Meet The Fortune Team

Since 1995 Fortune Academy has educated South Carolina's Realtors. With 15 locations throughout the state staffed with 72 Instructors, Fortune statewide offered 300 classes per month last year in South Carolina resulting in Fortune training 50% of S.C. Realtors. Named a Realty U 2005 National School, 2006 promises to be another outstanding year for Fortune Academy and its students, serving up the best course fare in the state.  Fortune Academy also offers a wide range of Appraisal courses held frequently throughout the year. Home Inspection, a growing industry in the Tri-County area, is also available, along with on-line courses in Mortgage and Insurance.  Fortune combines expertise, experience, and an excellent working relationship with the Real Estate Commission and other state agencies,  to offer you the best courses available in the disciplines we teach. 

In addition to the foundational courses,  Fortune Academy stands on education's cutting edge providing additional courses that will enhance your career. Thus far, in 2006, Fortune is offering two new Real Estate designations: Luxury Home Specialist and Certified Seller's Agent. Later in 2006, Fortune will offer Appraisal Continuing Education courses.

Our course material, bound into a loose-leaf notebook format, allows us to update our materials as state law changes. Our experts have distilled the course material into the most essential facts you need to know in order to pass your state exams and maintain your professional standards through Continuing Education. Fortune also offers on-site Continuing Education for Real Estate companies where we send a Fortune Instructor to teach agents all at one time.

At Fortune Academy, our goal is to train and maintain the South Carolina's best Realtors, Appraisers, and Home Inspectors through offering excellence in education and instruction. Thank you for choosing Fortune Academy as your course provider.

GREAT SCHEDULES      GREAT COURSES      GREAT INSTRUCTORS      GREAT SUCCESS

		Arlene Samuels, CEO of Fortune Academy-Mt. Pleasant, has an extensive background in public relations, administration, and writing. She has owned three businesses and served with an international humanitarian organization-Mercy Ships. She received her Real Estate license in 2002 and is a referral agent with Total Real Estate Company. In addition to her role at Fortune Academy, she is Media Liaison for a global radio network called Front Page Jerusalem. She and Paul have three children, Paul, Chad, and Grace.
		Paul Samuels,  President,  ABR, AREP, BIC, Realtor Broker, Licensed South Carolina Real Estate Broker since 1980, Paul is a specialist in sales training, marketing and fund raising. He is an Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) and Broker-in-Charge (BIC) of Total Real Estate Company. In addition, Paul has worked in an executive and entrepreneurial capacity with several premier international missions organizations involved in humanitarian aid.
		Denise Stanton,  Fortune Academy’s Office Manager,  Denise brings a wealth of administrative talent and friendliness to the Fortune Academy team. Born in Manhattan and later moving to the south with her husband Jim and two sons, she was a government travel agent for 16 years for the South Carolina National Guard prior to joining Fortune Academy.  Denise is an avid football fan-New York Giants-and the friendly helpful voice you first hear when you call Fortune Academy.
Richard E. Barham With 32 years in the Real Estate Business and 17 years of teaching, Richard shares from his many years of experience to help students remember the finer points of the course. During his career, he has been President of the Richmond Board of Realtors as well as Realtor of the Year.  He has served on numerous Realtor Committees at a local, state and national level.   John Hassell Licensed since 1985 and specializing in Commercial Real Estate John brings a great sense of humor into the class to blend with his skilled instruction to students.   Pam Hays Licensed since1992 as a Real Estate Broker, she is a multi-million dollar producer. Pam is originally from Indiana, where she was a proprietor of her own real estate company. Pam moved to Charleston from Washington DC., she is licensed in Indiana, Virginia, Greater DC Capital Area and now South Carolina. Pam brings a wealth of experience and training in diverse areas of real estate to Fortune Academy. An avid singer and entertainer, Pam is eager to teach with a fun and exciting approach to the course material and thrilled to share her love of the real estate business.
		Brian R. Rains Brian has experience in many different professional service industries including Banking, Insurance, Financial Advisory, and now Real Estate.  After becoming successful personally as a real estate agent, Brian moved on to become the founder of Five Star Real Estate in Charleston, SC.  He currently holds a Broker-In-Charge license and practices real estate on a regular basis.  In addition, he has founded Five Star Enterprises containing other subsidiary companies that tap into the real estate industry.  With the business knowledge, expertise, and dedication to succeed, Brian brings to the classroom a higher level of teaching.
		Erik Silden  Erik  has been a licensed South Carolina Real Estate Broker since 1985 working in the Real Estate Industry for 34 years.  He served as President of the Charleston Trident Homebuilders Association and Sales & Marketing Council, 1989-1990.  He is winner of the following CTHBA Sales & Marketing Council Prism Awards:  Sales Manager of the Year,  Salesperson of the Year,  Sales & Marketing Member of the Year.  Erik is a member of Seacoast Christian Community Church where he is the Coach of the “Seacoast Offers Support (SOS) Ministry.”  As well, he is involved in helping other Realtors become the "best" they can be, through "Coaching For Positive Change", a personal life coaching practice.
		Gail Strunk, Gail Strunk, Fortune’s Appraisal Instructor, is a certified residential appraiser. In 2005, she attained the prestigious USPAP Certification, only one of 14 in South Carolina and 500 in the USA. She began her career in Ohio in 1982 as a real estate agent. She obtained her Appraisal license in 1992. She found her forte in teaching at Malone and Hondros Colleges in Ohio.  She has been an Appraiser for a major lending institution and as well as a fee Appraiser.   Gail brings a wealth of experience and an enthusiasm to her courses and her students.
		Jean Woods, Jr.  A native of Charleston, Jean graduated from The Citadel, and is a Viet Nam Veteran.  He began his Real Estate career in 1980. He won the  Rookie of the year Vince Lombardi award with 5.5 million in production.  He consistently qualified for his company’s President’s Club.  He wrote and taught sales classes for agents on three different levels. He opened a start-up office for Wardley Better Homes and Gardens and recruited, hired, and trained 64 agents in one year. He then took over the Flagship office with 232 agents. This office was number one in America in listings, sales, and volume. With an extensive background in agency management and training, Jean brings a lot of value added insight and experience into his courses.

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Fortune Academy
537 Long Pointe Road, Suite 101, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464~ Phone (843) 881-2341 Fax: 843-881 2556
Email: fortuneacademy@gmail.com

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