Episode 343: From Voice Actor to Real Estate Founder — How Abi Horton Took One Step at a Time

What Happens When You Stop Waiting to Have It All Figured Out

For a long time, Abi Horton thought real estate investing wasn’t accessible to her. Not enough money, not enough time, not the right background. It felt like something that might happen someday, in some other version of her life.

That’s where my guest today spent years of her life before founding Aros, a real estate investment technology company focused on mid-term rentals.

Abi is remarkably honest about what that process actually looked like. There was no single turning point, no moment where everything suddenly made sense. Just a lot of small, easy-to-miss steps in a direction she wasn’t sure would work.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• What actually shifted Abi’s mindset after years of feeling locked out of real estate investing
• How she used Facebook groups and networking events to educate herself for free, without needing an insider connection
• Why she describes building a business as “one foot in front of the other,” and why that mindset matters more than a single moment of clarity
• How a gap in the midterm rental market for insurance relocation housing led her to build Aros
• What she’d tell a woman starting from zero who thinks she needs far more money or expertise than she actually does

Listen to the full episode

Watch the Full Episode

From “I Can’t Do That” to “Let Me Learn”

Abi built a full-time voice acting career starting in 2020, and running that business taught her something she didn’t expect: she was capable of running a business. That confidence started to open the door to other possibilities, including the real estate investing she’d wanted to try for years.

Looking back, she can see the “I don’t have enough” belief was doing double duty. It felt true, and it also gave her a reason not to look closer.

“This is kind of my mantra: one foot in front of the other. What can I do that’s going to take me one step closer in that direction, recognizing that this isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.” — Abi Horton

The Free Education Hiding in Plain Sight

Once Abi decided to learn, she didn’t wait for permission or a mentor to hand her a plan. She joined Facebook communities, went to workshops and networking events, and started paying attention to the conversations already happening around her.

She points out that corporations spend enormous sums on market research, and so much of that same information is sitting in a Facebook group for free. Someone asking a question you hadn’t thought of yet is its own kind of education.

That approach also lowered the stakes. Joining a group and watching from the sidelines carries far less risk than committing to a plan you haven’t tested. It gave Abi room to learn which parts of real estate investing actually suited her, long before she had to make a bigger decision.

Finding the Gap the Big Platforms Were Missing

As Abi got deeper into real estate, she leaned into a niche she hadn’t originally expected: mid-term rentals for people displaced by events like fires or floods, and traveling professionals who needed housing for a few months at a time.

She started building relationships directly with insurance relocation companies, connecting them with landlords who have available properties. The process she saw repeatedly was slow. A relocation company would search listing platforms, find something that looked right, and then wait hours or days for a callback, only to learn the property was already booked.

That gap became Aros: a platform where relocation companies post what they need, and any landlord with a matching, available property can respond directly. What used to take days of searching and waiting now shows up as a list of available matches.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” — Abi Horton

What She’d Tell Someone Starting From Zero

Abi is candid that for years, she believed she didn’t have enough money to invest — and never tested whether that was actually true.

“I didn’t even know how much money I needed. I just knew I didn’t have enough.” — Abi Horton

Looking back, she can see that belief was doing double duty. It felt true, and it also gave her permission not to look closer. Not knowing the actual number meant she never had to test whether the goal was as far away as it felt.

Abi says that she’s risk-averse. She likes to understand her options, build a backup plan, and then build a backup for the backup. That instinct didn’t stop her from moving. It just shaped how carefully she moved.

Her advice for someone who wants to get started but feels behind: talk to a lender about what you’d actually qualify for before deciding you can’t afford it.

Get into the rooms, even virtual ones, where the conversations are already happening. And recognize that most of this industry runs on partnership, not solo effort.

“When you start educating yourself, it just makes things feel so much more accessible.” — Abi Horton

About Abi Horton

Abi Horton is the founder of Aros, a reverse marketplace for midterm rentals that connects landlords directly with relocation companies, employers, and corporate housing teams searching for temporary housing.

Originally from the UK, Abi started her career in real estate at 18 before later becoming a full-time voice actor and entrepreneur. After building relationships with insurance relocation companies for her own rentals, she recognized how fragmented the temporary housing process was and founded Aros to create a more direct, relationship-driven solution for midterm housing.

She helps landlords build sustainable businesses beyond traditional listing platforms and speaks openly about entrepreneurship, mental resilience, and the realities of building a business from the ground up.

Connect with Abi Horton

• Website: stayaros.com
• Instagram (Aros): @stay.aros
• Instagram (personal): @theabihorton

Abi’s Free Gift for Game On Girlfriend® Listeners

Free: Top Tips for Managing Your Mid-Term Rental Out of State. DM Abi on Instagram at @theabihorton with the word “Girlfriend” to receive it.

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Related Episodes You’ll Love

Episode 306: Empowering Women in Development: Real Estate, Capital, and Confidence w/ Katie Kim — Katie shares how she moved from working for someone else’s dream to building her own through real estate development, without needing outside investors. If Abi’s story of moving from “I can’t” to “let me learn” resonated with you, Katie’s path offers another angle on building real wealth through real estate. Listen here

Episode 296: Money, Motherhood & Multifamily: Creating True Freedom With Mandy McAllister — Mandy built 373 rental units starting with a single house hack, all while raising her kids. Her focus on creating a floor of income pairs naturally with Abi’s approach to solving a real, specific problem in the housing market. Listen here

Episode 282: The Impact of Your Small Steps on Success with Kate Maguire — Kate’s story is proof that there’s no magic formula, just small consistent steps and belief in yourself along the way. It’s the perfect companion to Abi’s “one foot in front of the other” mindset. Listen here

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My Free Gift to You — Let’s Talk About Your Business

If this episode had you thinking about the step you’ve been putting off, or the story you’ve been telling yourself about not having enough, let’s talk. As my free gift to Girlfriends, I offer a 30-minute discovery call. We’ll talk about where you are right now and what might be getting in the way.

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Connect with Sarah

• Instagram: @thesarahwalton
• LinkedIn: Sarah Walton
• Free resources for you
• Join the Game On Girlfriend® community — subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube

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Love This Episode?

If you know someone who keeps waiting until they have it all figured out before they start, send this their way. Sometimes the only thing standing between “I can’t” and “let me learn” is deciding to take the next small step.

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About Sarah Walton

Sarah Walton is a wealth consciousness coach, strategic advisor, and the host of the Game On Girlfriend® podcast. Her mission is simple: to put more money in the hands of more women. She helps women entrepreneurs build profitable, sustainable businesses without burnout — working through both the mindset and the strategy sides of growth. Because when women have more financial power, they don’t just keep it — they use it to take care of their families, support their communities, and build something bigger than themselves. Through her programs — including the Abundance Academy and The Art of Receiving — along with her online courses and one-on-one coaching, Sarah works with women who are ready to build profitable businesses and use that financial power to make a real difference in the world around them.