Miami Dealmakers

In this episode of Miami Dealmakers, Omar Morales sits down with Christina Pappas, President of The Keyes Company, to discuss leading one of Florida’s largest independent residential brokerages. Christina shares the story behind her family’s 100-year-old business, her path from hospitality back to Miami real estate, and how she worked her way from agent to leadership. They break down the advantages of staying independent in a consolidating industry, along with practical insights on building a real estate business—from habits and consistency to lead generation and mindset. This episode is packed with lessons on leadership, longevity, and succeeding in South Florida real estate.

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• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:51 - Inside a 100-Year Real Estate Family Business
• 10:51 - Finding Her Own Path Before Joining the Business
• 15:39 - Navigating a Family Business
• 24:33 - Starting as an Agent + Transitioning Into Leadership
• 31:33 - Traits of Top Producers
• 40:28 - Understanding Client Acquisition in Real Estate
• 49:11 - The Mental Game of Sales & Discipline
• 57:18 - How AI is Changing Real Estate
• 1:05:27 - South Florida Market Trends Explained
• 1:16:30 - Understanding Buyer Behavior Today
• 1:31:12 - Hot Retail Markets in Florida + Building a Business That Lasts

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In this episode of Miami Dealmakers, Omar Morales sits down with Scott Sherman, Founder & Principal of Torose Equities, to break down his path from South Florida native to one of the most active retail and office investors in the market. Scott shares his journey from Ernst & Young to Thor Equities, the decision to leave a seven-figure role to start his own firm, and how he built a platform focused on finding value where others don’t. The conversation covers his contrarian approach to investing, including major deals like Wynwood’s Cube and Level 6 in Coconut Grove. A sharp conversation on market cycles, risk-taking, and spotting opportunities before the crowd.

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• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:50 – Accounting Major & Early Career in New York
• 10:28 – Institutional Deal Experience at Thor Equities
• 14:38 – The Decision to Go Out on His Own
• 20:35 – Retail Playbook
• 25:20 – The First Deal: St. Pete & Buying Ground Retail Strategy
• 31:40 – The Cube Office Deal During Covid
• 37:46 – Raising Capital for Torose Equity
• 39:37 – Coconut Grove Record-Breaking Office Exit
• 58:51 – Hot Retail Markets in Florida & Closing Thoughts

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In this episode of Miami Dealmakers, Omar Morales sits down with Edgardo Defortuna, founder and CEO of Fortune International Group and one of the key figures behind the evolution of Miami’s luxury condominium market. Edgardo shares his journey from immigrating to Miami from Argentina in the early 1980s to building a brokerage and development platform that has helped shape the city’s skyline. He discusses identifying early international demand, launching landmark projects like the Jade Residences, navigating market cycles including the financial crisis, and the leadership mindset required to build and sustain a real estate business across decades. This conversation offers valuable insights for brokers, developers, investors, and anyone looking to understand how vision, persistence, and market awareness can create long-term success in one of the most competitive real estate markets in the world.

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• 0:00 — Intro
• 3:20  — From Argentina to Miami
• 6:59 — Identifying a gap in the foreign market
• 12:29 — Growing His Brokerage Business
• 20:07 — Brokerage to Development
• 30:44 — The First Big Project: The Grand View
• 39:21 — Notable Projects and Brickell’s Boom
• 48:48 — Navigating the 2008 Financial Crisis
• 1:00:06 — Expanding into Property Management, Vaster Capital, and Growie
• 1:13:36 — Miami Post-Covid
• 1:17:48 — Key Biscayne Project
• 1:25:13 — Favorite Markets and Closing Advice

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Tere Blanca is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Blanca Commercial Real Estate, Florida’s leading independent commercial real estate advisory firm. Founded in 2009, the firm has grown to more than 50 professionals across three Southeast Florida offices and has sustained approximately 30% market share of Miami’s Class A and B office lease transactions since 2016.In this episode, Tere shares her decision to launch the firm during the 2008 financial crisis, her experience leasing and advising on over 17 million square feet of office space, and her perspective on branding office, building teams, and Miami’s evolution as a global business hub.

