How Sponsors and Brokers Actually Work Best Together

A conversation with Dylan Lamb, Broker Associate at Compass

At the Gilberti Group, we believe the best real estate deals are built on trust, preparation, and strong working relationships with brokers who understand how sponsors actually operate. 

Dylan Lamb, a Broker Associate at Compass in Boca Raton, has become one of our go-to partners in South Florida. In this conversation, he shares a broker’s perspective on what separates real sponsor–broker partnerships from purely transactional relationships, how today’s market is really behaving, and what it takes to get deals across the finish line in a more disciplined environment.

Gilberti Group: From your perspective as a broker, what actually separates a strong sponsor relationship from a transactional one? Where do you see things break down most often?

Dylan Lamb: A strong sponsor relationship feels like a partnership, not a one-off transaction. The sponsors I enjoy working with most treat brokers like an extension of their team. They’re transparent, they respect the process, and they understand we’re trying to protect their outcome long-term, not just get a deal done.
Where things break down is usually when one side is optimizing only for themselves. If a sponsor withholds information, changes terms late, or treats the broker like a middleman instead of a partner, it creates friction and distrust very quickly.

What do the best sponsors do early in a process that makes your job easier and increases the odds of a deal closing smoothly?

The best sponsors make the process easier from day one by being prepared and realistic. They provide clean financials and real underwriting, not marketing numbers. They also set clear expectations on timeline, deposits, closing date, and how they want the deal to run.
When a sponsor is organized early, it gives me the confidence to position the property properly, set the tone with buyers, and keep momentum moving. The truth is, in this market, certainty sells, and the best sponsors understand that.

In South Florida specifically, what trends are you seeing right now in terms of pricing expectations, deal velocity, and where buyers and sellers are still misaligned?

Right now in South Florida, the market is active, but it’s not forgiving. Buyers are still buying, but they’re underwriting based on today’s reality: higher insurance, higher rates, more conservative rent growth, and higher repair costs.

Sellers, on the other hand, are still anchored to 2021–2022 pricing, and that’s where the disconnect is happening. Good deals move quickly, especially when the condition is clean and the pricing makes sense. Overpriced deals sit, and once they go stale, it becomes harder to reset the narrative.
The misalignment isn’t that buyers don’t see the value in location. They do. But they want the property to be insurable, financeable, and low drama, or they want a price that reflects what it’s going to take to get it there.

When deals don’t move forward, what are the most common reasons – and how can better communication between brokers and sponsors prevent wasted time on both sides?

When deals don’t move forward, it’s usually not because of one small thing. It’s because a few predictable friction points stack up. Inspection findings become leverage, especially with roof, A/C, mold, electrical, plumbing, or seawalls. Sellers get defensive, buyers get cautious, and if communication isn’t tight, the deal loses momentum.

The reality is that most of these issues are manageable. What kills deals is surprise and uncertainty. When sponsors and brokers communicate well, we can set expectations early, agree on how to handle major findings, and avoid wasting time going back and forth once emotions get involved.

Looking ahead, what do you think brokers and sponsors need to do differently in this market compared to the last few years?

Sponsors and brokers need to operate differently than they did the last few years. The list-it-and-it-sells market is gone, and now the market rewards preparation and realism.

Sponsors need to price based on today’s buyer behavior, not yesterday’s headlines. They also need to be willing to either fix problems upfront or price accordingly.

Brokers need to stop overpromising just to win business and instead lead with strategy. That means real positioning, clean deal packaging, and honest feedback from the market. In this environment, the deals that close are the ones where both sides stay grounded, move quickly, and focus on certainty over squeezing out every last dollar.

To learn more about Gilberti Group’s investment approach or to start a conversation, contact our team directly.