FortuneBuilders

FortuneBuilders, Inc is a United States-based real estate education company headquartered in San Diego, California.
With over 500 employees, FortuneBuilders provides real estate investing education to both new and experienced investors. FortuneBuilders is known for its live education events, one on one coaching program, and online learning platform.
History
FortuneBuilders was founded in 2006 by Than Merrill, Paul Esajian and Konrad Sopielnikow. The team had first established CT Homes LLC, a real estate investment company, in 2004. Merrill and his business partners, successfully flipped their first investment property in 2005. Together with CT Homes, Merrill, Esajian, and Sopielnikow continue to rehab properties across the US.
In 2007, FortuneBuilders founders were featured for the first time on A&E’s Flip This House, a popular TV program that follows real estate investors through an entire property rehab.
FortuneBuilders relocated from New Haven Connecticut to San Diego, California in 2009 when the founders were ready to expand their business nationally.
FortuneBuilders' founders started their own real estate brokerage company, Realty National, in 2011. Realty National houses over 40 agents and differentiates itself from other brokerages because of its affinity for partnering with real estate investors.
In 2015, FortuneBuilders publicly announced company wide growth. CEO Than Merrill reported a record breaking increase in the number of enrolled FortuneBuilders students and also broadcast FortuneBuilders partnering with Realeflow, a real estate lead source software company.
Most recently, FortuneBuilders launched WealthFit.com, an online learning platform that aims to educate members on financial literacy and entrepreneurship.
Investment fund
In 2013, FortuneBuilders founders established Grand Coast Capital (GCC), a real estate private lending and investment firm based in Boston, Massachusetts. GCC privately lends to real estate investors, operators, and developers across the country and specializes in generating attractive, risk-adjusted returns.
At the beginning of 2015, GCC launched its first direct commercial real estate investment and at the end of 2015, its first investment fund surpassed $50 million assets under management (AUM).
At the beginning of 2016, GCC was awarded SBRE fund manager of the year and by the end of 2016, GCC established its second regulation D 506(c) fund open to qualified accredited investors.
In 2017, Grand Coast Capital relocated to Quincy, Massachusetts.
Philanthropy
Launched in 2013, FortuneBuilders Gives is FortuneBuilders’ initiative to create opportunities for their employees, students, and local communities to get involved with philanthropy.
In 2015, FortuneBuilders launched its first Future FortuneBuilders (FFB) two day camp in Atlanta Georgia, which educates teens on financial literacy and entrepreneurship.
Awards and recognitions
FortuneBuilders Chief executive officer, Than Merrill, was awarded by the San Diego Business Journal as a “Most Admired CEO” finalist in 2012. Chief financial officer, Paul Esajian, was awarded by the San Diego Business Journal as a "CFO of the Year" finalist in 2014, 2015 and 2017.
FortuneBuilders has appeared on the Inc 500 list several years in a row.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu