About Better Place, LLC
What We Do
We specialize in profitable real estate opportunities backed by deep local market insight and hands-on experience. Our expertise spans multiple investment strategies, including:
Residential Real Estate Investing
- Long-term, cash-flowing rental properties
- Appreciation-driven investment opportunities
- Strategies designed with little to no upfront capital required
Quick-Turn & Cash-Flow Properties
- Fix-and-flip projects
- Stable, high-performing rental assets
- Data-driven analysis to identify strong returns
Advanced Investment Strategies
- Self-Directed IRA investment options
- Private Lending
- Joint Venture Partnerships
- Business Partnerships
How We Help
Whether you’re seeking high-quality investment opportunities or have a potential deal you’d like us to evaluate, we’re committed to exploring mutually beneficial partnerships.
Learning From Real Experience
Not every deal is perfect—and we believe that honest lessons learned are just as valuable as successes. We openly share real-world experiences from private lending, joint ventures, subcontractor relationships, and other challenges so our community can avoid common pitfalls and make smarter decisions.
Our Commitment
At Better Place LLC, we focus on:
- Building strong, trust-based relationships
- Sharing knowledge freely
- Creating profitable outcomes for everyone involved
About the CEO & Founder
Riko Patel is the CEO and founder of Better Place, LLC. Born in India and raised in the Chicago area since immigrating to the United States at age five, Riko combines a multicultural perspective with deep local market experience.
He brings more than 20 years of Corporate America expertise from leading organizations including Accenture, CNA, and Marsh McLennan Agency, where he built a strong foundation in project management, product ownership, business strategy, and financial analysis.
Riko earned his bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, followed by an MBA from DePaul University with concentrations in Finance and Real Estate.
With hands-on experience executing more than 30 real estate transactions, funding numerous private lending loans, and managing a residential real estate portfolio across the Chicago metropolitan area, Riko has developed practical insight into what makes real estate deals succeed—or fail. His background spans residential investing, private lending, joint ventures, business partnerships, and strategic financial evaluation.
Because not every deal goes according to plan, Riko openly shares lessons learned from challenges in private lending, joint-venture partnerships, and subcontractor relationships. His goal is to help others avoid common pitfalls, make smarter decisions, and build more secure, profitable outcomes.