MUNIF ALI - FOUNDER OF PACIFIC PLAYA REALTY & ENTREPRENEUR

May 2

Written By Adylia

In this Conversating with Yhorlife we got to conversate with Founder of Pacific Playa Realty, Entrepreneur, Author and Philanthropist Munif Ali. Munif, although multi-hyphenated is still a man that exudes mystery and not the most approachable. I’m not going to lie I didn’t have high hopes for this Conversating. I am so pleased to say it was better than I imagined and we talked for over an hour which surprised me! Munif’s energy and desire to give back will have you counting down for all his exciting new projects. I hope you enjoy this Conversating as much as I do - Enjoy!

How would you introduce yourself to people that are unaware of you …

I am a serial Entrepreneur, and I have an Entrepreneur mind. Meaning I am problem solver. I like to build businesses; I am essentially a man on a mission.

I build Systems that essentially grow people, and I create a Platform to help the community. Especially the underserved community. My core belief, which is at the center of everything that I do is about giving access, the right tools, and training people with the right mindset.

If we have the right tools, and mindset anybody can build a legacy. Businesses that are built with purpose, inevitably you get profit. But if you build for profit without a purpose, then your tenure in the game is not long, it is the short game.

So, everything that I do is a collaboration, and supporting each other. It starts with an altruistic view, but it ends with a relationship. I am at a stage in my life that I can continue to build great things. Happy people make great companies at the end of the day. When we all aspire to have purpose in our lives, and when you have purpose then you have engagement… True… Then you have people giving their all.

You are the founder of Pacific Playa Realty, and serial entrepreneur what do you perceive as the biggest trends in 2025? what is the best way to stay inventive, and create new business opportunities; especially in these uncertain times?

We are going through an unprecedented time in our democracy … in terms of people’s morals – so it is twofold …what do you foresee for the rest of 2025, as a serial Entrepreneur that creates and solves problems, how do you solve problems that seems so doomsday in this climate …

I love this period not because of my political ties to anyone, person, or party. I think that 2025 is about personalization. It doesn’t matter who is in the White House, City Hall, it doesn’t matter to the person on the ground.

We have had politicians that were representing a whole group, but the impact that one person (politician) on any one person, or their individual family’s is very little.

I do know that people’s decisions do matter and that they impact people. Yet 2025 is about accountability, AI Integration, and authenticity. Being your authentic self is more important now that ever before.

With real estate, finance, and content creating, people want to feel like they are aligned with people that are real and relevant.

The biggest opportunities for people are the ones that are blending tech and the human connection together. In the past there has been a void – of who you were online was not connecting with who you were in person. People are more interested in the people behind the companies now.

That is why we see this glorification of entrepreneurs; they are like celebrities. There is more to a business than just what it is selling – you have to stay inventive and in motion. Not let someone speak for you, and you have to study what is going on constantly.

As an entrepreneur I say that we do more than any politicians. Because politicians have a term, entrepreneurs do not. The impact that you can have can be great.

For my companies it is about experimenting and innovating. Innovations do not just come from ideas alone; it comes from being able to execute based on feedback.

A great idea… but if I don’t put it into action and I don’t get the feedback, then I don’t continue to innovate.

Case in point … I knew some of our communities were getting undersold to investors. In one case the real estate professional appraised this house at $675,000.00. It was a black couple in the community, and they were going to give their listing to this representative outside of their community.

They met us, we did the analysis on their home and it was appraised at $900,000.00. As well the other person stated … I have an investor for you. However, you will need to stage it and put in additional monies.

We told them that they do not need to stage it, it is about the right price. We marketed the property for them. At the end they earned $300,000.00 more than they would have ever earned.

To me that is community service. That is $300,000.00 in a family’s wealth gap. Normally that would not be there because someone took advantage of them.

So, as you heard me say earlier today – when you are focused on purpose and service the side effect will be profit, and success. But you have to give with an open heart, and not always want to close a sale.

