Douglas Elliman agent Johnny Delpreto spent much of his childhood on the greens, honing his skills as a golfer.
Adjusting his wrist twists, strengthening his hip alignment, assessing wind gusts and direction, and memorizing the various courses he played on the Korn Ferry, PGA Canada, and PGA China tours, where he recorded top-10 and top-25 finishes, reflects the instincts and dedication honed through the sport that served Del Prete well in the real estate industry and propelled him to the top of South Florida’s luxury market.
Johnny Delpreto
“I grew up playing golf in high school, college, and then turned pro, so golf has always been a big part of my life,” he told Inman. “That background has a great influence on the people I work with, and I’m able to use that to entertain my clients. There are other ways to close deals and get clients on board, and I happen to use golf as a platform.”
While most agents don’t have PGA bragging rights, building a strong network is all about knowledge, preparation, consistency and confidence, Delprete said.
“…relationships are almost at the heart of business and success,” he said.
The following conversation ahead of DelPrete’s appearance at Inman Luxury Connect in San Diego has been edited for length and clarity.
Inman: What are you looking forward to at Inman Connect San Diego?
Del Prete: I’m excited to come out because it’s fun being on the West Coast where you run into the same people everywhere you go, as opposed to Florida. It’s kind of great to connect with other agents, developers, and other types of industry leaders in different markets across the country.
Let’s talk about your Luxury Connect session — “Your network is your net worth.” What’s the high-level insight you’d most like to talk about?
I think in any industry, but especially in sales, these relationships are almost at the core of business and success. Therefore, building, maintaining and advancing such relationships is extremely valuable.
Most of these wealthy individuals rely on personal finance advisors, lawyers, and others who have some influence over their daily lives and businesses. Therefore, a relationship with those people can become a great customer for anyone.
Real estate is all about relationships. How does your advice differ depending on the agent’s experience level? What do you tell new agents about building connections? And what do you tell seasoned agents about maintenance?
Those new to this industry will have to prove themselves. Therefore, you can leverage a more experienced agent to help you navigate the learning curve and build your brand. But as long as you are successful with your clients, it will not only prove yourself to them, but also lead you to other opportunities they may offer you.
And over time, you will gain a certain reputation. This is very important for building and maintaining such relationships.
How can you overcome career failures and maintain your reputation? How can you avoid letting these failures derail your career?
I think a lot of it, in some ways, depends on how the business is run and run. You need to look at the big picture and understand the moving parts to make things smooth and seamless. It’s about preparation and it’s a big factor in how you can control your experience and maintain your reputation.
One of the things that has been talked about a lot this year is AI and its impact on social media, brand building, and more. How can agents effectively leverage AI, social media, and other forms of marketing to improve their reputation and expand their reach?
The AI and technology part of our industry has completely changed over the past 12-18 months. My team and I have our own AI software and a third-party marketing team to help us navigate everything and ensure consistency in how we appear digitally.
I’m not a big fan of golf, but I’m currently obsessed with the latest season of Netflix’s Full Swing series. Golfers often talk about the strategy and discipline it takes to excel in the sport. How does your golf experience apply to your business?
It goes back to what I said about how to run a business. Golf has so much structure and requires discipline and structure. Also, being an athlete and being competitive in a sense is an important factor in real estate.
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