He Bought His FIRST Rental 6 Years Ago: Now He Does 24 Deals a YEAR

Brett Hunley, at 32, has transitioned from an 8-year NFL career to building a thriving real estate business, prioritizing freedom and a lifestyle on his own terms. His success is attributed to leveraging leadership skills developed in the NFL to build and manage teams for renovation projects, aiming for ambitious goals like 24 deals per year. Dave Meyer, Chief Investment Officer at Bigger Pockets, introduces Brett, highlighting his journey as an investor who started in Arizona and is now executing deals accessible to many in the Bigger Pockets community. Brett recounts his entry into real estate, stating he "fell into it." While playing for the Green Bay Packers, he bought his first house, which sparked his interest. Later, in Arizona, teammates like Larry Fitzgerald, Devin Canard, and Prince Amukamara further influenced him. Prince was involved in short-term rentals, Devin in long-term rentals, and Larry in various large-scale projects. Brett would pick their brains daily after practice, leading him to purchase his first short-term rental and then delve into new builds. He describes it as a "little real estate club." Prince, also an Arizona native and a former Giants first-round draft pick, shared his successful short-term rental numbers, prompting Brett to buy a property five minutes from Prince's, which also "started crushing it." Devin Canard, a familiar face on the Bigger Pockets show, also provided valuable insights into long-term holds. Meyer notes the apparent overlap between professional sports and real estate. Brett clarifies a common misconception, dispelling the idea that all professional athletes have vast sums of money to dump into real estate. He explains that making it to the NFL is statistically rare (0.002% of athletes), and most rosters comprise undrafted players. While some players have multi-million dollar contracts, many are at the league minimum. The average NFL career is 2.3 to 2.8 years, which often doesn't even qualify for a full pension (requiring 3.3 years). Brett, fortunate to play eight years, had a great career, but most players must figure out their next steps quickly. Brett explains that his passion for real estate began with his Green Bay property. He then ventured into a new build in the Arcadia area with a friend, tearing a house down to the studs and rebuilding. This project, completed during COVID, was a two-to-three-year process, but it yielded profit. He sees a parallel between real estate and sports: both are processes. "If you do it right, it is a process," he says, whether flipping or building. This systematic approach is familiar to athletes. As a quarterback, Brett was accustomed to leading a team, understanding the offense, and executing play calls. He views real estate similarly: assembling a team, understanding each person's role, and working towards the end goal of creating a product. It's a system that can be refined and made more efficient with each repetition. After a brief break, Brett elaborates on his portfolio strategy. Initially influenced by Prince's short-term rentals and Devin's long-term holds, he started with short-term rentals when interest rates were low (2-3%). He bought a property near Prince's, learning from him daily. He then started a management company for his rentals and acquired more short-term rental properties. After accumulating three short-term rentals, he embarked on his new build project. The cash flow from rentals was appealing, but after completing the new build, he analyzed the ROI and time commitment. This led him to a larger flip—buying a property for around $900,000 and selling it for $1.45 million. Brett then explored various price points, from high-end flips to buying at $350,000 and selling for higher, to understand what offered the best return on time and capital. He eventually found his niche in flipping. While he appreciates new builds, the efficiency and quicker capital return of flipping resonated with him. He learned from Zachary Keeps, a mentor and friend, who is one of Arizona's largest single-family home owners and has been flipping for 20 years. Keeps encouraged Brett to try smaller flips, demonstrating that he could make similar profits with less risk and less capital tied up. Brett realized he didn't need to take "big swings" to make decent money. His current buy box is flexible, open to anything that makes sense after sharp analysis, especially in the competitive Arizona market. He passes on most deals but considers opportunities of any size if the risk is worth it. He references James Dard, a mutual friend who also takes massive swings (e.g., flipping a $6 million house) but is also open to $300,000 properties. This wide-range buy box and willingness to consider diverse deals helps Brett remain competitive in the saturated Phoenix flipping market. He notes that many investors find a "sweet spot" and stick to it, but he prefers a broader approach. He emphasizes that if returns outweigh risk, he's open to it, often preferring less risky deals where he can make significant profit without tying up as much capital. He highlights that while society often covets "big, shiny" projects, a $300,000-$400,000 house, though not a mansion, can still be a cash-flowing entity with less risk. When asked what he likes about flipping, Brett expresses satisfaction in transforming a rundown property into something beautiful within a few months. While acknowledging the inherent risks of unexpected issues, he believes thorough underwriting and homework can mitigate these. He sees flipping as providing value to the community by restoring homes, especially at lower price points, contributing to affordable housing. Brett connects his athletic background, particularly as a quarterback, to his flipping career, emphasizing the joy he finds in leading a team. He transitioned from leading an offense on the field to building properties. He acknowledges the challenge of finding the right contractors, having experienced working with some only once. His priority is finding people who fit his vision and, crucially, share a positive culture. He wants team members to enjoy their work, not just focus on money. This has allowed him to build a team where he's excited to announce new projects. He doesn't need to be on-site daily; finding the right people makes a "world's difference." Meyer agrees, highlighting the importance of job site culture, even among different trades. If an operator allows sloppiness or negativity, it can affect everyone's effort. Creating a standard and a positive work environment where people feel respected and want to contribute is crucial. Brett likens this to NFL coaches like Pete Carroll and John Harbaugh, who foster fun and productive environments. He ensures music is playing on job sites, bringing energy, while maintaining performance standards. This approach ensures receptiveness to changes, even when delivering challenging news like change orders. Brett sees himself as the team manager, facilitating communication and logistics. His team includes his mother, an interior designer, and his wife, a real estate agent—a "family affair" that wasn't planned but worked out perfectly. He focuses on managing contractors, setting schedules, and ensuring materials are delivered on time, acting as the "middleman" to keep things efficient. The part he dislikes most is unexpected calls about unforeseen issues, like a recent incident where a demo team missed capping a plumbing fixture, leading to water everywhere. These surprises, and the subsequent budget adjustments, are his least favorite aspects. However, he acknowledges that this is part of any real estate business and he's found a way to minimize dislikes and maximize enjoyment. Looking ahead, Brett's "big hairy audacious goal" is to complete 24 projects this year, including flips and wholesaling deals. He's currently on track and embraces the intensity and challenge, viewing it as a "get to do this" mindset rather than a "have to." This goal pushes him outside his comfort zone. Additionally, he aims to do one "big build" (luxury new build, $4-6 million) per year, living in it for two years to leverage capital gains tax benefits, while maintaining his rolling flip projects. His lifestyle goals revolve around freedom and travel. With no children and an elderly dog, he and his wife are avid travelers, planning a three-to-four-week trip to Bali. He wants to avoid a 9-to-5 structure and wake up excited about his work. The ultimate goal is to generate enough operating cash from his current businesses to deploy into passive investments like multifamily properties. His long-term strategy involves acquiring rundown 8-, 16-, or 32-unit multifamily buildings and applying his flipping crews and skills to renovate and manage them on a larger scale. Meyer notes that Brett has achieved the dream: doing something he's passionate about, which supports his passions outside of work. Brett emphasizes that he feels like he's "just getting started," constantly learning from others. Meyer agrees that committing to the process and enjoying the work, rather than solely focusing on a quick exit for financial freedom, can actually accelerate achieving that freedom. Meyer, who has sold active real estate and invested in passive multifamily syndications and private lending, confirms that he could retire but chooses to work because he enjoys it. His goal is to reposition his assets into a stable "endgame portfolio" of mid-sized, well-built multifamily properties. Both agree that real estate, unlike football, is a lifelong endeavor that only improves with time.