Rivero founded his company, Prop Hunters, in 2014. The Miami-Dade-based company has completed hundreds of flips and new-build home sales.
For real estate investors and home flippers, one thing is key for remaining successful in a turbulent market: patience.
At least, that’s what South Florida investor, house flipper, and licensed real estate agent Branden Rivero thinks.
Rivero founded his company, Prop Hunters, in 2014. The Miami-Dade-based company has completed hundreds of flips, in addition to building and selling single-family homes.
“I started out just wholesaling, getting affordable properties and assigning the contracts until I was able to build some capital,” Rivero tells Realtor.com®. “I started flipping just one or two houses, and now we usually do about seven to 10 at a time.”
Prop Hunters flipped 25 homes last year, according to Rivero, but they’ve completed between 30 and 40 homes some years. This year’s gross profit is around $200,000 so far, accounting for both flips and new homes.
In his 12 years in business, Rivero has learned to go with the flow of the sometimes volatile Florida real estate market. Looking ahead 90 days to six months is a vital part of being prepared for anything.
“Everything is based on the market. Sometimes you can go full throttle when things are good,” says Rivero. “Then, once you see more turbulent times coming, you become more cautious, you underwrite a little more aggressive—you kind of have to play it by ear.”
Although Miami’s current market feels slow to some, Rivero is optimistic, saying that the real estate market is simply returning to the pre-pandemic norms.
“People are just used to the COVID rush, but I feel like it’s normal, just how it was in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Homes are taking a month, month and a half to sell,” he notes. “Between 2020 and 2024, a house wouldn’t last a week on the market. So, compared to that, it’s a big difference, but I just feel like it’s back to normal.”
In 2018, the median number of days on the market was 63, according to the Realtor.com March 2018 Monthly Housing Trends Report. As of the week ending Oct. 24, 2026, the median days on the market nationally was 64.
Miami comes in slightly slower, at a median of 83 days on the market as of October 2026. That number has decreased from both last month and last year, pushing the number toward the national norm.
Before: One of the homes that Branden Rivero prepared to flip through his company, Prop Hunters, which he founded 12 years ago. (Branden Rivero) 
After: The completed flip by Prop Hunters. They flipped 25 homes last year, Rivero says. Some years, it's 30 to 40 homes. (Branden Rivero) These numbers are vastly different from the post-pandemic boom, when, in 2021, the typical home spent just 32 days on the market nationally.
A Realtor.com international report from June 2018 places Miami’s median listing price at $395,000, in line with October 2026’s national median listing price of $414,000. Again, Miami itself comes in a bit higher in 2026 numbers, with the median listing price sitting at $620,000.
One major difference between 2018 and 2026: mortgage rates. In 2018, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 4.7%. This week, the average 30-year mortgage rate is 7.2%.
While many aspects of the market are settling closer to pre-pandemic levels, mortgage rates are responsible for a major shift in affordability.
This is why Rivero has spent so much time getting to know the market and practicing patience.
The exterior of one of Rivero’s flipped homes. He says the most fulfilling aspect of working in real estate is seeing a home transform and become the perfect place for a family. (Branden Rivero) He notes that, for new single-family homes, the permitting process is very slow. However, not many Miami developers are building single-family homes, so the wait is worth the payoff.
“In Miami, everything that’s getting built is townhouses and condos. So when you put a good product out there, a single-family home in a great neighborhood with great schools, it’s going to move,” Rivero says. “Patience is the key thing. I’d rather do one or two deals a year than jump into five, 10 bad ones.”
With over a decade under his belt, Rivero gets to focus on what he considers the most fulfilling aspect of working in real estate: seeing a home transform and become the perfect place for a family.
“To turn what most people see as trash into somewhat of a treasure, someone’s American dream where they’re going to raise their kids, is very satisfying,” says Rivero.