How to Start a Real Estate Business Young (Even Without a College Degree)

In this exclusive interview, Shawn Surani reveals the mindset, mistakes, and systems that shaped his rise from teen entrepreneur to real estate leader.

This real estate investing success story highlights how Shawn Surani started a real estate business at 16 and scaled it using systems, discipline, and business fundamentals.

Early Hustles That Built an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Shawn Surani’s entrepreneurial story began at age 13 with a $500 sneaker flip outside Georgia State University. What started as a side hustle for a pair of Yeezys soon evolved into a blueprint for business. Through sneaker reselling, he learned that creativity, resourcefulness, and bold action could turn scarcity into opportunity.

“Anything I ever want is within grasp. All I have to do is figure out a way to go get it.”

His entrepreneurial journey expanded from sneakers to season tickets. As a huge Atlanta sports fan, he applied his flipping logic to NBA seats buying season tickets for the struggling Hawks, reselling most, and sitting courtside using profits. It wasn’t just about watching the game; it was about learning how business models work.

At 15, he ventured into merchant processing and ATM placements. He could sell but lacked the infrastructure. He relied on rides from friends to refill ATMs, and logistics became a bottleneck. That experience taught him a powerful lesson: sales open doors, but execution keeps them open.

Learning to Lead by Doing the Work

Facing a career crossroads at 16, Shawn struck a deal with his mom: make $1 million in a year, or go to college. He said yes, then asked, “Now what?”

He turned to his roots and worked in his family’s Hispanic grocery store, mopping floors, unloading trucks, and cutting chicken. His uncle made him learn every part of the operation.

“You never want to be in a position where you're the boss and you can't do everything within the business.”

This hands-on apprenticeship shaped his leadership style—grounded, humble, and built from the bottom up.

First Steps Into Real Estate Investing

Shawn learned about wholesale real estate through assignment contracts at his father’s attorney’s office. The concept clicked: control a property without buying it. All he needed was a great deal and a buyer.

He built a grassroots team of friends and crammed eight people into a 90-square-foot office without air conditioning. They brought fans from home. He worked 12–16 hour days, sometimes sleeping in the office.

With no money for ads, every property owner was a lead. They cold-called names on spreadsheets, hustling before software or automations existed in their world.

His first deal: a $160K flip in downtown Atlanta during COVID. No work. Sold it for $210K. It was his gateway drug into real estate.

Building Ember Homes: Fast Growth and First Lessons

In October 2019, at age 16, Shawn launched Ember Homes and Ember Capital Group, determined to build a team-first culture.

Year one results:

• $2.5M+ in revenue
• 10+ full-time employees
• Goal: Exceeded his $1M challenge

At 17, confident from early success, he scaled fast. He leased a 30,000 sq. ft. office, hired 50 staff, and built a high-salary executive team. His youth and insecurity led him to overcorrect.

“First day, my COO asked where his executive assistant was. I told him, 'You're looking at her—I spent the budget on you.’”

The mismatch between expenses and the stage of business was the red flag.

The 2022 Rate Spike: Market Collapse and Wake-Up Call

In summer 2022, interest rates jumped from 3% to 7%. Real estate activity froze. Shawn began selling stocks and crypto to make payroll. Ember had high fixed costs and W2 salaries—a loyalty-driven model that became a cash crisis.

He called his attorney to ask about filing bankruptcy.

Instead, he chose to fight.

“This isn’t just about sales. It’s about understanding business at a fundamental level.”

Rebuilding With Business Fundamentals

Shawn slashed a $40K/month lease, renegotiated debt, and tightened every cost. But the true pivot came from his business mindset.

Recommended Books He Studied:

• Built to Last – Jim Collins
• Good to Great – Jim Collins
• The 10-Day MBA – Steven Silbiger
• Blue Ocean Strategy – W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne
• The Art of War – Sun Tzu

“Don’t be a real estate guy. Be a business guy.”

He focused on profit over vanity metrics. Revenue was the headline, but systems, process, and vertical integration in real estate became the engine.

Vertical Integration: Controlling Every Step

To protect margin and increase speed, Ember Homes built an in-house system:

• Acquisitions, construction, and operations teams
• 30,000+ sq. ft. of flooring bought in bulk
• Central storage for appliances, finishes, and materials

“Sales is vanity. Profit is sanity.”

Vertical integration helped lower costs, reduce vendor dependency, and improve consistency across flips, even when prices or rates fluctuated.

Where Ember Homes Operates

Ember now works across:

• Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina
• Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana

It flips, wholesales, and operates with an internal construction crew to control timeline, costs, and finishes.

Culture, Energy, and Compensation

The Ember office runs like a movie scene:

• High energy, loud music, deals flying across the floor
• Sales staff yelling, coaching, and celebrating wins

“It’s Boiler Room meets Wolf of Wall Street—but with systems.”

Top performers earn $15K–$20K/month. Salaries, commissions, and bonuses support long-term careers and not burnout gigs.

Philosophy Behind the Business

1. Proximity Matters – Join rooms where excellence is the standard.
2. Identity First – Don’t just be a real estate entrepreneur. Be a business owner.
3. Leverage Through Systems – In-house operations reduce friction and improve profit.

“You are a byproduct of your environment. Choose wisely.”

How to Build a Strong Real Estate Network

• Join local REIAs and investor meetups
• Sponsor events for visibility
• Attend member-only social clubs in your city (like Atlanta’s Buckhead Club)
• Expand your circle beyond real estate: tech, retail, finance founders offer new perspectives

Networking multiplies deal flow, talent recruitment, and investor capital.

Not Everyone Needs to Be a Founder

Shawn emphasizes that not everyone should start a business. Some make more and live better by being a #2, #3, or #4 at the right company.

Example:

Steve Ballmer became one of the world’s richest men as an employee at Microsoft, not its founder.

Your Content Diet Shapes Your Success

Phones control attention. Shawn warns:

• “If you scroll garbage, you’ll become garbage.”
• Algorithms feed your habits so intentionally.

“You are what you consume.”

He urges entrepreneurs to curate educational, motivational, and strategic content that reinforces good decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How did Shawn Surani get started in real estate investing?

He learned about wholesaling through assignment contracts from an attorney’s office. With hustle and a cold-calling mindset, he flipped his first deal in Atlanta at 16.

2. What is Ember Homes?

Ember Homes is a vertically integrated real estate company operating across the Southeast and Midwest. It manages acquisitions, construction, and sales in-house.

3. Why is vertical integration in real estate important in real estate?

It allows control over materials, labor, timelines, and cost. Boosting profit and reducing risk, especially during volatile market cycles.

4. What advice does Shawn offer to new real estate entrepreneurs?

Start lean. Learn business, not just sales. Track costs. Build systems. Focus on profit, not vanity metrics. Surround yourself with operators, not influencers.

Final Thoughts: From Side Hustles to Real Scale

Shawn Surani’s journey from Yeezy flips to multi-state scaling real estate operations is more than an underdog story—it’s a blueprint.

Grit opens the door. Systems keep it open. Profit keeps you in the room.

Shawn’s companies thrive on fundamentals, focus, and relentless self-education. And as his empire grows, the principles stay the same:

• Choose the right circle
• Learn real business
• Build systems that protect margin

These aren’t tricks, they’re habits. And they’re scalable.