The weekly podcast The Peter Zalewski Show™ features interviews with South Florida business leaders focused on real estate, finance and the economy.
The program - hosted by Peter Zalewski of the Miami Condo Investing Club™ - is broadcast live every Wednesday at 4 pm (Miami time) at MiamiCondo.Club and on Peter Zalewski’s social media accounts to watch the free live broadcasts.
The objective of the show is to deliver straight talk, share institutional knowledge and provide data-driven analysis on the macro and micro economic forces shaping the tricounty South Florida region of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.
Episode Overview
In the March 4, 2026, episode of The Peter Zalewski Show™ podcast, host Peter Zalewski interviews Mike Pappas of The Keyes Co. to dissect how a brokerage firm survives for 100 years in the most volatile real estate market in the United States.
The conversation tracked the evolution of South Florida from the mosquito-infested mangrove swamps of the 1920s to its current status as a global "safe haven" for billionaire capital and corporate relocations.
During the 68-minute episode, Pappas detailed the specific strategic pivots required to navigate the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926, the Great Depression, the South Florida Condo Bust of 2008 and the more recent three-year "malaise" that has gripped the industry since interest rates climbed.
Pappas and Zalewski delved into his firm’s origins in February 1926, examining how founder Kenneth Keyes not only maintained solvency but ultimately prospered during the crash of the 1920s Florida Land Boom by shifting to property management and appraisals—today’s equivalent of Big Data—in the aftermath of the Prinz Valdemar tipping over in Miami harbor and effectively marking the peak of the boom before the ensuing bust.
The duo explored the historical parallels between the vision of pioneers like George Merrick and the Tatum Brothers to the modern “freedom of price” perspective that exists now that Miami is running out of developable land.
Pappas provided a masterclass in market geography, comparing the 118-mile stretch of South Florida to the density of Long Island and explaining why the tricounty region of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach is finally evolving into an international financial hub.
The discussion moved from the “sizzle” of the past to the “legit” institutional stability of the present, including why nearly 50% of current transactions are being closed with cash while the rest of the nation struggles with interest rate locks.
The episode provides a rare look into the war stories of a multigenerational real estate brokerage that has seen every boom and bust cycle since the city’s embryonic stage.
Pappas discussed the “flywheel effect” of wealth migration—where outsiders first come to play, then move their money, then their families and finally their corporate headquarters—and what this means for the long-term viability of the South Florida dream.
From the Lebanese merchant community on Miami’s Coral Way to the massive price tags for landlocked single-family houses in suburbia, this conversation connects the dots between the visionary pioneers of 1926 and the high-stakes global players of 2026.
Episode Top 10 Takeaways
Miami has matured from a speculative resort town into a global “safe haven” for capital, joining Singapore and Dubai as one of the three primary destinations for long-term geopolitical and financial security.
