Welcome to another episode of our serious SSG meetups by Super Luxury Group, where we connect with some of the most interesting players in the luxury market. My name is Alvaro and today we'll be having with us a very special guest. His name is Zach Deals. He's a real estate agent at Compass and former NFL player.
He'll be talking about his transition from being a professional NFL player to becoming a successful real estate agent in Los Angeles. Zach is also going to be talking about the secret to achieve greatness to hustle. We're also going to be talking about some interesting market trends, recent success stories and even his TV appearance at VH1's show, Love and Listings, a total fan and motivating conversation that we hope will inspire you. Enjoy.
Zach, what's going on? How you doing? Oh my god, flexing those campbells behind you. I love it.
This is my little zen area of the car, I'm a man, I come to this kick. I love it because that's the inspiration that you bring to work every day. I love what you said about talent means nothing without hard work. Exactly bro, you know me just coming from my background, you just went football in that path of just playing in the professional aspect.
You could be the most talented person in the world but if you don't have work ethic, the guidance might not be the talent you're going to get that playing time. You know what I mean? So it's a, you have to always bring your A game every day. Right.
I don't know anybody that does the work hard play hard better than you. I mean, every time we talk, you're doing everything, closing listings, playing golf, working hard editing. Like how does this guy has so much time to do everything? Because besides that Zach, let me share with the audience.
I mean, you are also a star at VH1's Love and Listings show. You are also part owner of the hat that you're wearing, right? Yes. You're doing real estate.
You've been doing sports your whole life. I mean, come on, man. What else do you have? Because you also play golf at what a machine.
So share with us your story and how did you end up from NFL player all the way to becoming so successful in real estate? Well, the thing about it is, well, I appreciate it. The segue, you know, that was great. But what I'm from California, right?
So I grew up in a small town about three hours north Los Angeles. So, you know, after I got drafted in 2007, now I'm around like millionaires and things every day. And I went to one of my former teammates houses and it was just like, it was probably the biggest house I've ever seen, especially at that time. But I kind of got my life.
I'm like, how did you find this? Like, what happened? Like, how did you find this house? Like, because it was named Mario Winve.
He had the biggest house I've ever seen. So, you know, that kind of just started peaking my interest. Then the later I got into my career, I started realizing a lot of guys were coming out to California, Los Angeles, to train or whatever. Right.
So, my brother lives out here. My brother's a high school football coach at Woodland. He was at the time. So I would always be here and see that.
So I'm like, you know what? I'm interested in real estate. I see all of my friends, a lot of my colleagues coming out here to Los Angeles. It's just me.
I know what they like. That's what I wanted to do. So it kind of just kind of linked up. I love it.
I mean, that's a great trajectory because a lot of former athletes, they end up doing something related to the sport. And it seems like you chose a different path that really fits into it because everybody at the end of the day at that level, they're looking for homes and nobody better than somebody that has lived that career to know exactly what's in their basic needs. So I think that's amazing. What's the hardest part, Zach?
Because I guess it's a different game. Yeah. I mean, you got to think you on it. So I played football for 16 years, you know, four years of high school, four years of college, eight years in the NFL.
So for 16 years of my life, it was all dedicated to Xs and O's. You know what I mean? So, you know, after retiring, now you have to dedicate yourself into something different. At the age of 30, I'm learning a new skill, you know what I mean?
And having to apply it in a field where, you know, there's people that have been doing this, that have got to really successful doing it. And I'm trying to, you know, carve my path in there. So it was a lot of transitioning, you know, just a lot of adjusting. You know, you're not going into your locker every Tuesday, picking up a check.
Like you were in the NFL now. I was like, damn, I got to have the money. You know what I mean? So it's like, damn, okay.
And it's a new field. You have to gain your respect. You have to earn your respect. So, you know, it was the first few years, that's kind of what I was just trying to do.
I kind of made sure, you know, luxury market is what I wanted to focus on. So what I did was I just kind of looked at where everybody was doing luxury in the area that I wanted to work. And I would just pop up on them all the time. They have an open houses, you know, every anytime they're having open houses or anything going on, they see making that facial recognition and just understanding like I'm here, this is what I do.
And then I ended up selling a house to a former teammate of mine, Joe Hayden for $4.3 million in Encino. And that kind of just took everything. There we go. There we go.
Let's go. It's another game. It's going with that mindset. You're just dominating the game step by step, understand your competition, hard every day, improve every day, and successes around the corner.
I mean, I love this graphic because I want this right here, NFL. And now all the sudden, there we go. Superstar. How do you make that decision?
I mean, you definitely like the shiny shiny, yeah, always like being so professional from NFL player. Now you're also on a TV show. How is that? Man, it was it was crazy how the TV show came apart.
It was I started working with this guy and he's really good friends with Ray Jain, things like that from Love and Hip Hop. So he approached me about he approached me one day. Like, hey, man, I have this idea for the show. I want to call it this.
And because of my background, you know, at the time, I just retired over eight years in the end of the day. You're in NFL vet. You're a good looking guy. You're single.
You know, I had this idea of what do you think. So I and in the next, you know, three years later, we're filming the show called Love and Listening. So it's kind of going with opportunities. So this is very interesting because I mean, right now, with everything that is going on, I mean, I saw that you recently sold this place right here, which was off market.
It was not being able to be sold on you with phone call. Boom, done. So how important it is nowadays to use that platform digital space to bring sellers buyers into together? It's huge.
And just relationships in general, like I said, when I first moved here, I was always bumping elbows with the right people, right? So this property before I got it was listed, it was on the market for five months. No, it had no nothing was going on. It's actually a family friend of mine who owns the property.
