Forgive Jordan Prais if he says a deal appears to be a “slam dunk” or if he uses a shot clock analogy to describe how a client has limited time to put in an offer on a hotly contested property.

The 6-foot-7 Lakeland High School graduate and St. Leo University’s men’s basketball Hall of Fame
inductee played professional basketball in France —and he loves to share his game plan to help people buy and sell homes through 54 Realty.

He said sports taught him two key principles that he applies every day in real estate.

“First is to be competitive: I strive to get my clients the best deal possible and try to help as many families as I can with their real estate goals,” he says. “Second, nothing is permanent: you might go out one game and score 30 points and the next week you can’t buy a basket. Markets are like games; they go up and down, but if you’re using the correct principles you will always be able to find success as long as you stay in the market.”

He illustrates that principle by noting that if someone bought a home in 2006 they would have been upside down by 2008, but if they still owned that same home today it would likely be worth at least double the amount they purchased it for.

Prais’s competitive nature comes in handy when he’s negotiating deals for clients—an art he believes has been somewhat lost.

“I have strived to get better at negotiating each year of my career. I believe when you’re hiring an agent, the biggest thing they can do for you is get you the best deal possible, whether you are on the buying or selling side.”

The devoted husband and father of two attended college in Tampa Bay, and prides himself on having a deep knowledge of the Central Florida real estate market.

Jordan’s Top Tips for Buyers in Today’s Market

1 – Focus on the payment, not the rate.

Rates aren’t great right now, but with a fixed mortgage your payments won’t change significantly until you refinance into a lower rate.

2 – Be selfish.

Find the home that works and checks your boxes and needs for yourself and your family. Don’t compromise because you’re tired of looking.

3 – Take advantage of the slower market.

Let’s negotiate hard while we still can. This market will change—don’t miss the opportunity that is here now.

What’s the difference between what being a real estate agent is really like and what you thought it was going to be like?

I was so young when I started I really didn’t even have any expectations.  I thought it was just an interesting career that had a competitive aspect like sports. If it didn’t work out I could use my college degree to fall back or go back to playing professional basketball again. When I started at 24 years old I had never been in the real estate market as even a buyer.