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?

Too many smart investors miss out on real estate investing because they don't want to deal with the hassles of being a landlord. 

They often hesitate because:
> They don’t have the time or patience to manage properties.
> They don’t want the stress of dealing with tenants, toilets, or termites.
> They’re unsure how to find profitable, low-risk opportunities.

What if I told you there was a way to receive all the benefits of real estate, without any hassles (or stress) of being a landlord?

At Goodin Development, we make real estate investing simple. We provide fully managed group investments. 

You'll invest in luxury apartments with us and share in the profits, so you can:

- Generate smart passive income
- Diversify beyond the stock market
- Get tax advantages to keep money in your pocket
- Avoid the frustrations of DIY-ing everything
- Spend your time where it matters most, not on managing your investments

We build new apartments from the ground up in Indiana and give busy professionals the opportunity to invest alongside us. 

Our team handles everything! We make it a truly hands off investment for our investors.  

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗬𝗼𝘂 👇
Do you have a busy career and a family to support? Do you want all the benefits of owning real estate, but don't want to be a landlord? 

We help busy professionals earn passive income through real estate. Check out GoodinDevelopment.com for more info.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝘄 👇
Take our FREE 7-day passive real estate investing 101 email course. 
Go to GoodinDevelopment.com/course

Justin Goodin

Approaching the 50% complete milestone soon!

I'm really proud of the progress our team has made so far. 

The Elwood in Kokomo, Indiana, will be the city’s premier place to live.

Although, we can't celebrate just yet! We still have MANY important milestones to accomplish. 

What do you think of the progress so far?

CPM Construction Planning and Management, Inc.

Stress free real estate investing for busy professionals who don’t want to be landlords | Indiana Focused Developer with $58M+ Projects Built

Real estate syndications require $50,000 to invest. 

Here's what to expect after 👇 

After you send your wire, and sign a few legal documents, your spot is locked in. 

// Here's what happens next:

1. Progress updates – monthly
2. Cash flow distributions (after stabilization) – quarterly
3. Financial reports – quarterly
4. Schedule K-1 – annually

// Typical Timeline:
Construction: 14 - 18 months
Stabilization: 6 - 12 months
Sale: 3 - 5 years total

District South, in Fishers, Indiana started construction in February 2024 👇

76 families partnered with us to build this project. 

This week, we sent out our FIRST cash distribution to our investors, marking another major milestone for all partners in this project. 👏 

If you want to get notified of future investment opportunities from us, apply to join our investor club on our website.

Apartments are no longer about building boring boxes

People want a modern place to call home. 

That means not skimping out on interior finishes and amenities. 

Each unit inside our latest project, The Elwood, will have:

• Quartz countertops
• Stainless steel appliances
• Private balcony or patio 
• Smart locks & thermostats
• Full size washer & dryer
• Tile backsplash 
• Modern black windows

Amenities include: 

• Luxury rooftop patio
• Pet spa
• Bike room
• Fitness center
• EV charging stations
• Outdoor grill & fire pit area
• Indoor/outdoor cafe 
• Game area
• Work-from-home area
• Plaza area in front of retail space

The Elwood will be the premier place to live within the city and we are proud to be apart of this transformational community!

Most syndicators won’t touch construction

1 year of planning 
2 years of construction 
1 more year to lease up 

It's too complex.
It takes too long. 
It has too many moving parts.

This is exactly what I love about development: 
LESS competition 

Not many companies are willing to put in a huge amount of work upfront and wait years for the real upside...

This is where you find the real opportunity 💪

I had a call with a potential investor who thought preferred return = cash on cash return

I had to explain these are not the same thing...

7% preferred return DOES NOT mean you receive 7% annually.

The preferred return alludes to the precedence of limited partners receiving a specified return, BEFORE the general partners share in the profits.

A preferred return (Pref) is not a guarantee or claim that you will get X% in any given year.

How much (or how little) the project cash flows, will determine what you receive on a quarterly basis.

