Jesse Futia

Fin Ghost

Helping Real Estate Professionals build $1M brands on LinkedIn.

Co-Founder and Ghostwriter

Executive Equity Investing 

Helping busy professionals build generational wealth and retire comfortably through passively investing in real estate.

Chief Executive Officer

Wealth Science Podcast 

Interviewing the top real estate and financial experts in the World.

Host

Writer and Co-Founder @ CRE Digital | Copywriting & social media management for the world's most innovative real estate companies

Creating content on social media is digital leverage for real estate professionals. 

𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲. 

You now have two choices:

1. Create content

2. Be passed by those that do 

My story 👇

Broke college kid turned 7-figure real estate investor and writer. 

I help 7-figure real estate professionals grow their brands and drive qualified leads on LinkedIn. 

--

Hit the 🔔 and follow along each day for free tips.

Ready to grow your brand on LinkedIn to drive more qualified leads?

𝗛𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲.

My last day in uniform was December 2025.

And I still don’t know how to put 9 years into a single post.

I joined the Army because of 9/11.

I’m born and raised in upstate New York, and I was a kid watching the world change in real time. 

I didn’t fully understand everything that day…

But I understood enough to know I wanted to serve.

Fast forward:
-> 50+ countries.
-> 9 years in uniform.
-> More early mornings than I can count.
-> More lessons than any classroom could ever teach.

I learned a lot in that time. A lot.

One of the biggest lessons:

Murphy’s Law is real.

Things will break. 
Plans will change. 
The unexpected shows up right on time.

And there are thousands of things in this world we can’t control.

But our preparation and our attitude are not two of them.

The reps. 
The discipline. 
The standard.

The ability to stay steady when everything gets chaotic.

People will ask what I’m doing next.
And yes—I’m excited about what’s ahead.

But I want to say this first:

The biggest blessing of my career isn’t a rank, a title, a deployment, or a bullet point on a résumé.

It’s getting to walk away with the respect and honor of the men and women I served with.

That’s the only “retirement package” that actually matters.

To every leader who bet on me.
To every soldier who carried the weight with me.
To every teammate who showed up when it was hard, and exhausting…

Thank you.

I’m proud of what we did.

And I’m even more proud of who I got to do it with.

I'll look for you on the next objective. 

---

I'm Jesse Futia - I help CRE professionals build digital brands online to drive more leads and revenue. Send me a DM to connect.

Co-Founder, CRE Digital | Capital Raising Engine for Commercial Real Estate Investors | $50M Raised with Digital Systems | DM me to learn more

Matthew McConaughey made $18,000,000 in a single year…

…and still chose the harder path.

Not because he needed more money.

Because he wanted more meaning.

At the peak of his rom-com run, Hollywood kept offering him the same role with a different script.

Same character.
Same story.
Same safe paycheck.

He could’ve stayed in that lane forever and nobody would’ve blamed him.
Instead, he said “no” — over and over — until the industry stopped calling.

He intentionally walked into a dry season.
Not because he was lost.

Because he was refusing to be used up.

And then the pivot happened.

The roles shifted.
The respect shifted.
The legacy shifted.

Here’s the part people miss:

That wasn’t luck.
That was identity.

He wasn’t chasing attention.
He was building alignment.

And I think that’s the real lesson for the rest of us:

If you keep saying yes to the version of you that pays well…

you eventually lose the version of you that’s meant to lead.

Sometimes the most profitable decision is the one that looks like a setback from the outside:
→ saying no to the “safe” path
→ taking the uncomfortable turn
→ betting on the work that actually feels like you

Because comfort doesn’t build legends.

Commitment does.

If you’re in a season where you’re being pulled to level up, but it’s scary…
Good.

That usually means you’re close.

What’s one “safe yes” you need to turn into a “hard no” this year?

The median American has just $8,000 in the bank.

Not $80,000.

Eight.

And this is why “the economy is fine” and “people are struggling” can both be true at the same time.

Because the average balance is way higher (it’s pulled up by high earners)… but the median is the reality for most households.

Now zoom out:

→ A meaningful chunk of Americans have zero emergency savings
→ Less than half can cover 3 months of expenses with savings
→ One surprise expense turns into credit cards missed payments

Here’s why I care about this as someone watching Commercial Real Estate:

When households are thin, rent collections become fragile.

Spending shifts fast. Tenants trade down. Delinquencies creep. Turnover rises.

So the CRE winners in 2026 won’t be the “sexiest” deals.

They’ll be the deals tied to durable demand:

→ workforce / attainable housing
→ necessity-based retail
→ medical / essential services
→ anything that people keep paying for even when life gets tight

If you’re underwriting deals right now, this is a reminder:

Don’t just underwrite the property.

Underwrite the consumer.

Curious what you’re seeing: are tenants getting tighter… or holding steady in your market?

$1,000,000,000,000 is sitting on the sidelines… 

watching Commercial Real Estate.

And most people are missing what that means.