So I called him and he's thought this, I had to kind of flash on him. Like, what do you do with that? You know, I mean, how do you? And so, you know, and at the time, they were already kind of on the way out with their current listing agent.
So I was like, look, let me let me do this. So I literally had that shit sold in a week and a half. We were in escrow. It was all cash deal.
They they cashed out, you know, we got it sold for $1.1 million. They cashed out in a month and a half after, you know, getting me getting this listing. So, but it's just, you know, throwing the right people off market, being able to reach out to do out over work with investors and was able to get that done. So it was amazing.
Amazing. So, SAC, obviously the way that you promote yourself nowadays with the former relationships that you have also used in social media, also on the TV show, I guess that nowadays that's the direction to go connecting through digital platforms, right? Yes, yes. And it's you, especially, like I said, in the pandemic, you have to adjust to it, right?
And social media platform is definitely helping that aspect, you know, actually being on the show, the show area in the middle of the pandemic as well. So that kind of got put eyes out there as well. So, you know, I'm very blessed in that aspect. But again, you know, I posted a property about a month and a half ago, two months ago on my page and got a five and a half million on a buy round of it.
You know what I mean? So, as a trick, man, let's go. A friend of mine, we need, we need Nelly hats. We need a Nelly hats.
You know, I got beer. A friend of mine saw the posting with like, oh my God, my friend just needed to house the other day. She's on the market. Don't know that.
Hey, I'm gonna give you those. Oh, shit, bet. Let's go. So, there you go.
I posted a photo on Instagram that tomorrow actually we're looking at a five and a half million on house that we saw third, it's our third time going to go see this property. So I think she's getting ready to pull the trigger on it. So it's, it's, it's wild like that, let's go close it and come to Miami. Let's celebrate.
Guys, do both. Now, right? Yeah, exactly. Not very happy to have you here today.
And, you know, when it comes to the trust, what do you see currently in LA because it's a hot market right now, right? I mean, it's, it's crazy. It's, um, to the point where I'm having to cultivate these relationships all over again, like, hey, do you have anything coming up on the market because anything hitting the market in that sweet spot. I mean, I say it's sweet spot for what I do in the luxury of my three dollars.
If it's will price, your location is going to, it's gone in, in matter of days with multiple offers right now. It's our off market before it even hits the market. So I'm, I'm having to call, you know, the friends and realtors that I know just to kind of try to get, if I can get in early, but the thing about it is, you know, your clients, your buyers, some of them don't have like the, the imagination to kind of see the final product, right? So you're trying to educate them like, hey, man, look, I, I appreciate the fact and I understand you want to wait until it's done.
But if you wait until this house is done, it's going to be gone. So over over. Yes. Exactly.
Perfect. So Zach, let me ask you this because I always like to ask this question and you that come from professional athlete also in the show doing some real estate. What's the term or what does it mean luxury to you? I mean, luxury is just, you know, you know, you've worked hard and, you know, you know, you're able to, because it's not easy, you know, I mean to, to attain these kind of funds to purchase these type of homes.
So when you put in that kind of work and you want to be able to, you know, it's luxury, you know, it's a luxury that comes with putting in that kind of work. I love it. I've never heard this one because, you know, people sometimes say luxury is like expensive or time or lifestyle, but I like the fact that you name it, that's a reward. That's good.
That's a good way to see it. That's a good one. So, Zach, let me ask you because obviously a lot of people that are watching us and listening to us are also some former athletes that I'm sure they're feeling inspired by seeing how successful you've become after being a professional athlete. So what would be one recommendation that you can share?
I would, for me, it was important to, you know, I retired. As soon as I retired, I got into something else that I wanted to do because, you know, the thing about it is it's retired, especially you come from that kind of a level and you sit around for two years now, you become a sergeant, you start letting shit compound on you, you know, whatever situation kind of life situation you're going to because you have to say life still happens when you retire. You know, I mean, bills still come down. Your cost of living is probably a lot higher than it, you know, than the norm.
So you want to continue to live at this kind of, you have to get to work depending if you want to got it made 30, 40, 50, even if you are got like that, most of them are from a blow through that shit. So it's like just just it's important to get out and get out early, you know, I mean, and get in and get in and get trans, and get in and get trans and I like the way that you're saying it because it's important to also follow your passion, you know, go to something that you're passionate about so that transition becomes natural. If somebody wants to contact you, reach out for some real estate needs or anything in particular about your hat, I need to get one of those hats for sure. When you come to Miami, you need to bring me one.
Oh, gosh, I see. All right. So what can they find you, SAC? Instagram, best way?
My ZAC dial, ZAC, D-I-L-E-S, same on Twitter, email is zac at erinchermin.com, A-A-R-O-N-K-I-R, M-A-N.com. And you know, pretty much that's the best way to get at me. I'm available ready to go. So yeah, let's go.
Amazing, SAC. So I look forward to seeing you in LA or if you get tired, you want to come celebrate your close-ed Miami, listen, you have your place there. Got you. I'm gonna pull up on you for sure.
SAC, it was a pleasure having you. I'll see you soon, okay? Hey, keep working on that swing on golf. I see you doing phenomenal.
I'm coming along, man. I'm gonna have to take a lesson though. Like, I'm tired of just going out there and I'm at the ball and take a lesson, huh? There you go.
There you go. All right, man. You're a true athlete, through champion. Thanks for the inspiration.
I'll talk to you soon. I may have a good one, bro. I appreciate you. Bye-bye.
And thanks again for everybody tuning in today. We hope you enjoyed it. And remember, embrace each beautiful, success in life. My name is Alvaro and I'll see you next time.