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?

A military veteran helping investors of all types build tremendous wealth through real estate without the pain of being a landlord.

My investing story started in 2015.

I bought my first investment home for $65,000. 

The next year I bought 2 more, and the next year I bought my first apartment complex.
 
Then I realized the power of a network and a team, and since then I’ve raised over $7,000,000 of investor funds to purchase and operate multifamily properties, and distributed over $1.7MM to our investors.

All of my investors are passive, meaning they build generational wealth while focusing on their own pursuits!

Now I dedicate my time and energy to providing those same great returns and opportunities to as many investors as I can.

I have investors who can invest $5,000 all the way up to multi-million dollar investors.

If you're interested in learning more about my future opportunities, send me a DM so we can discuss your goals!

Matthias Wilson

The avg car payment in 2026: new = $748, used = $532 per month.

I almost threw up reading that.

I haven't had a car payment since 2013, and when I had one, it was much less than that average today.

I was in the military in 2013, my new wife had just quit her career to be with me.

We weren't rich, I didn't come from any money at all, and I had $80K in student loan debt.

But I knew that I couldn't afford to keep paying minimum payments on these debts for their full term.

So, I buckled down. 

We rented a small house, we wore the same clothes for years, we didn't buy any nice furniture, didn't go on any fancy vacations... we simply lived as far below our means as we could.

We paid extra on my car and student loans every month, and even set aside about $100/month for index fund investing.

It was a way of life for us all through our late 20s and early 30s.

Now, some of you might think that's a terrible life, what's the point?

But the key is this: it was TEMPORARY!!

Now? 

We take our 2 boys cruising 2-3 times a year.

We treated 30 of my friends and family to a tailgate suite for a Kansas City Chief game.

We both drive luxury SUVs bought with cash (used, though, hard to break old habits).

And my kids will never have to worry about money. 

I'm not bragging, I'm just pointing to the truth:

Building real wealth is possible, but you have to be intentional, and you MUST be able to delay gratification until you get there.

I hope everyone joins me.

An AC-130U Spooky gun crew executing a 105mm "1-minute drill" is one of the most impressive things you'll ever see. 

It was an honor to share an airplane with these guys.

The precision, efficiency, trust in each other, and sheer strength these men and women exhibited was unmatched in my military career.

I aim to build a team in my company that imitates the qualities I saw exhibited over battlefields, where the professionalism of the crew meant the difference in life or death for Americans on the ground.

The stakes is business aren't quite that high, but I want to perform at the same level, if I can.

Good team members are force-multipliers, and as I hire in the next few months, I'm keeping this in mind.

Took this picture of my smiling 4 yr old about 7 minutes before he fell into 7 feet of 50 degree water....

This has nothing to do with business, all I want to share is how I've never been more fulfilled in my life than when I'm being a Dad.

I took my family camping this weekend, we dealt with freezing temps, rain, sleet, snow, and a very leaky tent the first night.

We survived, and my wife went to a laundromat to dry everything out right before the picture above was taken.

Aaron leaned over to try to see if his bobber was going under, and he fell into the water.

I was helping his brother at the time, so my back was turned.

I'm not sure how far away I was when I heard the splash, maybe 20 yards.

I ran over and and was ripping keys and phone out of my pants, while he struggled to keep his head above water.

I have no idea if it was training, or just Dad sense, but in a matter of a split second, I knew that I was going to need to get into my car, and/or call for help.

I'll never forget the look in his eyes in that moment, he was scared, panicked, and shocked from the cold, but I could see that he had all the faith in the world that Dad was going to take care of everything.

That look gave me the most profound sense of worth and relevance that I've ever felt, far more than all my career and business accomplishments.

I jumped in (discovering the water was deeper than I expected), pulled him to me, and swam him back in to the shore.

It was about 50 degrees with a 20 mph wind, so we weren't done yet, but I got him to the car, stripped down, and into the heated seats with the heater blasting.

I looked like a raving lunatic to people driving by, standing there in my underwear in a marina parking lot, but that super power kicked in that Dads have where we're never embarrassed when we're taking care of our kids.

I write this because I want all men to experience the meaning of fatherhood.

It's a huge part of human life, and I'm here to say, it's the most rewarding thing on this planet.

So fellas, have kids, spend time with them, and even if it means soaking your last dry clothes to fish them out, it'll always be worth it.

My company distributed it's $1,000,000th dollar in 2025.

We will distribute our $2,000,000th dollar in 2026.

We've gone full-cycle on 2 value-add multifamily investment projects, and we're hitting the ground running this year.

It's a testament to hard work, relentlessly conservative underwriting, operational efficiency and creativity, and most of all the faith our investors put in us.

We're very proud of our track record, and we can't wait to help our investors achieve their dreams!

If you don't join us, please start investing somewhere. Your future depends on it.

A tenant under eviction abandoned 11 cats in one of our units.

Still want to be a landlord?

We recently acquired a property, and almost all of our inherited tenants are great.

However, one tenant never paid a cent of rent over the course of several months, and eventually moved out while we were in the process of an eviction.

While we're always grateful when a tenant doesn't force us to evict, this one was a real piece of work. 

