How One Agent Build a Pre-Construction Niche

When Guillermo Teran participated in a safety briefing after the Surfside condo collapse and heard a fellow agent say he’d never sell a friend or family member a condo more than 30 years old, something clicked.

“I thought, ‘What if this is my opportunity?’” says the broker-associate at Avanti Way Realty in Miami, noting that both the city’s skyline and his career were about to change. The Champlain Towers South collapse in 2021 had exposed serious vulnerabilities in aging structures, but it also marked a turning point for the industry.

For Teran, it was a moment of clarity.

“There was a before and an after,” he says. “It made us look at how buildings were managed, how inspections were done and where we needed to improve.”

The shift brought stricter codes, stronger materials and a new sense of accountability. “Miami-Dade now has the strongest building codes in the country,” he says. “The city is growing upward, not outward, and that’s exciting.”

As a result, Teran has found a niche in pre-construction.

“I’ve done more than 42 sales in the past two years,” he says. As his experience grew, so did the questions from buyers, investors and even other agents trying to make sense of the market.

He found himself answering the same questions over and over until an idea hit him: He should write it all down in a book.

Last August, he released Miami’s Pre-Construction Blueprint, a guide that equips investors, digital nomads, luxury buyers and real estate professionals with insider strategies to navigate Miami’s pre-construction market confidently, avoid costly pitfalls and maximize returns.

Here’s Teran’s strategy:

1. BE AN ADVISOR.

“Pre-construction isn’t hard, but it’s complex—it’s not a one, two, three sale,” Teran says. He’s seen too many agents take clients to the wrong kind of project simply because they don’t understand the process. “You’ve got to know the difference between a residential building that creates community, an Airbnb-style condo hotel that attracts investors and everything in between,” he explains. “If you don’t understand [the differences] you’ll be confused and so will your clients.”

He strives to educate, not overwhelm. “The goal,” he says, “is to walk clients through every stage: Reservation, contract, groundbreaking, top-off [when the structure is completed] and delivery, so they always know what to expect.”   

2. SELL THE VISION, NOT THE SPECS.

When buyers can’t walk through a completed unit, imagination becomes the agent’s most powerful tool. “Each building exists for a reason,” Teran says. “Some are designed for car enthusiasts, others for eco-conscious living or high fashion. You have to understand that purpose and communicate why it matters.” Teran says he learned that lesson the hard way. “I once had a client who just couldn’t picture themselves in the space,” he recalls. “So I took them for a walk around the neighborhood and out to dinner nearby. That’s when it clicked. They saw the lifestyle, not just the floor plan.”

Today, Teran approaches every new project like a story. “We’re selling dreams and lifestyle, not just the unit or building,” he says.

3. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

Credibility is everything to Teran. “Everybody has the same glossy brochures,” he says. Knowledge is what separates amateurs from experts.” Before taking a client to any project, he studies each developer’s track record, the architect’s reputation and the zoning and rental restrictions. He also makes sure buyers understand the evolution of local neighborhoods. “Miami is changing right in front of us,” he says. “Walk through Wynwood, Brickell or Coconut Grove, and you can see the skyline transforming. You’ve got to sell [prospects] on the city’s growth, not just the square footage.”

4. BUILD TRUST.

After the Surfside tragedy, Teran says safety became an integral part of every conversation. “Buyers today care about who’s building and how,” he says, adding that a lot of older buildings won’t make it, but that’s creating room for smarter, safer development. “What we’re building today—with impact windows, waterproof materials and hurricane-level protections—is made to last.” He believes that transparency builds trust. “People complain about permits and inspections, but they’re really there to protect your investment,” he adds. “You’re not just selling a condo; you’re selling peace of mind.”

Teran applies this same mindset to his own marketing. “Instagram looks pretty, but what are you actually offering your clients? The value you bring is what you know and how you negotiate, protect their deposit and make sure the view still exists five years from now. If all [a prospective buyer] wants is someone to drive them around, they can call an Uber driver.”

Leslie C. Stone is a Vero Beach-based freelance writer.