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This 358-Unit Deal Put Him in the Hospital | A Developer’s Insane First Project
This 358-Unit Deal Put Him in the Hospital | A Developer’s Insane First Project
Dec 19, 2025
1:22:02
In this episode, we sit down with Sebastien Scemla, a Florida-licensed real estate broker and developer who runs a family fund focused on income-producing real estate across Miami. A Miami native and early investor in neighborhoods like the Design District, Little River, Wynwood, and North Miami, Sebastien shares how he identifies emerging markets before the mainstream catches on.As the founder of Omega Real Estate Management Group, Sebastien has brokered and sponsored over $300M in commercial real estate, assembled key properties prior to major value spikes, and played a pivotal role in the redevelopment of Downtown North Miami, including the vision behind The Gardens District.We dive into his long-term approach to market analysis, negotiation, public incentives, and urban redevelopment, as well as his philosophy on community impact, live-work-play developments, and building lasting value through real estate.🎬 YouTube Chapters – Sebastian Scemla | Ground-Up Development, Mindset & Mastery0:00 – Why You Must Invest in Areas You Truly Know1:20 – Sebastian’s Background: Fashion, Design & Early Real Estate3:15 – Building Personal Homes & Learning Construction the Hard Way5:10 – Discovering the Design District Before It Was Hot7:00 – Buying Property to Stop Paying Rent (First Commercial Play)9:25 – Brokering Over $150M in Design District Transactions11:30 – Rolling Commissions into Deals & Compounding Wealth12:55 – Miami’s Growth, Migration & Why the City Changed Forever15:20 – “You Don’t Time the Market, You Time the Seller”17:10 – Why Staying Local Beats Investing From a Distance18:45 – Finding Opportunity in North Miami Before Everyone Else22:10 – Buying an Entire City Block for $4.5M23:45 – People Thought He Was Crazy (Early Doubts & Risk)25:00 – Struggling to Raise Capital & Delaying the Closing27:40 – Fires, Hurricanes & Deal Setbacks30:10 – Stress, Hospitalization & Still Believing in the Deal31:55 – Buying Out the Original Partner34:20 – Tesla Superchargers: How the Deal Happened36:15 – Creating a Live-Work-Play Neighborhood38:00 – CRA Grants & $15M in Public Incentives Explained40:25 – How Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Actually Works42:35 – Designing The Gardens: Long-Term Thinking44:50 – Rents, Unit Types & Market Positioning47:10 – Self-Managing vs Third-Party Property Management49:05 – Why Details Like Soundproofing Matter51:30 – Designing for Tenant Retention & Lower Turnover53:10 – Customer Service as a Competitive Advantage55:00 – The Hardest Part of Development (Mindset)56:45 – “You Can’t Outwork Me” Philosophy58:40 – Delayed Gratification & Outworking the Average Person1:00:10 – Learning Building Code & Creating Value Through Knowledge1:02:00 – Foundations, Height Limits & Construction Myths1:03:40 – Surfside Collapse: Lessons in Maintenance & Responsibility1:04:55 – Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Business Parallels1:07:30 – Staying Calm in Negotiations (Jiu-Jitsu Mindset)1:09:15 – Valente Brothers Black Belt Journey1:12:10 – Discipline, Lifestyle & Personal Growth1:13:55 – Advice for Young People Feeling Stuck1:15:35 – Saving Money, Building Credit & Buying Early1:17:25 – From Multifamily to Ground-Up Development1:19:00 – Go Big: Same Work, Bigger Opportunity1:21:30 – Final Thoughts & Closing Message----👇 Want more content like this?Subscribe and hit the 🔔 so you never miss videos on survival mindset, physical readiness, and real-world awareness.Share your thoughts or questions in the comments — I read them all.📌 Follow me / join the community:The YM Show Instagram: / theymshow Sponsor: https://ymwsecurity.com/🚨 YMW Security the best in Florida! 🔥They provide:🔒 Armed & Unarmed Guards🎥 AI Camera Surveillance👔 Front-Desk & Booth StaffingServing HOAs, schools, synagogues, offices & more.🌐 https://ymwsecurity.com/#realestate #miami