The 1031 Investor

What The 1031 Investor does

The 1031 Investor (legal entity Ironwood Solutions, LLC) is a Florida-based professional services firm acting as a Qualified Intermediary for Section 1031 tax-deferred real estate exchanges. Founded in 2018 by Dave Foster — a real estate investor with nearly 25 years of personal experience executing 1031 exchanges across four states — the company serves individual SMB investors who need to defer federal capital gains taxes and depreciation recapture when transitioning between investment properties. The service holds client exchange proceeds in segregated qualified escrow accounts at partner bank Fortis Private Bank and guides clients through the IRS-mandated 45-day identification and 180-day exchange windows.

The offering is single-service and human-mediated: the core deliverable is QI representation, supplemented by a content and tool ecosystem including an online 1031 Exchange Calculator, a 1031 Exchange Timeline Calculator, a downloadable exchange checklist, a published Amazon book (Lifetime Tax-Free Wealth), and a YouTube training channel. There is no proprietary software platform, API, or AI component; the competitive differentiator is founder expertise, internal controls over fund custody, and responsive personal service as repeatedly cited in customer testimonials.

Revenue is generated purely through transaction fees: $950 per standard exchange on properties up to $1M (with a $50 first-time client discount), $250 per additional replacement property, and 0.1% of contract sales price capped at $5,000 for properties over $1M, plus $250 per additional purchase and a $245 rush document fee. The go-to-market is direct-to-client sales with content marketing, organic SEO, and BiggerPockets community presence driving top-of-funnel demand, and free Calendly consultations as the primary conversion mechanism. The firm is founder-led, employs 1-10 people, has no institutional funding or parent company, and operates from Redington Shores, FL while serving clients nationwide.

Name

The 1031 Investor

Legal name

Ironwood Solutions, LLC

Website

https://the1031investor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The 1031 Investor is a Florida-based Qualified Intermediary that facilitates Section 1031 tax-deferred exchanges for individual SMB real estate investors, holding client proceeds in segregated escrow and guiding them through IRS-mandated timelines for a per-transaction fee.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Qualified Intermediary Services (Real Estate Tax Services)

NAICS

Miscellaneous Intermediation (52391)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

1031 Exchange Intermediary Services (BPAJAOAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Escrow Services (BPAJAOAD), Escrow, Trustee & Agency Services (Custody-Adjacent) (FSAFAHAG)

Keywords

• Qualified intermediary services
• 1031 exchange services
• Tax-deferred exchanges
• Real estate investing
• Capital gains deferral

Headquarters

HQ city

Palm Shores

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 1031 Exchange Transaction Fees: The company charges fees for acting as Qualified Intermediary for 1031 exchanges. Standard fee for property valued up to $1M is $950 for one sale followed by one purchase. Additional property purchases are $250 each. For properties over $1M, the fee is 0.1% of contract sales price (maximum $5,000) plus $250 per additional purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The 1031 Investor acts as a Qualified Intermediary (QI) for individual real estate investors executing 1031 tax-deferred exchanges. The company holds exchange proceeds in segregated qualified escrow accounts at its banking partner, guides clients through the IRS-mandated 45-day identification and 180-day exchange periods, prepares exchange documentation, and coordinates with title companies and closing attorneys to complete the exchange.

Product overview

The 1031 Investor is a single-service platform offering Qualified Intermediary (QI) representation for 1031 tax-deferred real estate exchanges. The core offering is the QI service, supported by complementary tools including the 1031 Exchange Calculator (for estimating tax deferral), the 1031 Exchange Timeline Calculator (for tracking IRS deadlines), a downloadable 1031 Exchange Checklist, the Lifetime Tax-Free Wealth book, and YouTube video training content. The company also provides a guided exchange process page with video walkthrough. Fee structure: $950 for standard exchanges up to $1M (with $50 first-order discount), $250 per additional property purchase, and 0.1% of contract sales price (max $5,000) for properties over $1M plus $250 per additional purchase.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Qualified Intermediary (QI) Services The company's primary service: acting as a Qualified Intermediary to facilitate 1031 tax-deferred exchanges for real estate investors, holding exchange funds in segregated qualified escrow accounts at its banking partner, preparing exchange documentation, and guiding clients through IRS-mandated timelines through closing.
• 1031 Exchange Calculator Online calculator that estimates the taxable impact of a proposed property sale and replacement purchase, helping users determine reinvestment targets and tax deferral amounts under the Equal or Up Rule.
• 1031 Exchange Timeline Calculator Online tool that calculates the 45-Day Identification Period and 180-Day Exchange Period deadlines based on the relinquished property closing date.
• 1031 Exchange Checklist Downloadable fillable PDF checklist guiding investors through the 1031 exchange process from sale through purchase, with printable worksheets for tracking exchange tasks.
• The 1031 Process (Guided Exchange Process) Step-by-step guided exchange process with video overview showing the workflow of working with The 1031 Investor as Qualified Intermediary, from sale notification through final property closing.
• Lifetime Tax-Free Wealth Book Book authored by Dave Foster covering strategies for building real estate wealth through 1031 exchanges and the Section 121 homestead exemption, available for purchase on Amazon.
• Video Training Educational video content available on YouTube covering 1031 exchange strategies, identification rules, and exchange processes, including video series on the 45-day identification list rules.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increase in reinvestment capacity by up to 40% by deferring taxes instead of paying them
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• BiggerPockets: Real estate investor community and content platform where Dave Foster builds authority. Not a direct competitor but a key channel and ecosystem relationship; subscribers and forum users are core prospective customers for The 1031 Investor's QI services.

Broad incumbents

• CBRE Capital Markets: Global commercial real estate services firm that includes 1031 exchange advisory and capital-markets support in its broader real estate transaction offering. Sits in the same customer workflow as The 1031 Investor but at a vastly larger scale and broader service portfolio.
• First American Exchange Company: A subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation, providing 1031 exchange services as part of a broader title and escrow platform. Competitor in the same QI category, but with the backing of a major financial-infrastructure incumbent.

Direct peers

• Exchange Authority: National Qualified Intermediary providing 1031 exchange services for individual and institutional investors. Directly comparable in service offering and target customer segment to The 1031 Investor.
• 1031 Services Inc. Mid-sized Qualified Intermediary providing 1031 exchange facilitation for real estate investors nationally. Comparable service offering and customer base to The 1031 Investor, with a similar personalized-service positioning.
• Equity Trust: One of the largest Qualified Intermediaries in the United States, offering 1031 exchange services as well as self-directed IRAs. Directly competes with The 1031 Investor in the same product category with a similar transaction-fee model, but at materially greater scale and brand recognition.
• IPX1031: A national Qualified Intermediary providing 1031 exchange services across all 50 states. Closely comparable in service offering and target customer (real estate investors), with a broader geographic footprint and institutional marketing capability.
• Asset Preservation, Inc. National Qualified Intermediary specializing in 1031 exchanges, DST investments, and related tax-deferral strategies. Directly comparable to The 1031 Investor in product, customer base, and revenue model, with deeper institutional offerings.
• Realty Exchange Corporation: Qualified Intermediary offering 1031 exchange services with a focus on both standard and reverse (parking) exchanges. Comparable core product and customer profile to The 1031 Investor.

Emerging players

• Accruit 1031 Exchange: Tech-enabled Qualified Intermediary offering 1031 exchange services with greater workflow automation and digital tooling. Competes with The 1031 Investor in the same product category but with a differentiated technology-led delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@The1031Investor
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-1031-investor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The 1031 Investor