She abandoned 11 cats locked in her unit when she left.

Thank God we have an incredible property manager, who sprung into action!

She checked on the unit right away, and assessed the situation, coordinating with local rescue shelters to save all 11 felines, and eventually find them new homes.

The unit sustained minimal damage from the poor trapped kitties, thanks to her hard work, and we're already renovating and turning the unit.

Landlording is difficult folks, and you run into some real horror stories sometimes.

But leave that stuff to us, you just have to invest and sit back and wait for the checks in the mail!

Flying Gunships in combat taught me that clear thinking and prioritization are the best ways to handle tense situations (and win firefights).

Just like in all situations, if you panic in combat, you become effectively useless.

That's why military people train so hard and so often. 

You must remove that panic instinct, and enable clear thinking in order to achieve success.

We regularly encountered enemies running from concealment to engage our brothers on the ground, which propelled us from boredom to deadly focus in mere seconds.

In those situations, I found that I performed best when I narrowed my focus to a few priorities, and put everything else on the back-burner.

The human mind simply can't keep track of a dozen things at a time, and you can't maximize your abilities unless you focus.

We'd shut down extraneous concerns, act with intense focus for a few moments, and then snap back out and return to all the other issues an aircrew deals with.

I found that with effort, I could train myself to this ability to focus in many other aspects of life and business.

The more I can train my brain and think ahead, the less I tend to panic.

It also breeds confidence, knowing I have the ability to handle tough situations.

And that confidence allowed us to take goofy pictures like this one, which I have no explanation for.

In apartment investing, occupancy = cash flow.

Here's 3 things we do to stay occupied:

1. Proper marketing

Tenants can't live at your property if they don't know about it.

A huge percentage of people search for places to live online. 

If your property can't be found online, you're losing tenants, guaranteed.

2. Reputation and curb appeal

If your apartments look trashy and unkempt, people won't want to live there.

If a potential tenant asks your current tenants, or reads reviews online, they'll live somewhere else without positive feedback.

3. Operations

This is often overlooked by small operators, but listing vacancies before they happen is crucial to staying occupied.

Speedy turnover, including flooring, painting, cleaning, etc that needs to be accomplished before a new tenant moves in minimizes downtime.


There's more that's required to perfect occupancy rates, but master these 3 and you'll be well on your way.

Want to develop pro relationships that will provide opportunities?

Here's 5 things I focus on:

1. Do what you say you will do.

Don't tell a broker you'll provide feedback and then forget about it.

2. Listen to their needs.

If you know someone who can help solve their problems, make the connection.

3. Be specific about what you're looking for.

If you want your name to pop into their heads when an opportunity arises, they need to know for sure what you want.

4. Stay in touch.

Don't just call them once a year when you need something.

5. Recommend them to your network.

If they're good at what they do, share their info, and give them business.

Any successful person will tell you that the best opportunities come from well-managed relationships.

Every great investment deal I've ever done has come from relationships.

If you want those chances, then you need to be useful, and make an effort to nurture those relationships.

"I'm in my 30s/40s, good job, savings, but I'll never be able to retire!"

Is this you?

I hope not, that's a terrifying place to be.

But if it is, I've got some good news!

Turns out, if you take some time and effort, you can learn to invest.

People who retire, even retire early? They live off investment income, not savings.

Now, in order to put investment money to work, you have to have some money to invest.

So that means: If you don't have any, you need to STOP spending what you earn.

If you want that retirement, freedom to travel, and work or not work on your OWN terms...

You'll need to pay for it now, by finding the discipline to keep your expenses well below your income.

You take that money you save, invest it wisely, and repeat for 10 years...

And you'll be a millionaire. I guarantee it.

Depending on your situation, it may not even take that long.

It's a product of just how much you're willing to sacrifice now, in order to live the life of your dreams in the future.

Homework: Do a poll of any wealthy retired people you might know.

Ask them if they wish they'd started investing sooner or later?

See where I'm going with this?

It's achievable people, I promise.

If I told you I had a time machine and you could go back 20 years, what would you say to your younger self?

I guarantee after you think for a bit, you'd be full of investment advice!

Buy some Tesla, buy a bunch of houses after the 2008 crash, stay away from Lehman Brothers, etc...

Now, during that 20 year period, simply investing in just about anything would have returned significant wealth.

But what fascinates me is that the same person full of advice for their younger self won't set aside the energy, money, and time to educate themselves in order to invest today.

See what I'm getting at??

If you're not already investing, start TODAY, people!!

Do you want to be wealthy 20 years from now?

We have the roadmap, it's up to you to choose to follow it.

Salary - Expenses = Invest-able Funds

Invest-able Funds x consistency = Financial Freedom

That's the equation.

The more we can either shrink Expenses or grow Salary, the faster the whole equation works.

I've never heard of anyone with a huge salary achieving financial freedom without acquiring cash flowing assets with that salary.

High income is great, but if you don't convert it to ownership by investing, then you'll always be trapped by that job.

There's no excuse not to be a millionaire when you get towards retirement age in this country. 

Delay some gratification, get those investments going, and then live the life of your choosing!

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The Battle

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