WINNING THE GAME OF REAL ESTATE IN 2026
Michael Del Prete | AZREIA
Why Serious Investors Win Here — Not in a Guru’s Sales Funnel
Ifyou’vebeen in real estate long enough,you’vewatched a familiar pattern repeat itself.It’sthe same phenomenon we saw during the Gold Rush: The miners dug for gold… but the people selling the shovels made the most money.
Real estate has never been any different.
When the market heats up, gurusemergefrom the shadows like owls at sunrise, ready to sell you a $15,000 mastermind, a $25,000 inner circle, or a “limited-to-400-people”webinar. Their golddoesn’tcome fromdeals itcomes from selling shovels to new investors eager to strike it rich.
Butwhenthe market cools down?
These same gurus simply change inventory. They stop selling education and start selling you leads. Not ordinary leads, of course. These are “exclusive,” “pre-vetted,” “motivated,” and conveniently “only available today.”
And every experienced investor knows the truth: If their leads were that good, they’d keep them. Instead, they sell them while insisting, “There’s enough abundance for everyone.”Translation:When the market slows, they monetize whatever is left.
Clever? Sure. Real estate? Absolutely not.That’sexactly why we built Winning the Game of Real Estate — 2026 Edition.
23 Years of Real Investors. Real Deals. Real Work.
For 23 years, AZREIA has done something the gurus neve rhave: We’vestayed.
Markets rise and fall. New “experts” appear. Old onesrebrand. Software trends come and go.
But AZREIA remains Arizona’s authentic, practical, boots-on-the-ground community for real investors.
We don’t disappear when times slow down.
We don’t trade fundamentals for funnels.
We don’t chase hype we teach what works.
We’vehelped investors thrive through booms, busts, and the quiet middle seasons where real players sharpen their edge while others wait for the next hype cycle. And 2026 will reward the prepared, not the passive.
Why This Presentation Matters Now
There’sa myth that you win in real estate by out-marketing or out-automating everyone. Nonsense. You win by mastering the three fundamentals that work in every market:
1. Deal Flow — real, repeatable, relationship-based
Reputation, referrals, and the hidden market—not magic lists. When you consistently find real opportunities, money always shows up. Capital follows deal flow.
2. Acquisition Skill — analysis, negotiation, and writing the offer
This is where deals are won. Understanding numbers, structuring terms, solving seller problems, and confidentlywriting the offer—that’sthe true competitive advantage. The stronger your offers, the less capital you need—and the easier private money becomes.
3. Execution — renovate smart, exit right, finish strong
Yes, profit is made on the buy but it’s protected through disciplined execution. Private lenders invest in operators who deliver clarity, competence, and consistent results.
Right now? A slow market gives disciplined investors an unfair advantage including easier access to capital, because capital chases competence.
A Personal Note From Mike Del Prete
Let me speak to you not as an executive, but as a fellow investor.
I’mnot a guru. I’m not a celebrity investor. I’m a regular guy who has worn the same We Heart Houses hat and black T-shirt for about 15 years.
My wife and I have bought, sold, and held properties across Arizona. We didn’t build our portfolio through magic funnels or exclusive leads. We didn’t do it because the market was easy.
We did it by sticking to the fundamentals. Year after year. Deal after deal.
Sometimes it was boring.
Sometimes we had to adapt.
Sometimes we even put the pencil down for a few months.
But we stayed disciplined, grounded, and consistent and it worked.
That’sthe same path I want for you.
And that’s why I’ll be teaching Winning the Game of Real Estate at our All Chapters Online Meeting on Monday, December 8th. No theory. No gimmicks. Just the fundamentals that build real portfolios, real wealth, andreal long-term success.