You have to look at … where can I serve people. This year is about authenticity, who are you? You have to be able to answer that first before you run out, and start a company.

Perfect… I know my dad always told my brother and I ‘an idea with no money is just a thought, and money with no idea is just paper’ So you need both, that perfect marriage. Which is the same concept that you talked about earlier when you were building your business.

How did you start building your companies and brands? What do you think is more valuable … aligning yourself with like-minded people that are not as motivated as you, or people hungrier than you but no clear direction….

My mom always had a saying, ‘you can’t sprint with a full stomach’. You can’t run if you have a full stomach. It is more of a mentality. Sometimes people are full in life, ‘yeah I have everything that I want I am cool’.

I never had that mentality. It comes from building everything from the ground up, and knowing that somebody else has paved the way for me to build.

I love my background. While others go woe is me and say ‘I am from the projects, or I was raised in the Projects’. I learned so much about business from the environment. I have great experience coming out of that environment.

One of the things that I learned was work ethic. My mom worked two to three jobs, and worked on the weekend. She was able to pool our money together, hers and my brothers, and she was able to buy a house in three years (from moving into the Projects).

The moment that my mother turned that doorknob and walked into that house -that was ours. It was something that she earned, and it was not given to her.

So, I knew that I was smitten by the potential of real estate to change the community’s environment to close that gap.

My mother had done it with very little tools. I thought what would I be able to do if I were able to harness that desire, and that drive.

I had the pleasure to go to different places that she worked. My mother cleaned houses for people. She retired after working thirty-five years as a maid. I would see the different lifestyle of those that had more, and sometimes it (the houses) would be in the Projects too.

My mother taught us to not wait for anyone else, there is no financial 911. You have to be able to answer your own call. She is an amazingly strong woman with a lot of fortitude. I learned a lot from that experience.

I did not have a blueprint though, I just had vision and grit that I got from establishing a crazy work ethic. I worked through High School, and I had two jobs. I created what I wished for. I wished that I had the Systems, the Mentorships, and the Opportunity.

I knew what I was missing in the environment which was access to things. But that was not an excuse. So, now I provide the Systems to those people around me – Systems, Mentorships, and Opportunities.

As for the people … I can make a lot of things, but I can’t give hunger. I will take hunger over hype any day of the week. Direction and destination can be taught, but drive cannot be taught.

That is something that you have to have, that fire in your belly to get to the destination. You have to have the drive. It is really a mindset issue, not generational.

People are comfortable being consumers and not creators. You have more people with the spectator mentality, rather than the championship mentality. Real champions are forged on the field. I have not reached my full potential.

People have to be hungry for opportunity, this is not something that you can give anyone. The environment that we are in with social media and the instant gratification; people come to me and want to sell real estate. I will teach them everything, but then they fall off because they are not getting the results – they don’t have the drive.

One of my favorite poems is ‘Do It Anyway’, in short it doesn’t matter if anyone is appreciating, and noticing you – give it anyway. In the end you will reach some people.

That brings me back to how you said that Authenticity is the trend, serving your community, and giving more. Do you think that came from your upbringing, and being a go-getter? … I am reaching for this, I do not care if you are nice, I am going to serve and do what I need to do …

I think if you disconnect yourself from how people think of you, or perceive you … that can be a dangerous path. Then you will go untethered, not care what people think of you, and say whatever you want.

But not caring about what people think about what you are doing, in terms of pursuing a goal; it is important. You have to have that healthy mindset, and possibly disconnect from those that don’t share your mindset.

What are your tips for a healthy mindset …

I think discipline over motivation. Motivation is dosage related. Example, you watch a great movie and you think that you can box. So, you watch things and you get motivated.

That dosage is temporary … it will only last a period of time, and then it is gone. Now if you have discipline … it gives you freedom over all things. Discipline can build empires. Just a little bit at a time.