Pref and cash flow distributions are 2 completely different things. 

Did you know this before reading?

When I first started investing in real estate, I assumed the best opportunities had to be in the “hottest” markets.

The ones everyone talks about. 
The ones making the headlines.

Like Florida, Texas, or Arizona.

Boy, was I wrong.

After underwriting deals across multiple states and spending years investing here at home, one thing became clear:
Indiana quietly does a lot of things right.

And for passive investors, especially those who care about stability, predictability, and long-term wealth, that matters more than hype.

Let’s walk through why Indiana deserves serious consideration.

View newsletter: Passive Real Estate Investing

When I first started investing in real estate, I assumed the best opportunities had to be in the “hottest” markets. The ones everyone talks about. The

Open article: Why Indiana Is One of the Best States for Passive Real Estate Syndication Investors by Justin Goodin • 5 min read

Why Indiana Is One of the Best States for Passive Real Estate Syndication Investors

Raising capital is never easy.
And it’s never something I take for granted.

Every commitment an investor makes is built on trust.

That trust is earned over time, through transparency, communication, and execution.

All investing involves risk.

But when you choose
• the right operators
• the right deals
• and the right markets

that risk is significantly reduced.

One thing I appreciate about Invest Clearly is the transparency it brings to our industry.

It’s a place where investors can read real, VERIFIED reviews from people who actually invested with a company.

I'm grateful for my investors who took the time to leave feedback and look forward to growing on this platform! Check out Invest Clearly if you haven't already.

Goodin Development Reviews

We are getting our first Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Indianapolis!

What’s coming:

• 15-story luxury hotel
• 170 rooms
• 11,500 SF of ballroom & meeting space
• Spa, fitness center, upscale restaurant, private lounge
• Outdoor terrace

The hotel is expected to open early 2028.

It's always great to see more investment coming into Indianapolis. 

Do you think this will be a great addition to downtown?

I almost quit
(on more than one occasion)

I was putting in a ton of work and still felt like NOTHING was working for me with real estate.

There were many years in my life where I was working full time AND going to college full time. 

My calendar was packed. My energy was drained. 

I barely had time to do anything fun, let alone slow down and enjoy life. Every week felt like survival mode.

At the same time, I was trying to build something better.

- I was looking for multifamily deals.
- Learning the process.
- Trying to understand how this business actually worked.

Every spare minute went to YouTube, podcasts, and books.

Early mornings. Late nights. Lunch breaks with headphones in. 

But I never saw any progress...

It felt like I was WASTING time.
❌ So I almost quit many times. 
❌ Almost went back to house flipping. 
❌ Almost switched to just buying businesses. 
❌ Almost switched to buying storage facilities. 

But I was wrong. 

✅ In reality, progress was happening slowly over time. 

Day by day it didn’t look like much. 
Week by week it felt invisible.
But month by month and year by year, you make progress. 

Most people quit right before their big breakthrough!

If you feel like you're stuck in a rut right now and not making any progress...this is your sign to keep going! 🚀

Returns work different in a typical development deal:

When you invest in ground-up construction, there’s no cash flow for the first year or so. 

Because the project isn’t stabilized yet.

So how do investors get paid?

Let’s break it down:

• Preferred Return:
> This is your “priority” return before the sponsor makes a dime.
> It accrues during construction.

• Return of Capital:
> Once the project sells, your principal is returned back to you.

• Profit Split:
> After your preferred return and capital is paid, the profits get split.
> Usually 70% to investors / 30% to the sponsor.

Example:
• You invest $50,000.
• No cash flow year 1.
• Small distribution year 2 as things stabilize.
• Pref is caught up at sale.
• Return of capital ($50k).
• Profits are split in year 3 at sale.

You end up receiving $85,782 when it's all said and done.

That’s a 1.72x equity multiple (you turned $50K into $85,782)

Which equals a 20% IRR over 3 years.

This is typically how most syndication returns are structured for a ground-up deal, but the numbers are just for an example.

Drop any questions below.

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