The CRE narrative has been:

“Office is dead.”
“Rates killed deals.”
“Nothing pencils.”

Reality is more nuanced.

Here’s what I’m seeing heading into 2026:

1) CRE is splitting into winners and losers faster than ever
Not “CRE” vs “no CRE.”

It’s good deals vs bad sponsors + bad basis.

2) Capital is still available… but it’s pickier

The bar is higher:
→ cleaner rent rolls
→ real demand drivers
→ stronger operators
→ realistic exit assumptions

3) Distress isn’t everywhere — it’s concentrated

Some owners need liquidity.
Some need time.
Some need a partner.

That creates opportunity… if you can move fast and underwrite clean.

4) The “boring” stuff is winning

Every cycle rewards durability:
→ essential services
→ sticky tenants
→ functional layouts
→ demand you can actually explain in one sentence

The next 12–24 months will create more wealth in CRE than the last 3 years…

…but only for the people who stop chasing headlines and start tracking fundamentals.

If you’re in the trenches right now — what are you seeing?

Where do you think the best opportunities show up first in 2026?

You can work 70 hours a week…

And still fall behind someone who owns cash-flowing assets.

For years, I believed hustle was the answer:

→ Wake up earlier
→ Grind harder
→ Outwork everyone

But here’s the truth no one tells you:

Time-based income has a ceiling.
Asset-based income doesn’t.

I’ve shifted my entire focus from active hustle → to passive systems:

✅ Land that pays me every month through long-term leases
✅ Real estate that compounds in value while tenants pay down debt
✅ AI-driven outreach that brings in opportunities while I sleep

The goal isn’t to work harder.

It’s to build leverage.

Because if your income depends on you showing up every day…

You don’t own a business — you own a job.

Want real freedom?

Start buying back your time.

99% of entrepreneurs never make it past year 3.

Not because they aren’t smart.
But because they can’t take the silence.

→ The silence when no one clicks your offer. 
→ The silence when your big launch flops. 
→ The silence when you're building something great — and no one notices.

That silence? It kills more dreams than failure ever will.

Here’s the truth no one tells you: 

Your first 1,000 days are supposed to suck.

→ No revenue. 
→ No recognition. 
→ No validation.

Just relentless iteration. 
Just stubborn belief. Just proof of work stacking in silence.

Because real entrepreneurs don’t wait for signs they’re winning. 

They keep going until it’s undeniable.

The ones who break through? They all share this:

→ Proof of work. 
→ Clarity through consistency. 
→ A message that scales without them.

They build. They share. They outlast.

That’s how you go from overlooked to unavoidable.

Keep going.

Your breakthrough is waiting.

In 2026, AI will replace 80% of what most capital raisers do all day…

Not the relationship part.
The busywork part that kills momentum.

Most capital raising still looks like this:

-> A thousand tabs open.
-> A half-written follow-up email.
-> A spreadsheet nobody trusts.
-> A CRM that’s “mostly up to date.”

And a founder wondering why “warm” leads keep going cold.

That’s not a capital raising problem.
That’s a systems problem.

Here’s the shift happening right now:

The best operators are building AI-powered capital raising systems that run whether they’re “feeling motivated” or not.

Meaning:

AI becomes the machine.

You become the signal.

Here’s what that actually looks like in 2026:

→ Every inbound lead is instantly tagged, scored, and routed
→ Follow-ups go out based on behavior (opens, clicks, replies, site visits)
→ Investors automatically receive the right info at the right time (case studies, decks, webinars, FAQs)

→ Meetings are booked without you chasing anyone
→ Your pipeline stays clean without you touching it every day
→ Your updates get drafted for you, with your voice, from your deal data

And the biggest one:

You stop “raising capital.”
You start running an investor acquisition engine.

Because capital raising is not a personality contest.

It’s a throughput game.

The winners in 2026 won’t be the loudest on LinkedIn.

They’ll be the ones with:
→ the cleanest data
→ the fastest follow-up
→ the clearest narrative
→ and the strongest trust flywheel

AI doesn’t make you authentic.
It makes you consistent.

And consistency is what builds belief.

If you’re still doing capital raising manually in 2026…

you’re not behind on “tools.”

You’re behind on leverage.

What part of your capital raising process do you still do manually that you know should be automated?

$10M in CRE capital commitments came from just 16% of our investor database.

Most sponsors think more contacts = more capital.

Wrong.

The sponsors closing 8-figure raises aren't the ones with the biggest lists. 

They're the ones with the tightest systems.

After analyzing what actually moved investors from "interested" to "wired funds," here's what the data showed:

1. The drip campaign architecture

Your investors don't wake up ready to wire $100K. They need 7-12 touch points before they trust you with their money.

2. The CRM you actually use

I've seen sponsors with 500+ "investor relationships" in a spreadsheet they haven't opened in 6 months.

If you can't tell me which 20 investors to call for your next deal in under 60 seconds, your system is broken.

