What does it really take to make it in real estate development? In this episode, Raphael Collazo, CCIM sits down with John McNellis, veteran developer, co-founder of McNellis Partners, and author of the bestselling Making It in Real Estate: Thriving as a Developer (3rd Edition) — for a candid conversation about building a career in commercial real estate from the ground up.With over 40 years of experience and 100+ deals across shopping centers, mixed-use projects, and office buildings throughout Northern California, John shares the hard-won lessons most developers would never admit to. In this episode, you'll learn how to identify and evaluate real estate opportunities, how to structure partnerships and navigate financing, how to survive economic downturns and costly mistakes, and what it truly takes to build lasting wealth through real estate development.Whether you're just getting started or a seasoned developer looking to sharpen your edge, John's insights are practical, honest, and backed by decades of real-world experience. His new book is the field guide he wished existed when he started — and this conversation is one you won't want to miss.▶️ Connect with John McNellis:▶ Website: https://www.johnmcnellis.com▶ Book: Making It in Real Estate: Thriving as a Developer (3rd Edition) — Available on AmazonIf you like the video, please SUBSCRIBE and don't forget to press the bell 🔔, 👍like, comment, and share.📌 About Your Host — Raphael Collazo, CCIM:Raphael is a commercial real estate broker, investor, and developer based in Louisville, KY. He is President & Co-Founder of Summit Commercial Group, a CCIM designee, and author of 3 CRE books. He has been featured in Commercial Property Executive for his innovative use of AI in commercial real estate brokerage.🔗 Website: https://raphaelcollazo.com🔗 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/raphaelcollazo📧 [email protected] | 📞 502-536-7315🆓 Free CRE Resources: https://linktr.ee/raphaelcollazocre