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• 0:00 Intro
• 2:16 Tere’s Background & Early Career
• 8:51 Moving Back to Miami & Joining Coldwell Banker and Codina
• 16:01 Joining Cushman & Wakefield to Lead the South Florida Region
• 21:51 Dealing with Tragedy & Starting Blanca Commercial Real Estate
• 27:06 Leasing the First Project: 1450 Brickell
• 31:34 Building the Blanca CRE Team & Early Scaling
• 46:58 Big Wins and Growth into Different Markets
• 50:26 COVID Hits: Team Response and Survival Strategy
• 56:16 Blackstone Enters the Market and Scaling After the Boom
• 59:01 The Future of Office: Wellness, Mixed-Use, and Experiences
• 1:05:43 Mamdani Effect, New York Migration, and Miami Outlook
• 1:08:22 Advice for Women in CRE and Closing Thoughts

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In this episode of Miami DealMakers, Omar Morales sits down with Fred Zutel, Partner and President of Lockton’s Florida Division, the largest privately held and independently owned insurance brokerage in the world. Fred shares his remarkable journey from growing up in Hialeah and selling nails and screws to insuring some of the most iconic developments in Miami — including the Waldorf Astoria, St. Regis Brickell, and Bentley Residences. He opens up about his early struggles breaking into the insurance world during the 2008 recession, how a chance meeting at Zuma led to his first major developer client, and the mindset that helped him scale a 30-person team into 130+ employees statewide. The conversation dives deep into the inner workings of real estate insurance — from how mega-projects are structured across 40+ carriers, to why prices spiked after Hurricane Ian, and how falling interest rates are now reshaping the market. Fred also discusses leadership, grit, and staying hungry, even after reaching the top of his industry. Whether you’re a developer, broker, or investor, this episode is a masterclass in resilience, execution, and the business behind Miami’s biggest buildings.

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• 0:00 – Intro
• 0:36 – What Lockton does + Fred’s background
• 3:40 – Early jobs and how Fred got into insurance in 2009
• 14:40 – Pivoting into insuring real estate and getting clients
• 19:02 – First big client (Zuma bar story)
• 21:55 – Now insuring Waldorf Astoria Miami and how mega-projects are insured
• 23:45 – How does Lockton provide outsized value?
• 28:36 – Why insurance prices spiked in 2021 + interest-rate impact
• 34:12 – Breaking down layers of insurance (liability, builder’s risk, etc.)
• 40:16 – Building a team and joining Lockton
• 46:26 – How insurance brokers make money
• 50:25 – Grit and motivation to keep pushing
• 54:05 – Future of Florida’s insurance market
• 56:28 – Advice for young professionals in their 20s

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In this episode, Omar Morales sits down with Daniel de la Vega, President of ONE Sotheby’s International Realty, to unpack his incredible journey from working in construction to leading one of the most powerful luxury brokerage networks in Florida. Daniel shares untold stories about growing up in Coral Gables, buying the Sotheby’s franchise out of bankruptcy during the 2008 financial crisis, and scaling it into a $10B+ sales powerhouse with over 1,400 agents. They dive deep into Miami’s luxury real estate cycle—from The Setai and Brickell’s transformation to today’s wave of new developments in Surfside, Coral Gables, and South Miami. Daniel also opens up about building culture, staying grounded through market cycles, and transitioning from brokerage to development. Whether you’re an investor, agent, or developer, this conversation is a masterclass in leadership, resilience, and the evolution of Miami real estate.

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Noise complaints are one of the top issues facing condo and hotel developers. Pliteq engineered the GenieMat to provide effective sound isolation of floors and walls in units for quiet living and restful sleep. As a designer, you know high quality amenity spaces set your project apart but they shouldn’t come at the cost of comfort. Pliteq's products isolate the noise from gyms, pools and even my favourite, pickleball courts, so residents can fully enjoy their homes. Visit ⁠⁠⁠https://www.pliteq.com/⁠⁠⁠ today and build quieter buildings.

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TIMESTAMPS:

• 0:00 - Intro  
• 1:15 - Daniel’s background into real estate  
• 13:40 - Challenges in today’s market  
• 17:32 - Managing thousands of agents and the culture of leadership  
• 22:24 - Buying ONE Sotheby’s out of bankruptcy in 2008  
• 31:18 - Working with developers and the rise of Brickell  
• 34:39 - Scaling ONE Sotheby’s across Florida  
• 35:48 - Compass acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate  
• 42:59 - Shifting into development as a principal (One Capital)  
• 47:39 - Future developments in Surfside & Coral Gables  
• 1:01:20 - Daniel’s favorite projects he is not working on  
• 1:04:46 - Submarkets Daniel is very excited about  
• 1:13:04 - Leadership and team building in real estate  
• 1:17:28 - Miami condo market outlook  
• 1:24:25 - Advice for aspiring agents and brokers  
• 1:31:44 - Closing thoughts and Miami’s future