3. The content flywheel

-> One market update email becomes:
-> A LinkedIn post
-> A video for your investor portal
-> Content for 3 drip emails
-> Material for investor calls

Create once. Deploy everywhere.

The reality nobody talks about:

That 16% of their database? 

They received 3x more touchpoints than everyone else.

Not because we spammed them. Because we had a system that identified who was ready and kept them warm.

Trust compounds.
Systems compound. 
Relationships compound. 

Most sponsors are out here hunting. The best ones built farms.

What's your capital-raising system look like?

P.S. - If you're still manually tracking investor follow-ups in your notes app, we need to talk.

A kid starting college this month will spend $100,000+…

…training for a job that might not exist by the time they graduate.

That sounds dramatic.

But it’s already happening.

AI isn’t “coming.”
It’s here.

And it’s eating the middle of the workforce first:
→ entry-level analysts
→ basic marketing execution
→ customer support reps
→ paralegal/admin-heavy legal work
→ junior accountants/bookkeeping
→ simple coding / QA
→ recruiters doing manual sourcing

Not because those people aren’t smart.

Because those jobs are built on repeatable tasks.

And repeatable tasks get automated.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

College isn’t the problem.

Blindly picking a major without a leverage plan is.

If you’re 18 right now, the goal isn’t “get a degree.”
The goal is: build a stack that makes you hard to replace.

My simple rule for 2026:

Don’t become the person who does the task.
Become the person who owns the outcome.

That means:
→ learn how to use AI tools like a power user
→ build real-world proof (projects, offers, results)
→ practice communication + persuasion
→ learn basic business economics (how money moves)
→ get close to revenue (sales, partnerships, deal flow)
→ specialize in a domain AI can’t “understand” without you (industry context, relationships, judgment)

AI will replace skills.

It won’t replace agency.

It won’t replace a person who can:

see the problem → make a plan → execute → communicate → lead.

That’s the new degree.

What’s one job you think is getting automated faster than people realize?

23% of people quit their New Year’s goal this week.

And by the end of January, it’s closer to 48%.

So if you’re still in the fight right now…

You’re already ahead of most people.

Week 1 is where motivation dies.

Not because the goal was wrong.
Because the process wasn’t built.

Most people rely on a feeling.
Winners rely on a system.

A system looks like:

-> same time, same place, same trigger
-> smaller daily targets (so you can actually win)
-> a scoreboard (so progress is visible)
-> a reset plan for the days you fall off

Because falling off isn’t the problem.

Staying off is.

So yeah—congrats if you’re still here.

Now tighten the screws and stack another week.

Drop a comment with what you’re still committed to in 2026. I’ll reply to every one.

After driving over 100,000,000 impressions on LinkedIn 

Here's what every client wants to know:

Who you are.

Stop talking about returns.

I've watched 100s of sponsor pitches get ignored.

The ones that landed? 

They answered the questions LPs are actually asking:

"Can I trust you with my money for the next 5-7 years?"

Your 18% projected returns don't answer that.

Here's what does:

→ How you handled your worst deal 
→ Whether you return calls when things go sideways 
→ If you've ever taken less so your investors could take more 
→ What your previous investors say when you're not in the room

The best sponsors I know don't lead with their track record.

They lead with their values.

Because here's the truth most won't tell you:

LPs can find deals anywhere. 

They can find returns anywhere.

The sponsors crushing it right now are sharing:

-Stories about deals they walked away from 
-The mentor who shaped their investment philosophy 
-How they built their team and why culture matters 
-What they learned from their failures 

This isn't about being vulnerable for likes.
It's about being known.

What's the most important thing an LP should know about you that has nothing to do with your returns?

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?

With investor education a big focus of mine, this is a series that I am personally excited about.  

Look for personal lessons discussed here, as well as many things I wish I would have learned when I first started investing as a LP years ago.

Props to Jared Shum for creating and leading the podcast!

In a world where it can be frustrating to sift through resources to determine what is AI generated and what is truly authentic and valuable, look no further.

Head of Investor Relations @ Focused Capital | Real Estate Private Equity

No Hype. Just Real Estate.

We’re excited to officially launch Focused Fridays🎙️

Real estate investing can feel opaque — full of jargon, assumptions, and half-answers. We created Focused Fridays to change that.

Each week, we’ll answer one clear, practical question about real estate investing — from the fundamentals to more advanced strategies — and walk through how the asset class actually works in the real world.

No hype. No shortcuts. Just thoughtful conversations about:
 • How real estate creates long-term wealth
 • How to evaluate deals and operators
 • How passive investing really works
 • How investors can make better, more confident decisions

New episodes drop every Friday.

If you’re interested in real estate investing (whether you’re just getting started or already investing passively), we think you’ll find this useful.

🎧 First episodes are live now: https://bit.ly/4snPvrB
📈 Want to see our next investment opportunity before it goes public? Join our investor list at focusedcapital.com

Looking forward to sharing these conversations with you.

#FocusedFridays #RealEstateInvesting Focused Capital Chad Schieler

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

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