Avoiding Family Fights & Capital Gains: How Real Estate Planners Unlock Generational Wealth | Dan Ihara

What if the way you transfer real estate today could make—or break—your family’s future relationships?

In this episode, Matt Templeton is joined by Dan Ihara, founder of the Real Estate Planner Network and Hawaii’s #1 real estate agent, to unpack how families can protect their assets, prevent estate battles, and avoid unnecessary capital gains taxes through intentional real estate planning.

Dan shares how he created a niche that now serves clients with aging parents, large property portfolios, and complicated estate needs. You’ll hear how his team moved from simply selling homes to solving transitions—offering services like senior move management, 1031 exchanges, asset performance reviews, and real estate wealth transfer consulting.

If you’re a trustee, a parent planning your legacy, or a real estate agent who wants to serve high-net-worth clients better, this conversation is a masterclass in what to do—and what to avoid—when transferring real estate wealth.

Guest: Dan Ihara, CEO of The Ihara Team & Founder of the Real Estate Planner Network
Host: Matt Templeton, Real Estate Planner | Templeton Real Estate Group

🧭 Episode Highlights & Timestamps:

• [00:01:00] Dan’s journey from entrepreneur to building a real estate niche around aging clients and estate planning

• [00:04:00] How Dan created senior move management services to help aging homeowners transition out of long-held properties

• [00:06:00] The massive oversight: why most families don’t know they’re sitting on investment properties with capital gains liability

• [00:07:30] Real estate’s role in the $30–$40 trillion wealth transfer happening in the next 20 years

• [00:08:00] Why putting property in a trust doesn’t protect against family conflict—and what does

• [00:09:00] The birth of the “Real Estate Planner” title and why the wealthy need one alongside their attorney, CPA, and financial advisor

• [00:10:00] The real enemy of generational wealth? Capital gains tax.

• [00:11:00] Why traditional real estate agents fail their clients: lack of tax knowledge, lack of planning tools

• [00:13:00] What a real estate plan actually looks like—from tax analysis to family legacy questions

• [00:17:00] Using math and empathy to help clients self-discover their best path forward

• [00:19:00] Why most elderly property owners are philanthropists by accident—and how to unlock higher returns or transfer benefits to heirs

• [00:21:00] DSTs (Delaware Statutory Trusts) as a tool for true passive income and seamless estate transition

• [00:22:00] How to collaborate with CPAs, attorneys, and planners—and why they need real estate planners in their network

• [00:25:00] The #1 mistake in wealth transfer: putting kids on title before death

• [00:26:00] How to write a trust to prevent family disputes (including forced liquidation and right of refusal)

💡 Top Takeaways:

• Putting kids on title too early causes massive tax liabilities—wait for the step-up in basis at death.

• Real estate planners fill the critical gap between CPAs, attorneys, and financial advisors.

• Most investors are making just 1–2% on appreciated real estate. Repositioning can triple returns or bless the next generation.

• DSTs allow for completely passive income and clean asset transfer at death—no management, no conflict.

• Building trust with clients starts with one simple question: “What would you like to get accomplished in our time together today?”

📍 Connect with Dan Ihara & the Real Estate Planner Network:
🌐 https://linktr.ee/iharateam
📧 Email: dan@iharateam.com
🔗 Learn more: https://realestateplannernetwork.com

📬 Connect with Matt or Get Introduced to an Advisor:
📧 Email: matt@templeton.realestate
📱 DM us anytime for introductions to real estate planners, tax advisors, or estate attorneys in your market