Miami DealMakers
Omar Morales
Miami DealMakers is a podcast hosted by Omar Morales, a commercial real estate broker who has closed over $3 billion worth of deals in South Florida. This gives Omar access to some of the most prolific real estate dealmakers not only in South Florida, but across the country. This MDM podcast gives an inside scoop into the conversations and insights that power some of the most active real estate professionals in the field.
Categorias: Finanzas
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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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Episodios anteriores
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32 - Fred Zutel | Insuring Miami’s Skyline — The Waldorf, St. Regis, Bentley & More Wed, 26 Nov 2025
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31 - Daniel de la Vega | Building ONE Sotheby’s, Selling $10 Billion a Year, & Miami’s Residential Market Tue, 21 Oct 2025
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30 - Nelson Stabile | Starting Integra, Building St. Regis Brickell, & Scaling a $500M Marina Portfolio Fri, 03 Oct 2025
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29 - Diego Ojeda | RILEA’s 40YR+ Family Real Estate Development Business, Launching CIPRES, & more Tue, 09 Sep 2025
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28 - Mayor Francis Suarez | Mayor of Miami on Growth, Real Estate, and What’s Next for the City Fri, 18 Jul 2025
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27 - Carlos Rosso’s $2 Billion Midtown Miami Project & Luxury Condo Career Journey Fri, 23 May 2025
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26 - Michael Simkins | E11EVEN Owner Reveals Expansion Plans Thu, 24 Apr 2025
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25 - Kobi Karp | Miami’s Most Prolific Architect Thu, 20 Mar 2025
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24 - Jon Gitman on The Lender’s Perspective | Insights From Over $2 Billion in CRE Loans Closed Thu, 27 Feb 2025
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23 - Sydne Garchik’s Impactful Mission | From 0 to 6,000 Affordable Units Wed, 05 Feb 2025
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22 - Matt Ferrari | Driving $10B in Multifamily Acquisitions at TruAmerica Thu, 09 Jan 2025
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21 - Omar Morales on Pomp Podcast | Selling Billions of Miami Real Estate Fri, 13 Dec 2024
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20 - Jay Massirman on What It Takes | A Top 1% Broker Who Then Built Rivergate Companies  Wed, 08 Jan 2025
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19 - Robert Rivani | Class X - The Future of Office Buildings Fri, 13 Sep 2024
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18 - Max Sharkansky | From Broker To $1.5 Billion Multifamily Portfolio Thu, 29 Aug 2024
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17 - Charles Foschini | Mortgage Broker With $25 Billion Closed Talks Career Journey, Deals, and Miami Wed, 31 Jul 2024
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16 - EXCLUSIVE: Isaac Toledano - One of Miami's Greatest Dealmakers Thu, 27 Jun 2024
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15 - Doug Jones | President of HUB International SFL on Florida’s Insurance Market Starting to Normalize Tue, 04 Jun 2024
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14 - Harvey Hernandez | Shaping Miami’s Skyline: Getting Started to Building over 13 High Rise Towers Wed, 15 May 2024
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13 - Andrew Hellinger | Developing Marquis Residences and Miami River Landings Wed, 17 Apr 2024
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12 - Anthony De Yurre on Florida Live Local Act: Tackling the Unaffordability Crisis Tue, 27 Feb 2024
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11 - Daniel Carr | From Ares to Alpaca Real Estate Wed, 07 Feb 2024
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10 - Bob Knakal | The Top Sales Broker in the US on How To Win Wed, 31 Jan 2024
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9 - David Podein on Navigating Miami's Condo Crisis: Purchasing, Terminations, & Insurance Wed, 24 Jan 2024
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8 - Multifamily Madness | Top Brokers on Business Growth and Audience Building Wed, 17 Jan 2024
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7 - Rohin Dhar | Can Airbnb Still Work For You? Tips & Strategies  Thu, 28 Dec 2023
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6 - Ana Bozovic on Miami’s Billionaire Boom: SubMarkets & Trends Tue, 19 Dec 2023
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5 - Rafael Aregger | Institutional European Capital Flows To Miami Wed, 15 Nov 2023
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4 - Real Estate God | One Man Real Estate Private Equity Shop Thu, 02 Nov 2023
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3 - Randy Carballo & Cameron Tallon | Top Miami Office Leasing Brokers Tue, 17 Oct 2023
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2 - Noah Miller on Alpha In Sub-Institutional Real Estate  Tue, 10 Oct 2023
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1 - Real Estate DealMakers Trailer Fri, 06 Oct 2023