Today we’d like to introduce you to Ertugrul Ertuc.
Hi Ertugrul, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in a small town in Erzincan, Türkiye, surrounded by country roads and quiet landscapes. Since I was a kid, I always enjoyed country drives and exploring new places. Looking back, that early curiosity about the road would later turn into a passion for road trips across the United States — something that became a meaningful part of my life years later.
When I was eight years old, my family moved to Bursa, a much larger city near Istanbul. It was a big transition for our family, as most of our relatives and ancestors had spent their entire lives in the same small town for generations. I completed middle and high school in Bursa and later studied Civil Engineering in Sakarya City.
After graduating, I wanted to push myself further and experience a different world. In 2009, I made one of the biggest decisions of my life and moved to Washington, D.C. At that time, I had never traveled abroad before and had no experience living in another country.
When I arrived in America, I didn’t know a single word of English and didn’t have a single contact. My only goal was simple: learn the language and somehow build a life here.
I had no idea how difficult that journey would be.
Starting over in a new country meant facing financial and mental struggles that tested me every day. For nearly two years, I couldn’t even afford a $150 bike. My daily lunch was often two apple pies from McDonald’s — not because I wanted them every day, but because that was what fit my budget.
I never told my family how difficult things really were. I knew my mother would worry and ask me to come back home. But I had already traveled 10,000 kilometers away from home, and in my mind failure simply wasn’t an option.
Even today, whenever I eat an apple pie at McDonald’s, it reminds me of those early days — the struggle, the discipline, and the resilience that shaped who I am today. I still love the pies, though.
Over time, things slowly began to improve. I learned English and made few friends, found an office job, and began pursuing my master’s degree (MBA in Finance) while working long hours to support myself. At the time, I was earning a little over $2,000 a month, which meant every dollar mattered.
That’s when I realized something important: rent was my biggest expense.
So I started experimenting with creative solutions. Long before it became common, I began subleasing and using Airbnb-style rentals to reduce my housing costs. Sharing space and managing short-term rentals allowed me to dramatically lower my expenses and continue paying for school.
Without realizing it at the time, I was already learning the fundamentals of real estate — property management, value, and investment strategy.
That experience planted the seed.
Once my financial situation stabilized, I finally began pursuing something I had always dreamed about: road trips across America. I bought a Camaro — which I still own today — and started exploring the country whenever I had the opportunity.
Over the years, I have now visited 45 states, completing most of those trips driving my Camaro across the country — with the obvious exception of Hawaii. Traveling through national parks, major cities, and small towns gave me a deeper appreciation for the diversity and opportunities across the United States, especially when it comes to real estate markets and investment opportunities. So basically things were lining up to complete each other.
Those experiences also inspired me to begin sharing my journey online. Around 2018, I started posting my travels and real estate insights on social media, and my audience gradually began to grow.
In 2016, I met my girlfriend, who would later become my wife. We got married in 2019, and shortly before COVID began, we purchased our first home — right before the real estate market went through one of its most dramatic shifts.
Buying that home confirmed something I had already started to realize:
Real estate was where I belonged.
My background in civil engineering gave me an advantage in understanding homes from a structural and technical perspective. At the same time, my MBA in finance helped me analyze investments, evaluate opportunities, and understand market dynamics.
Combining those experiences, I built my real estate career step by step.
Today, people know me by my brand name ERTUCE — Real Estate Agent, Investor, and Social Media Creator.
I am a licensed Real Estate Professional serving the entire DMV region — Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. I specialize in residential homes, multifamily investment properties and long term and short term rentals, helping buyers and sellers make confident and informed decisions.
Over the years, I have built a network of more than 5,000 people in my professional and personal sphere. This network allows me to connect opportunities, share market insights, and build meaningful relationships within the real estate community.
For me, real estate is not just about transactions — it’s about long-term relationships and helping people achieve the best possible outcomes for their goals.
Whether someone is buying their first home, selling a property, or searching for an investment opportunity, my goal is to guide them with honest advice, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of the market.
My buyers trust me because I can often identify potential property issues or opportunities that others may overlook. My sellers appreciate my creative marketing strategies, especially through social media, where I share practical and transparent insights about real estate and investing.
But beyond knowledge or experience, what truly defines my journey is resilience.
The discipline to keep showing up.
The perseverance to push forward when things get difficult.
The mindset to keep building, one step at a time.
Those invisible traits became the real foundation of my success — not just in business, but in life.
Today I’m proud of how far the journey has taken me — from struggling to afford two apple pies a day to becoming a Top-Producing Real Estate Agent and investor in the DMV area.
But my story isn’t really about success.
It’s about possibility.
It’s proof that if you stay disciplined, keep learning, and never stop moving forward, you can completely transform your life.
And the journey is still far from over.
As part of my long-term business goals, I am currently working on a multifamily real estate project and aiming to build a strong portfolio with my investors. My vision is to develop Ertuce Capital, an investment platform designed to help investors participate in carefully selected multifamily real estate opportunities and build long-term wealth through strategic and responsible property investments.
At the same time, one of my personal goals has been to visit all 50 states, and I’m getting close — with only five states left to go: Alaska, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and North Dakota. Most of these trips have been completed driving across the country in my Camaro, combining my passion for travel with my curiosity about different real estate markets and communities.
For those interested in real estate, investments, and travel adventures, I invite you to follow along on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, where I share real estate insights, market knowledge, and experiences from my travels.
At the end of the day, one lesson has stayed with me through everything:
You don’t need to start with everything.
You just need to start.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We could talk about this for hours, but to cut to the chase — not at all.
I often think about whether I would change anything about the struggles I went through. The honest answer is no. Those difficult experiences shaped the person I became. If I hadn’t faced those challenges, I believe I would have grown into a very different person.
