetup group in 2019.
Building Momentum Through a Challenging Market
Since then, Hayden and Dustin have built Momentum Multifamily’s Houston portfolio to eight deals totaling more than 1,800 units, as discussed during the interview.
The journey hasn’t been easy. The team has navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation, rapid interest rate increases, and the challenges those conditions created for multifamily operations and capital raising.
Rather than focusing solely on what went wrong, Hayden views difficult periods as opportunities to learn and improve. He and Dustin emphasized the importance of focusing on what they can control, adapting to changing conditions, and continuing to move forward.
Hayden also sees multifamily investing as more than an opportunity to build wealth. He believes operators must remember that their properties are people’s homes. Creating places residents are proud to live in gives the work a sense of purpose beyond the financial results.
Looking ahead, he sees significant potential for Momentum Multifamily to grow into additional markets. But he believes that growth needs to be supported by strong systems, processes, and people.
Building the Right Business, Not Just a Bigger One
For Hayden, successful growth isn’t simply about acquiring more units. It’s about creating a business that can operate effectively as it expands.
He emphasizes the importance of building repeatable systems, delegating responsibilities, and hiring people who are better suited to specific roles. Entrepreneurs may need to understand many aspects of a business early on, but eventually, they must recognize their limitations and bring in the right people.
Hayden pointed to Momentum’s asset management team as an example. Bringing in someone with stronger skills in that area allowed the company to improve its operations while freeing leadership to focus on other priorities.
He also cautioned against setting arbitrary growth targets, such as committing to acquiring a certain number of units every year regardless of market conditions.
In his view, it’s better to grow at the right pace than to pursue growth for its own sake. Building the right foundation now can position a company to take advantage of opportunities later without sacrificing operational discipline.
Advice for Getting Started in Multifamily Real Estate
When Dustin asked what advice Hayden would offer aspiring multifamily investors, Hayden returned to a lesson he learned firsthand: get out there, meet people, and learn how the business actually works.
Before partnering with Dustin, Hayden spent roughly a year trying to figure everything out independently. He worked on underwriting models and approached friends and family about investing in deals, but he struggled to make meaningful progress.
Things began to change when he started attending meetups and connecting with people who were already buying and operating commercial real estate.
Instead of simply trying to raise money or find a deal, he focused on learning from experienced investors and understanding what they did differently.
Hayden believes aspiring investors need to understand how they can add value to a deal, a potential partner, or an investor before expecting others to support their goals.
Building relationships with people who have already achieved what you’re working toward can help close knowledge gaps, create opportunities, and accelerate your learning.
His advice is straightforward: put yourself in the right rooms, ask questions, learn the business, and keep moving forward.
The Importance of the Journey
Hayden’s path from a nutrition startup to multifamily real estate illustrates how entrepreneurial experiences can shape future opportunities, even when the original plan doesn’t work out as expected.
Through early partnerships, difficult business decisions, and the challenges of operating in a changing market, he has developed an approach centered on strong relationships, continuous learning, and sustainable growth.
For Hayden, building Momentum Multifamily isn’t about reaching a particular unit count by a certain date. It’s about creating a solid foundation, surrounding himself with talented people, and continuing to build a business he believes in.
Listen to the full conversation with Hayden Harrington on On The Move for more insights into entrepreneurship, partnerships, and building a multifamily real estate business.