Anthony Carlton

Founder @ CRE Digital | Helping commercial real estate funds raise capital with premium branding and investor acquisition systems

I built my personal brand to escape the corporate grind.

After working with clients across finance, private equity, venture, and real estate—I doubled down on one clear problem:

Most CRE firms struggle to raise capital online.

That’s why I founded CRE Digital — a content and brand strategy partner for capital raisers, fund managers, and private equity firms.

We turn your expertise into influence, using systems that drive:

• Brand authority that builds trust
• LP investor leads and committed capital
• Off-market deal flow and JV partners
• Speaking invites and top CRE podcast features

What sets us apart? 

We’ve sat on both sides of the table — advising high-net-worth investors and partnering with top CRE operators.

Now, we build digital brands that attract capital at scale.

If you’re serious about raising capital and want your brand to do the heavy lifting, book a call in my featured section or visit credigital.io

Founder & Brand Advisor

Build Your Brand @ FinGhost.io

Your independence isn't violently taken from you.

It vanishes with 100s of "safe" decisions.

Here's how it happens (and ends up becoming a cage):

Age 18: You choose the "smart" major.

• Law.
• Finance. 
• Engineering. 
• Computer science.

Your parents are relieved. You're rewarded with scholarships and summer internships.

Age 22: You take the corporate job.

Goldman. McKinsey. Google. Whichever pays most and has the best brand.

Your professors congratulate you. Your classmates envy you. You're rewarded with a signing bonus and an impressive title.

Age 25: You accept the promotion.

More responsibility. More money. More visibility to senior leadership.

Your manager says you're on the "fast track." You're rewarded with status and a salary that justifies the lifestyle inflation you didn't plan.

Age 30: You take the management role.

People report to you now. You attend 10-15 meetings a week. You have influence—or at least the appearance of it.

You're rewarded with prestige and the comfort of knowing you're winning the game everyone else is playing.

Age 35: You wake up.

Your calendar isn't yours.
Your decisions aren't yours.
Your time isn't yours.

You're unhappy and burned out, but you can't move because you have a mortgage, car payment, daycare, and stock options vesting.

Every individual choice was rational.

But somewhere along the way, your autonomy disappeared.

The trap works because it's not obviously a trap.

It's comfortable. 
Respectable. 
Safe.

It's what winning looks like from the outside.

But from the inside, it feels like you're capable of more...smart enough to see the problems but powerless to fix them.

Successful by every conventional measure.

But somehow still not free.

This is the trap to avoid. 
Now you know what it looks like.

What you are working on in 2026 for more personal freedom in 2027?

--

♻️ Repost if this resonates.

Follow me Anthony Carlton for more posts on building wealth and independence.

I build media systems for operators who want influence, growth, & capital at scale | $50M raised through social | Founder & Writer

Don't quit your 9-5 to go "all in" as a solopreneur until you have 4 things: 
 
- Proven offer 
- Clients paying you 
- Results and case studies 
- Consistent lead gen systems 
 
Give yourself 6-12 months to build skills and undeniable social proof before you leap. 
 
In 2019 I quit my job, spent a fat chunk of my life savings, and failed at going solo. 
 
I had 0/4 essentials above. 
 
Didn't know how to write. 
Didn't know how to sell. 
Didn't know how to build. 
 
In 2022 I made a successful transition from 9-5 to building a full-time creator income. 
 
But I worked for 12 months alongside my 9-5: 
 
• Testing ideas 
• Growing on LinkedIn 
• Finding proof of concept 
 
I'm confident everyone who reads this can build a full-time income as a creator. 
 
But only if you set yourself up for success. 
 
That's why I write weekly guides giving actionable strategies for making the leap. 
 
Need a good place to start? 
 
Read this: https://lnkd.in/e-RX6KFj

“Set a goal to become a millionaire—not for the money, but for what it will make of you.”

Jim Rohn damn near invented the category of personal development.

This is one of his hardest-hitting quotes.

In one sentence, it shifted my mindset around goals.

Setting goals is less about the end result, and more about who you become in the process of achieving it.

Early in my career, I chased all the wrong things.

→ If I only got that raise...
→ If I could just get that VP title...
→ If I check one more big goal off my list...

I thought if I just hit the next milestone, then I’d feel free. Then I’d feel successful.

But learning from people like Jim Rohn, I realized:

The goals weren't a magic checklist.

The goals were about who I had to become to achieve them.

→ A person who can communicate better
→ A person who can be self-reliant
→ A person who can grow and improve

Writing did that for me.

It gave me clarity.
It built proof of work.
It opened doors that used to be locked.

But more than that, it forced discipline. It exposed gaps in how I think. And it helped me build leverage instead of just more output.

So yeah, set big goals.

But understand: the real win isn’t the number.

It’s who you have to become to earn it.

That’s where the compounding starts.

What's the WHY behind your biggest goal right now?

Anthony Carlton

Do you want to be impressive or independent?

99% optimize for an "impressive" cage.

Achievement looks like:

- Climbing the corporate ladder
- Adding prestigious titles to LinkedIn
- Hitting salary milestones
- Getting promoted faster than peers
- Building a resume that impresses strangers

Achievement is external validation.