When you have the mindset, and it is based on discipline rather than the motivation – that everyone is doing it. That has given me a great deal of power, to be able to pick and choose what I do. Example, I do not drink, and that is a personal choice. And it is not driven by my Faith.

I am mindful of what I consume, online and offline; and the people around me. I have been grateful to select people that see my vision.

As well they have qualities that I do not have - albeit intelligence, tools, and experience. So, I am able to get people to see my vision. I am not a nurturing person.

You don’t rise to the level of your goals; you fail at the level of your Systems. So, if you build strong routines, habits, and strong circles that is your protection mechanism. As a result of my discipline, I can tell you exactly what I will be doing on a Saturday at a particular time for the next ten years.

Pacific Playa Realty has done over $5Billion plus in sales, what do you attribute the success to? Pacific Playa Realty is a vertical integration company, you have real estate; mortgage; and escrow … infrastructure and marketing … okay thank you, so why did you decide to be a one-stop shop for your clientele?

Remember originally, I was saying Entrepreneurs are problem solvers. Now I understand that in this day and age everybody’s Instagram says Entrepreneur.

A true Entrepreneur like a scientist, or an engineer is a problem solver. You do not have a business if you are not solving someone’s problem. Whatever it is, there is a need in the marketplace.

The fact that the $5 Billion in sales is built on People, Processes, and Purpose (the 3 P’s), we didn’t just get here because we are selling homes. We wanted to really change lives.

The movement happens to be in real estate. I noticed growing up … it was not always the smartest, or most talented that would become successful. It was people that were consistent.

What I have noticed with all of the businesses that I have built Pacific Playa, and the other businesses; I noticed that there was always a gap to close.

Then for the last fourteen years I saw doctors, lawyers, and accountants in the community not getting financed (by mainstream financial institutions). I wanted to see how we could build a better Structure. It came down to not having training for the clients, and that they could buy (houses).

There was an educational and training gap, and a confidence gap. That they can own a home too. There are a lot of real estate gurus online that will tell you not to buy real estate.

But they do not represent our community’s. They usually represent outside of our communities.

They do not touch upon how buying a home can assist in building a legacy; recycling dollars; and the home can give you leverage to start a business.

Lastly our Marketing arm consists of thirty-one people. What I learned a few years back; it was an important lesson … I would always be behind the scene, no one would ever meet me. People would see Pacific Playa Realty signs and people would say ‘that is some other people in our community taking advantage’.

In part it is due to our strong branding and marketing, and how we entered the market. Yes, but what most don’t realize is that you have to enter the market strong, to be taken seriously. Yes, exactly!

One of the reasons why I brought strong marketing was that when we entered the Marketplace I was told that we would never have professional agents in the areas that we served.

When I belonged to the Franchise, that is what one of the Franchise Directors told me. That you guys are in an awful market, and you will never have professional agents.

I knew that if you give us the tools, assistance, guidance, and training that we would have more than enough talent.

I left the Franchise about ten years ago. It was truly the best decision. I could truly be a problem solver, not walking in anyone else’s path; but making our own trail. More importantly not being subject to someone else’s (the Franchise Director’s) decisions on my path.

To be a modern Entrepreneur you have to be known, you cannot be behind the scenes. I am a believer in spending a long time in the kitchen perfecting the recipe before opening the restaurant.

So, I feel like the restaurant is built now, and now I need to go back out there. During the Pandemic I started with one hire, and now we are thirty hires later. We do everything in house.

Our Marketing Firm does Websites, Social- Media, and Graphics. Now over our Ecosystem there is a Marketing Company that does all of it. They have gone on to do great things for ABC, and Disney.

We are a vertical company because we are solving problems. What I thought was going to be a negative from the perspective of having all of my eggs in one basket. All of the companies are independently owned and operated.

What ended up being an ‘Aha’ moment was that you don’t go to Home Depot and just get one item, you get several things from several different departments.

