By: Joshua Finley
With over 300 properties and counting, Christopher Harrison has built an impressive real estate business. But his origins were humble, starting with a hauling company and a chance encounter that sparked his investing career. Christopher’s journey reveals how ambition, perseverance, and calculated risks built his assets into the millions.
Entrepreneurial Roots in Hauling
Christopher traces his entrepreneurial roots back to his school days. “I’ve always been business-oriented,” he recalls. This drive to run his own business continued as he started a hauling company after school. He steadily grew his fleet of trucks and team to a thriving local business in Maryland. Little did he know a fateful meeting in 2005 would change his trajectory. A client that had hundreds of investment properties and mentored Christopher in real estate finance. Intrigued by his mentor’s success, he decided to take the leap into investing himself.
From First Investment to 20 Properties
With his mentor’s guidance, Christopher bought his first investment property in 2005 despite having little capital. He admits, “I literally had no money. I probably had like $500 or $1,000 to invest.” Through debt and equity partners, the property was 100% financed, and Christopher relied on his mentor’s network to navigate the complex process.
The first deal gave Christopher the confidence and credibility to ramp up his portfolio. Within two years, he had acquired 20+ rental properties in his local market. Reflecting on his rapid growth, he notes, “Once you prove you can do it, people start to take notice and say, ‘Okay, maybe this guy knows what he’s doing.’”
Navigating the 2008 Housing Crash
Christopher was flying high with 20+ properties by 2007. But the housing crash quickly reversed his fortunes. “In 2007, the market crashed, and I went all the way back down to two houses. It was just terrible for everyone,” he recalls. Investors pulled out, and Christopher considered moving on from real estate entirely.
Instead of giving up, Christopher used the downtime to think strategically about the business. He realized real estate would be his lifelong career. After a brief detour of owning a bar, Christopher was ready to rebuild in 2014, applying the lessons of the crash. As he notes, “Just don’t stop if you want to own ten or a hundred or a thousand properties. You have to keep striving for your goals.”
Disciplined Growth to Over 300 Properties
With a renewed vision after the crisis, Christopher re-entered real estate with discipline. “I started focusing on the longevity of the deal itself and the longevity of the property,” he explains. Instead of rapid expansion, he focused on high-quality assets. Christopher also built a pool of investor capital to act quickly on deals instead of scrambling for money each time. “If I had a property pop up that I wanted to acquire, I could tap into the pool of cash,” he says. This calculated approach allowed Christopher to build his portfolio past 300 properties across 6 metro markets while avoiding past mistakes. “Now my goal is to get to 1,000 doors,” he states, aiming to eventually launch a real estate investment trust (REIT).
Keys to His Success
When asked about the keys to his success, Christopher cites consistent ambition, drive, and focus as critical. He believes this inner persistence carried him from his early hauling days into real estate investing. As he advises, “No matter your dream, you can’t quit.” Christopher also stresses thorough due diligence, available capital, and avoiding unchecked growth. Having adequate financing ensures you can act quickly when opportunities arise. However, calculated growth sustains success versus reckless expansion, which is a hard lesson from his 2007 losses.
Lastly, Christopher emphasizes having skin in the game financially. While using leverage intelligently, he believes you should commit your own capital alongside investors. “Have money in as well,” he urges. This builds credibility and aligns incentives for the long term.
Looking Ahead
As Christopher scales towards 1,000 units, he’s targeting new metro markets that mirror his current cities. This allows him to replicate his investing model focused on affordable housing neighborhoods. “Bringing up C and D properties to a B or B plus—that’s our whole focus,” he explains. He’s also prepping to raise more third-party capital. Christopher took a pause on acquisitions this year to launch his second fund vehicle, Future RE Fund II. This positions him to acquire aggressively when the time is right.
To learn more about Christopher Harrison, visit his LinkedIn profile.
Published by: Holy Minoza
