Oscar De La Hoya

A native of East Los Angeles, De La Hoya won a gold medal in boxing in the 1992 Olympics. Although still active in the ring, in 2005, De La Hoya's Golden Boy Enterprises teamed up with Highridge Partners, which has developed, acquired or financed more than $6 billion in real estate assets under the direction of John Long. That entity, Golden Boy Partners, seeks to revitalize neglected urban communities with significant Latino populations. On tap for a fall groundbreaking is a mixed-use project in South Gate, CA that will convert a warehouse into 107 townhomes affordable to more than 60% of the current area residents and 740 units of self-storage.

"As I traveled the country during my boxing career, I was struck by the need for improving the quality of life in urban Latino communities. After careful observation, I realized that real estate was the one area where I could make the most impact. Real estate can change the entire complexion of a community; it can build a sense of pride that you don't get through any other form of economic development. The opportunity to buy a home or a business fosters a sense of ownership in one's neighborhood and that leads to a reduction in crime, higher property values and greater self-esteem.

"I have applied the same dedication and determination I learned in boxing to the business world. Success is 99% preparation, whether it is getting into the ring or into real estate development.

"For anyone looking to get into the industry, I would suggest joining up with a great partner who has solid experience and who shares your values and mission. I had wanted to tackle real estate and community development for a number of years, but it was only after I met John Long and his team that I felt we could make this happen.

Interestingly, at the same time I was envisioning a new business to redevelop and reinvent Latino communities into vibrant, thriving neighborhoods so was John. We came at this from different perspectives. For me, it was personal observation and passion. He arrived at the same conclusion using the analytical and research-oriented approach that made him so successful in real estate development and operations for the past two decades. Once we talked, I realized that he also grew up in the inner city and felt the same way I did about improving the lives of people in urban neighborhoods."

Tim Wrightman

After playing tight end for the Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears in 1985, Wrightman has had a varied career, doing everything from television sports commentary to acting and residential development. Last year, he took a job as director of organizational development with Sperry Van Ness, recruiting new brokerage firms in the Chicagoland area into the company's network.

"Football, as I see it, is a microcosm of life. You are going to have your ups and downs, your ebbs and flows within a game. Overcoming adversity is a big thing in football. It's the same way with commercial real estate. Most employers will hire a former collegiate athlete or someone who has been in the military because they know they can overcome adversity. They're dedicated, they have an edge and they're winners.

"When you are in sports, you have a lot of guys who are very talented, and then you have guys who are overachievers. If you were a talented athlete and things came easy to you on the playing field, that's not going to translate over into commercial real estate. But if you are an overachiever, like most athletes are, and you take that dedication and focus and apply it to real estate, you're going to be successful in this business because it takes a lot of hard work. In Chicago, my name can open the door, but if I don't bring any value to the table for my brokers or the people I'm recruiting for, I'm not going to stay in the room very long.

"When I was playing, the most I ever made was about $230,000 a year. My career was only five years long. You can't retire on that kind of money. The athletes today, because of free agency, especially in football, are starting to create wealth. And if they invest it right, they'll be able to retire on that. The good thing is they are making more money, but the downside is that employers are missing a segment of the population of pro athletes that would have come out and looked for jobs. They have all these skills they've learned in playing and created name value that they could leverage in another profession. But now a lot of guys don't need to have another career after they leave sports."

Scott Seal

Drafted in 1997 out of UCLA, Seal was an outfielder in the minor league systems of the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies. He also played a year of professional baseball in Italy. After retiring from sports, Seal returned to UCLA and earned a degree in political science in 2002. He eventually found his way into commercial real estate and now works for Lee & Associates, brokering industrial deals in Orange County, CA.

"I had these visions of making the major leagues and when that didn't come to fruition, I wondered where my life was headed. I knew I had the makeup to persevere and do whatever I wanted to do. However, it was a matter of what was going to make me happy, what was I going to enjoy doing and where could I make money that's equivalent to what you can earn playing pro sports.

"I got a real estate license and interviewed with a couple of different residential companies. I met the commercial real estate broker of a friend and he said, "If you need a job, I'll get you one in commercial real estate." I didn't even know what commercial real estate was. A friend of my uncle was a manager in a commercial real estate firm and he got me an interview with a major producer at my old company, GVA Daum. I met Chris Migliori (executive vice president and principal at Daum Commercial Real Estate) and he hired me the same day. It couldn't have been a better situation for me. He was incredible to learn the business from.

"I think what inspired me to get into commercial real estate was the fact that I knew the business has plenty of ex-athletes. I knew it was very competitive, and I was looking for something more incentive- or commission-based, so my income is based on my performance, just like an athlete.

"More than anything, you can be rewarded for accomplishments that take several years to build. In sports, if you are not driven, if you are not a hard worker, or are not prepared to go out and play everyday, then you will find yourself back at home. In commercial real estate, you need to be able to handle rejection and move on, to not let it bother you. You have to be mentally tough in this business. And there are a lot of guys who get so turned off by it that they choose a salary-based career. If you can handle rejection, are persistent and work hard, you are going to do well. It's the same as for an athlete. You can go O for four one day and then come back the next and have another opportunity to succeed."

Rick Cerone

For a catcher, Rick Cerone had an unusually long career in the major leagues, playing 18 seasons with eight teams. After retiring in 1993, Cerone was a broadcaster and an owner of the Newark Bears minor league baseball team. After divesting his interest in the Bears, he and longtime friend Bart Oates, a former center with the New York Giants, went into real estate, forming Stellar Realty Group. Two years ago, Stellar teamed up with J.H. Cohn LLP, an accounting firm in New Jersey, and the name was changed to Cohn Real Estate, a full-service agency that focuses on Northern New Jersey. Cohn's other partners include Ken Daneyko, a former hockey player with the New Jersey Devils, and Steve Pavon.

"Bart and I have been friends for about 10 years. We have a foundation together called Teach Our Children, based out of Newark, that provides funds for underprivileged kids. And when I sold the Newark Bears, Bart said, "We need to get into business together."Bart has always been in real estate. He worked with companies like Gale & Wentworth Co. and the Gale Co. He suggested that we form our own real estate company. So I took some classes and got my real estate license. We started Stellar Realty Group four years ago. We were basically doing transactions, tenant rep mostly, for people who we were friendly with that were looking to relocate their offices. That would be our speciality. Two years ago, J. H. Cohn, the largest accounting firm in New Jersey, approached us to become partners. They currently own 33% of the company.

"When you're an ex-ballplayer, it gets you in doors. It sometimes gets you meetings with the top people. And that's nice, but you still have to know what you are talking about and be able to close deals. You've got to deliver. That's the bottom line.

"As for similarities with professional sports, commercial real estate is a very competitive business. It's the athlete's mentality that helps.

"As a professional athlete, it's a rarity to play as long as I did, until 39 years old. So make sure you prepare for what you are going to do after your professional career. The most important thing is to enjoy what you are doing, whatever it is."