How to Get Your First Real Estate Development Deal Done: 2 Deals, 1 Email, & 200 Days of Doubt|EP#46

What if the deal you’ve been chasing is one message away from changing everythingIn this episode, Kristi and Raphael pull back the curtain on what real development actually looks like behind the scenes. No polished case studies. No overnight wins. Just two active developers in the trenches sharing live updates from their own projects, the wins, the delays, the risks, and the moments where things finally click.Raphael walks through a two year journey to stabilize a mixed use building in Louisville. From negotiating the purchase price down to securing tenants and landing a national pharmacy in under two weeks, it is a clear look at how patience, relationships, and timing come together in real deals.Kristi shares the 200 plus day process of chasing land for her Elevate development. After months of slow movement and uncertainty, one outreach email turned into a major opportunity. Now, with the right site and alignment in place, the project is moving faster than expected and opening doors far beyond a single deal.This episode is a real time reminder that development is not linear. It is relationship driven, full of unknowns, and built by people willing to keep showing up even when nothing is guaranteed.What We Cover: ✅ How Raphael negotiated a deal from 600K down to 450K and structured it around finding a tenant ✅ The step by step timeline from acquisition to first and second tenants ✅ Landing a national pharmacy tenant and why speed and alignment matter ✅ Creative strategies like right of first refusal and tenant paid buildouts ✅ Managing multiple projects including stabilized assets, redevelopment, and insurance challenges ✅ Why building relationships with local brokers creates unexpected deal flow ✅ Kristi’s 200 day journey to secure land for a large scale development ✅ The email that led to a breakthrough opportunity with a 100 acre site ✅ How alignment and timing can accelerate deals faster than expected ✅ Activating land with little to no capital through programming and partnerships ✅ Using proof of concept to unlock future phases and capital raises ✅ Building in public and how visibility builds credibility with partners ✅ Turning one project into multiple future opportunities through strategic relationships ✅ Announcement of the first Local Developer Meetup in Louisville and why in person community mattersBold Truth:The deal is rarely the hard part. Staying in the game long enough to see it through is.🎧 Developer Vault Drop:Kristi Kandel and Raphael Collazo break down what it actually takes to move a deal forward in real time. From negotiating purchase prices and landing tenants to sending the one email that unlocks a major opportunity, this episode is a behind the scenes look at how local developers create momentum, build proof of concept, and turn relationships into real projects.Connect with Kristi: 🌐 Website: https://kristikandel.com/ 📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristikandel/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-kandel-4b650a12/ Connect with Raphael: 🌐 Website: http://www.raphaelcollazo.com/ 📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/commercial_louisville/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelcollazo/ Listen + Subscribe:Watch full episodes on YouTube or listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.Want more from Kristi?Hear how she’s helping locals become developers in their own communities without the gatekeeping.🎧 Local Real Estate Developer Podcast Playlist →👉 Ready to become a local developer in your town? Apply for the Mentorship:https://www.localrealestatedeveloper.com/dev-mentorship🎧 Access all platforms, the Developer Vault, and more:https://linktr.ee/localrealestatedeveloper#localrealestatedeveloper #realestateinvesting #womeninrealestate #mindsetmatters #communitydevelopment #realestatejourney #propertyinvestor #infilldevelopment #therealestatedeveloper #partnerships #elevateswfl