It's playing a game someone else designed and winning by their rules.

Agency looks like:

- Owning your calendar
- Making decisions without approval
- Building assets that compound
- Disconnecting time from income
- Designing work around your life, not the other way around

Agency is internal freedom.

It's designing your own game and defining what winning means.

Here's the trap:

Achievement is measurable, visible, and celebrated.
Agency is quiet, personal, and invisible to others.

So we chase achievement because it's easier to see we're making progress.

We climb faster, earn more, get promoted sooner. And wake up one day realizing we built an impressive cage.

I spent my 20s optimizing for achievement.

• Better titles. 
• Higher salary. 
• More responsibility.

I looked successful on paper but felt trapped in practice.

Now I optimize for independence.

• More decisions I own. 
• Fewer meetings I didn't schedule. 
• Systems that don't require my constant presence.

It's less impressive to people on LinkedIn.

But infinitely more valuable to me.

The question isn't "How do I achieve more?"

The question is "How do I build for optionality?"

--

♻️ Repost if this resonates.

Follow me Anthony Carlton for more posts on building wealth and independence.

Helping Accredited Investors Create Passive Income & Wealth In Multifamily Real Estate | Founder of Focused Capital | Experienced Real Estate Investor

Hi I’m Chad. 

Husband, Father, Real Estate Investor. 

Prior to real estate, I spent nearly 2 decades in the financial payments industry serving hundreds of Midwest business owners successfully. 

In 2017 I began my real estate journey as a way to find tax advantages. Initially, I never imagined it would turn into Focused Capital but here we are. 

After acquiring several multifamily apartment complexes with my own capital and learning many hard lessons along the way, I formed Focused Capital officially in 2022. 

The vision was clear: make an impact in communities, investors, and employees of this company. 

Now I run Focused Capital, where we help people grow their wealth through passive multifamily investments. 

Mission: Impact 1000 families financially with real estate investing. 

Focused Capital is located in Fishers, IN. We acquire apartment complexes in strong Indiana markets and operate with excellence. I’ve assembled a team of A-talent as we scale and continuing to search for great people to join our mission. 

We’ve raised $24M+ in equity and built a $100M+ portfolio by doing things the right way — buying smart, planning for the unexpected, and putting people first.

But we’re not just here for accredited investors.

We’re here for the people living in our communities too. That means upgrading the properties — and upgrading lives. 

From safer spaces to better amenities to financial literacy programs, we’re on a mission to help residents not just live better, but grow.

What I’m about:

Cash-flowing, downside-protected deals

Clear, honest communication

Creating real impact — for investors and residents

Empowering families to take control of their financial future

Personally: I love traveling with my wife and 2 little kids. Summers are lake watersports and winters are spent mostly in Hawaii hiking, surfing, and quality time. 

I’m not just here to raise capital.

I’m building trust, creating opportunity, and investing in relationships. 

You can find more about me and my company at www.focusedcapital.com

Instagram: @chad_schieler
Instagram: @focusedcapital

Chad Schieler

Distributions sent on our development project - update:

91 units mixed-use | Fishers, IN

Began construction February 2024
Completed construction August 2025
Cash flowing for several months now

First round of distributions went out to the investors 2 days ago,  and plan to distribute quarterly.

Always great to see a project go full circle.  This one is special to me since its just minutes from my home and office.

The focus now is operating it well.

Click the link in my profile if you’d like to talk about future investment opportunities.

Founder @ Focused Capital | Private Equity | Real Estate Investor | Making an Impact with People

No alternative text description for this image

Last year taught me clarity>certainty.

2025 started out quiet then the storm called in.

Several times, I did not know how we would accomplish acquisitions in front of us, but said yes and figured it out along the way.

This is a shift from how I have normally thought.

It’s a shift that I see a lot of experienced investors make as well.

You don’t always have 100% of the facts and data to make the decision - sometimes you have to make a decision based on what you know at that time. Maybe it’s only 85% of the answers. 

2025 was a big year:

Acquired $50M of real estate
Raised $17M in private capital (many investors came from LinkedIn relationships)
Exited 4th asset - realized 47% IRR
Launched private lending business-$7M+ in loans

The biggest win? 

Taking the last two weeks of the year to unplug with my family in Hawaii. 

Sure, 2026 has big goals too. 

But the focus right now is team efficiency, operational excellence, present time with my family, and personal health non-negotiables. 

Thank you to every supporter, partner, investor, and teammate who played a role in making this happen. 

Sometimes you have to bet on yourself and your network that you’ll succeed.

Last year we reviewed and underwrote 177 deals. Submitted 62 offers.

Acquired 2 of them. 

Several deals were close in best and final, but we held firm. 

Remaining selective and patient. 

The theme last year and going forward: capital preservation first, returns second. 

Still a decent spread between buyer and seller. Saw it close in towards the end of the year. 

Saying no to more deals than we say yes to. Sometimes winning is simply not acquiring the wrong deal. 

The wrong deal doesn’t just lose money — it consumes time, focus, and energy that should be spent operating a great one.