We just closed a transaction where we represented both the buyer and the seller in the listing. The buyer brought the best offer, we did the escrow, we did the mortgage, and we are doing the construction on it.

So, it provides a great eco-system and convenience. They know that everything will be run with the same ethos … trust… yes, trust and honesty.

That has been seamless, and less stressful for the consumer. What is next for us is expansion. Now that we have perfected the formula.

Everything we are doing – the training that you just saw, is Certified Training Modules. It is about Systems; and we are in a growth spurt now.

We are looking into San Diego, the Valley markets. Not just opening one of the companies, but all of the companies to serve that Eco-system.

We are scaling regionally, and we want to roll out with more technology. We just launched our own CRM that we built from the ground up called Reach. We will package Reach up to sell to other people.

Reach will be for any industry, not just property. Most of the CRM’s that are out there are complicated. It is like something with so many features that you never use, you literally use a few of its features.

So, I dialed it down so that people would not be discouraged from using it. It is called Reach… and the tag line is ‘From Contacts to Contracts’.

For example, let’s say that you have ten to twenty Contacts in your phone. With a click of a button, Group A is everybody that you went to school with, and they will get twelve months of an email wishing them Happy Birthday. As long as you put in the information everything is on autopilot. It is AI based, so if they respond with a conversation it (Reach) will respond.

I am launching a Podcast called ‘The Gap’. Between the companies in the Ecosystem, to educate and empower people on a national level about home ownership, about investments, and savings.

Within the communities that we serve when you do not have generational wealth, you cannot have those conversations. So, conversations at the dinner table are very different for people in different communities. The Gap is about informing people about what is out there and what tools to utilize.

What is your personal favorite architectural designs in terms of homes? What homestyle do you love to list …

I like modern farmhouse, the combination of traditional, and a nuance of modern. It has clen lines yet it is still warm.

I am more about clean lines, natural light, and indoor/outdoor experience. People are spending more time with that indoor/outdoor experience, and less time couped in the bedroom. And the custom finishes that go with gathering and keeping the family together.

No one has a smooth journey, what was the most pivotal part in your journey? And did you ever feel like quitting …

I have never felt like quitting, in my life. I do a gratitude exercise every day, and I have been doing it since I was fourteen, or fifteen years old. Because I come from a journey that was not always smooth, so I am always grateful for what I have.

If you start your day with gratitude for what you have … yeah, I have honestly never felt like quitting at anything.

The more challenges that I have had, the more breakthroughs I have had. Case in point, December 2022 we had a fire in our offices; everything that we had earned burnt down to the ground.

Building back up, I never shed a tear … I knew that we were going to come back better. And two years later we are a far better company than we ever were.

So, every breakdown has a breakthrough. One pivotal moment was watching my mom that could not read or write, fight to provide for us. That struggle has become my inner strength.

Yes, I am always grateful (at my progress), but never satisfied. Yes, I can respect that … I am a lot like that I am always saying ‘great, now what is next’.

What are your three staples of clothing that make you feel your most confident …

When I started in real estate, and doing my projects, investments I was in my twenties. People would always come up to me asking where is the developer, or where are your parents.

So, I found that I had to dress up to avoid this. I feel like a good blazer for a man is vital. No matter where you are … you should have a blazer in your car.

It is the great equalizer; the blazer is a great presence. A nice fitted shirt, it doesn’t have to be expensive – a lot of people think that fashion has to be expensive. Not at all, it is how you put it together.

Also, good quality shoes. I would splurge on a good pair of nice leather shoes, that will last me forever that I can Resole.

You do not have to spend a million dollars to look like a million dollars. Timeless things, I do not have a lot of trends and fads.

What are you most excited about for 2025, the remaining of 2025 …

Impact at scale. Our impact because it is vertical. The landing and launching of national initiatives. The Empower Foundation, because it is our non-profit. All the training that I do, that I charge for, one- hundred percent goes to financial literacy programs. What excites me for 2025 is that I can assist more people with taking control of their future.