It may sound unusual, but today I actually appreciate those difficult times. They taught me discipline, patience, and resilience. Because of them, I value everything I have much more, and they continue to motivate me to push forward and strive for more.
As I mentioned earlier, When I arrived in the United States in 2009, I had no English and not a single contact in the country. It was truly starting from zero. I had no clear plan for what the next few years would look like, and I couldn’t have imagined the challenges ahead.
I was trying to learn the language, understand the culture, and simply find my place. During those early years, I went through significant financial and mental struggles just to stand on my own feet. I was alone in a completely new environment without anyone to guide me, so I had to figure everything out on my own.
There was a time when my financial situation was so tight that I couldn’t even afford a $150 bike for nearly two years. I was working hard to improve my situation, but progress came slowly.
The hardest part was that I didn’t know anyone in the country who could offer even a small amount of help. I considered asking my family in Turkiye for support, but I chose not to. My sister was attending college at the time, which was already a significant expense for my family, and I didn’t want to create additional pressure for them.
For a long period, my daily lunch was simply two apple pies from McDonald’s. Not because I particularly wanted them every day, but because that was what fit my budget.
I also couldn’t tell my family the full story of what I was going through. I knew it would worry them deeply, especially my mother. She would have told me to come back home immediately and not put myself through such hardship.
But I had already traveled 10,000 kilometers away from home, and in my mind there was only one option — to succeed.
Failure simply wasn’t an option.
Even today, when I eat an apple pie from McDonald’s, it reminds me of those early days. It’s not just a dessert to me — it represents the struggle, the discipline, and the determination that helped shape my journey.
And in a strange way, I still love those apple pies.
Because they remind me how far I’ve come.
Over time, things slowly began to improve. I worked harder, learned more, and kept pushing forward step by step — building the foundation for everything that would come later in my career and life.
As you know, we’re big fans of ERTUCE REAL ESTATE. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Everyone knows me as ERTUCE — a short version created from my first and last name combined. I am a full-time Real Estate Agent based in Montgomery County, Maryland, serving the entire DMV region — Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. In addition to being a real estate agent, I am also a Real Estate Investor and Social Media Creator, sharing insights about the market, investments, and my travels.
In real estate, I specialize in residential homes and investment properties, helping buyers, sellers, and investors navigate the market with confidence. My background in Civil Engineering allows me to understand homes from the inside out, including the structural and technical aspects of construction. At the same time, my MBA in Finance gives me the ability to evaluate the financial and investment potential of properties.
As an experienced agent, I understand what it takes to have a successful transaction — whether someone is buying, selling, renting, or investing. My buyers appreciate my ability to identify potential physical or structural issues that may arise in a property, while my sellers value my creativity in marketing their homes effectively, especially through social media exposure.
I am always looking for the best opportunities for my buyers and investors, carefully analyzing properties and market conditions to help them make smart decisions and build long-term value.
As part of the next phase of my business, I am also currently working on a multifamily project, with the goal of helping investors participate in strong real estate opportunities that can potentially provide better long-term returns compared to many traditional investment options. I’m excited to share more about this journey as it develops and to collaborate with investors who are interested in exploring multifamily real estate opportunities.
If you are interested in learning more about these opportunities, or simply want to connect, share experiences, and discuss real estate investing, I would be happy to hear from you.
However, I believe real estate is about much more than technical knowledge or market expertise. It’s about building genuine relationships and helping people achieve their goals. I am deeply committed to providing the highest level of real estate service, with honesty, transparency, and dedication.
My brand is simply an extension of my personality and my character. I always strive to provide the most honest, strategic, and helpful insights so the people I work with can make the best possible decisions on their real estate journey.
I would be happy to assist anyone who may need guidance or support with buying, selling, investing, or navigating the real estate market.
I also enjoy connecting with like-minded people, sharing experiences, learning from others, and growing together.
If you are interested in real estate, investments, or travel adventures, don’t hesitate to follow and support my journey on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, where I regularly share helpful insights, market updates, and experiences from the road.
How do you think about luck?
I’ve never really considered myself a particularly lucky person. In fact, throughout most of my life it has often felt like the opposite.
To put it in a simple example, I remember a small gift lottery we had in high school. There were about 15 students in the class, and the teacher was giving gifts to the first 10 names drawn. My name came up around the 12th spot, so I missed it. That’s pretty much how my “luck” has worked most of my life.
But over time, my perspective on luck has changed.
I’ve come to believe that luck is not something you simply wait for — whether in business or in life. Of course, there are random situations like lotteries, like the one I mentioned above, but that kind of luck has rarely worked in my favor anyway. Instead, I believe luck appears when you put yourself in the right environments, around the right people, and continue putting in consistent effort. When you keep learning, improving, and placing yourself in situations where opportunities exist, what many people call “good luck” begins to show up.
On the other hand, there is also what people call “bad luck.” Difficult moments, unexpected setbacks, and struggles happen to everyone. But I tend to look at those situations differently.
Many of the hardest moments in life become the greatest lessons. They test you, challenge you, and push you in ways that comfort never could. Most of the time, those struggles are the experiences that help you grow the most — both personally and professionally.
Looking back at my own journey, many of the things that seemed like bad luck at the time actually helped shape who I became.
At the same time, perspective is very important. As long as you have your health and the support of your family, you already have something incredibly valuable. No matter where you are financially or professionally, having those foundations is something to truly appreciate. In a way, you could even call that the most basic form of good luck — something that many people overlook. From there, it’s about continuing to move forward, improving step by step, appreciating what you have, and building more on top of it.
That’s how I see luck today — not as something random, but as a combination of effort, mindset, preparation, and appreciation for what you already have.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ertuce.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ertuce.tv/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ertuce.tv/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ertugrulertuc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ertuce
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ertuce