2026 is already looking like another year of opportunity.  

This year we have redefined our "buybox" to get even clearer on what we will spend our time reviewing and acquiring so that we can deliver the best investments to our partners.

The goal isn’t to do more deals.
It’s to do the right ones.

How we de-risked a multifamily deal with 75% of leases expiring at once:

When we acquired this property, ~75% of the rent roll was either month-to-month or expiring on 12/31.

On paper, that’s a red flag. In practice, it became an opportunity—if you have a plan.
(Side note - this is why the previous buyer backed out)

Here’s how we approached it:
• Acquired in March and went to work immediately
• Renovated several units to test demand and pricing
• Leased those units at ~$350/month above prior average rents

That gave us real-time market proof—not pro-forma assumptions.

Next, we focused on risk reduction:
• We proactively approached existing residents
• Offered early 3-5 month renewals at their current rental rate
• In exchange, we staggered lease expirations into March, April, and May

Result:
~75% of the property de-risked
Only ~25% of units exposed to a single expiration date

From there:
• Continued early renewal offers with modest increases
• Allowed remaining tenants to exit on 12/31
• Renovated those units and pushed rents meaningfully higher

The outcome wasn’t just higher rents—it was a balanced rent roll, stable cash flow, and reduced operational risk.

~Two years later, we exited the deal at a 3.0x equity multiple and 93% IRR.

The lesson:
Risk in real estate isn’t eliminated—it’s managed.
Lease expirations, tenant profiles, and timing matter just as much as purchase price and IRR.

This is why we spend more time on execution strategy than headline returns.

Passive Investors: Stop comparing deals based solely on IRR.

IRR is a useful metric—but it’s also one of the easiest numbers to manipulate with assumptions.

Change the hold period.
Adjust rent growth.
Tweak vacancy or exit cap.

Suddenly, the IRR looks great on paper.

What actually matters more:
- The operator and their track record
- The risks in the deal
- Location and market fundamentals
- Sustainable cash flow along the way

IRR should inform your decision—not make it for you.

No longer is 90's value add the only asset class we are focused on.  Last year taught us that.

This is why:

It all comes down to pricing in the risk to achieve the desired returns.

With value add - considerable risk to complete renovations, its an older product so higher risk for deferred maint and ongoing large repairs, plus risk to achieve a large rent bump if part of the model.

We learned that we loved acquiring core plus after acquiring 2 deals at an average basis of $143k/unit built in 2021-2023.  

No major renovations needed, not large rent bumps needed, and considerable protection with acquiring at positive leverage and very attractive agency debt.

We are still reviewing value add deals, but with a different lens now.

Cash flow first, Appreciation second.  

Why is cash flow important?
How is it calculated?
Why do many real estate investors base decisions on this?

Launching a few basic fundamentals episodes first, so don't worry we will get into the good stuff soon.

Check out our latest episode on Focused Fridays that just dropped today:

https://lnkd.in/gPTtzmx3

Open video: Focused Fridays | E03: What is Cash Flow and Why Does It Matter? on youtube.com

Focused Fridays | E03: What is Cash Flow and Why Does It Matter?

The most important thing that money cannot buy? Time.

This the reason many choose the passive route.

In today's Focused Fridays episode, Jared and I break down the difference between Active and Passive investing and which route may be right for you.

A lot of real estate investors start the active route but end up going passive due to the time component.

Not to mention, the additional risk components of learning hard lessons along the way by putting in the work yourself actively.  Ask me how I know.

Check out todays episode here:

https://lnkd.in/guiTHN8g

Open video: Focused Fridays | E04: Active vs. Passive Investing: Which One is Right For You? on youtube.com

Focused Fridays | E04: Active vs. Passive Investing: Which One is Right For You?

I started investing in real estate first as a passive investor before doing it on my own.

Why? Lowest barrier to entry and time commitment.

Educating myself along the way through mistakes and lessons has been the key to becoming a better investor.

Many people are so focused on getting all of the answers before making their first investment.  It all starts with understanding the basics.

If one of your goals this year is to passively invest and educate yourself, check out our latest Focused Fridays podcast episode live here:

https://lnkd.in/grZ9dJ7t

Open video: Focused Fridays | E02: How Much Money Do I Need To Get Started in Real Estate Investing? on youtu.be

Focused Fridays | E02: How Much Money Do I Need To Get Started in Real Estate Investing?

Many passive investors spend their time underwriting the deal.

The smarter ones underwrite the operator.

When you invest passively, you’re not just investing in a spreadsheet, you’re trusting a team to execute for 5-7+ years. 

Just a few of the important things to review when choosing a sponsor:
- track record
- skin in the game
- transparency

This is exactly what we unpack on the latest Focused Fridays episode—what to look for, what to avoid, and the questions most investors don’t ask early enough.

If you’re investing passively, this one is worth a listen:

https://lnkd.in/g5vKDbi3

taplio

The Battle

Anthony Carlton

Chad Schieler

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreAnthony Carlton's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreChad Schieler's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Anthony Carlton

Chad Schieler

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Anthony Carlton's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreChad Schieler's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreAnthony Carlton's LinkedIn Performance