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In this episode of Miami DealMakers, Omar Morales sits down with Nelson Stabile, co-founder of Integra, to trace his path from corporate America and a scrappy cabinetry venture to building one of South Florida’s most respected development firms. They cover early risk-taking, lessons from the 2008 crisis, and how partnerships with Paulo Melo and later Victor Ballestas shaped Integra’s diversified, disciplined growth across condos, market-rate and affordable rentals, and a white-glove marina platform (now approaching half a billion in assets). Nelson shares the decade-long St. Regis Brickell story—from acquiring a HUD-restricted site and relocating 222 seniors to a new 270-unit community, to launching a 152-residence ultra-luxury tower with Related Group—plus why “location, timing, and basis” beats old clichés. The conversation boils down to a candid blueprint: be resourceful, take measured risks, build complementary teams, capitalize conservatively, and stay relentlessly action-oriented—because in real estate, execution and relationships compound.

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Noise complaints are one of the top issues facing condo and hotel developers. Pliteq engineered the GenieMat to provide effective sound isolation of floors and walls in units for quiet living and restful sleep. As a designer, you know high quality amenity spaces set your project apart but they shouldn’t come at the cost of comfort. Pliteq's products isolate the noise from gyms, pools and even my favourite, pickleball courts, so residents can fully enjoy their homes. Visit ⁠⁠https://www.pliteq.com/⁠⁠ today and build quieter buildings.

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TIMESTAMPS:

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:17 - Deals between Omar & Nelson
• 3:35 - How Nelson got into real estate
• 32:15 - Starting Integra and navigating 2008
• 46:19 - Buying first property in Boynton Beach
• 50:07 - Scaling Integra and how the business is structured
• 1:06:15 - How Nelson and Integra got into marinas
• 1:17:32 - Milestones and size of Integra’s portfolio
• 1:26:27 - Developing St. Regis in South Brickell
• 1:41:14 - Meeting Vanessa and relationship advice
• 1:48:27 - Advice for young real estate professionals

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In this episode of Miami DealMakers, Omar Morales sits down with Diego Ojeda, President of Rilea Group and founder of CIPRES, to talk about his journey from film school to building Miami landmarks like 1450 Brickell, The Bond, and now Santander’s 900K-SF Brickell tower. They cover a Port St. Lucie land deal, new projects in Wynwood like Mohawk and The Ryder, and why spec office, private capital, and storytelling have been the family’s formula for success. Diego also shares insights on navigating recessions, launching his own firm, and advice for the next generation of developers.

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Noise complaints are one of the top issues facing condo and hotel developers. Pliteq engineered the GenieMat to provide effective sound isolation of floors and walls in units for quiet living and restful sleep. As a designer, you know high quality amenity spaces set your project apart but they shouldn’t come at the cost of comfort. Pliteq's products isolate the noise from gyms, pools and even my favourite, pickleball courts, so residents can fully enjoy their homes. Visit ⁠https://www.pliteq.com/⁠ today and build quieter buildings.

====================

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In this powerful and wide-ranging interview, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez sits down with Omar Morales to reflect on the city’s incredible transformation—from the violent 1980s to becoming one of the most desirable cities in the world. Mayor Suarez shares stories about his upbringing in Miami, his father’s political legacy, and how his administration has tackled crime, homelessness, and housing affordability while embracing innovation in tech, crypto, and AI. He opens up about the challenges of leadership, the city’s booming real estate market, and why billionaires and global investors are choosing Miami. Whether you’re an investor, policymaker, or simply someone fascinated by Miami’s rise, this conversation dives deep into the data, the mindset, and the vision driving the Magic City forward.

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Noise complaints are one of the top issues facing condo and hotel developers. Pliteq engineered the GenieMat to provide effective sound isolation of floors and walls in units for quiet living and restful sleep. As a designer, you know high quality amenity spaces set your project apart but they shouldn’t come at the cost of comfort. Pliteq's products isolate the noise from gyms, pools and even my favourite, pickleball courts, so residents can fully enjoy their homes. Visit https://www.pliteq.com/ today and build quieter buildings.

====================

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In this episode, Omar sits down with legendary Miami developer Carlos Rosso to talk about his journey from architect in Argentina to becoming one of the city’s most influential builders. Carlos shares how he went from measuring sewer pipes to launching a $2 billion master-planned community in the heart of Midtown Miami.