Miami DealMakers Daniel de la Vega | Building ONE Sotheby’s, Selling $10 Billion a Year, & Miami’s Residential Market
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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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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