Concorde-Affiliated Fortitude Grows DST Team, Extends Western Reach
Concorde Investment Services said Sept. 22 that four registered representatives have joined Fortitude Investment Group LLC, a Concorde-affiliated firm specializing in 1031 exchanges and Delaware statutory trusts. Natalie Bender, Cathy O’Neill, Daniel Gamini, and Brian Coughlin are now registered with Concorde, the independent broker-dealer and registered investment adviser and are advising accredited investors through Fortitude.
The additions extend Fortitude’s coverage into Houston, Southern California, and Missouri alongside its New York headquarters, and add capacity to advise property owners evaluating a shift from actively managed real estate to passive ownership. A 1031 exchange defers capital gains tax rather than eliminating it, and Fortitude’s practice centers on evaluating whether that deferral fits an investor’s broader plan, according to the company. Fortitude has more than $2 billion in client assets under administration.
“Fortitude Investment Group has built a reputation for guiding property owners through complex 1031 exchange and DST decisions with genuine care and technical expertise,” said Danielle Delongchamp, president and chief executive officer of Concorde. “Natalie, Cathy, Daniel, and Brian bring valuable experience to the team, and their addition strengthens Fortitude’s ability to serve accredited investors in new markets. We’re proud to support their continued growth.”
“We hire for coachability before anything else, because a 1031 exchange can be taught and the desire to get better cannot,” said Daniel Raupp, founder and managing partner of Fortitude. “Our clients are often selling property they have held for 30 or 40 years. They deserve a firm that will still be standing 20 years from now, and these four are how we make good on that.”
Bender entered the mortgage industry in 2009 and later acquired and managed single-family rental properties of her own. She spent nearly a decade in Singapore, Malaysia, and Scotland managing her family’s real estate portfolio from abroad before joining the 1031 exchange and DST industry in 2022. She is based in Houston, holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, San Diego, and carries Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Series 7, 22, and 63 licenses.
O’Neill brings more than 25 years of real estate experience, including historic luxury homes, urban redevelopment, and complex investment property transitions, to her focus on 1031 exchanges, DSTs, and 721 umbrella partnership real estate investment trusts, or UPREITs. She previously worked as a real estate sales associate at eXp Realty and, before that, as a realtor at Red Key Realty Leaders. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and FINRA Series 22 and 63 licenses.
Gamini began his career on the sponsor side of the DST industry at Capital Square and Inland Private Capital in wholesaling roles focused on adviser and investor education, and has supported the placement of more than $200 million in investor equity into DST investments. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Babson College and FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses.
Coughlin entered financial services in 2020 at 1031 Crowdfunding LLC, where he spent more than five years in 1031 exchange, opportunity zone, and real estate product sales. He is based in Fortitude’s Costa Mesa, Calif., office and holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses.
Fortitude, founded in 2006 and headquartered in East Setauket, N.Y., advises property owners and the CPAs, attorneys, and qualified intermediaries who serve them on 1031 exchanges, DSTs, qualified opportunity zones, nontraded real estate investment trusts, and private placements for accredited investors. Concorde is the parent broker-dealer and RIA for Concorde Investment Services, Concorde Asset Management, and Concorde Insurance Agency, serving clients in all 50 states.
Last month, Concorde added to its platform Grace Capital Management LLC, an Austin, Texas-based hybrid RIA managing approximately $110 million in assets. AltsWire also previously reported that DST.com joined Concorde’s broker-dealer network to give affiliated advisers a business development tool connecting them with qualified DST and 1031 exchange investors.
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