John Delia

Finance Plus Client Service Equals Real Estate Success

By Robbyn Moore

Photos by Stylish Detroit

John Delia stepped away from college during the 2009 financial crisis and moved to California, where he co-founded a commodity business. His success within the business led him to real estate investing, which sparked his passion for the real estate industry. When he moved back to Michigan to finish his degree at Central Michigan University, he changed his major from finance to real estate development and joined a real estate club at the university. Soon after graduating, John took a position as a mortgage banker and financial analyst at a real estate investment trust (REIT), and later, became a full-time real estate agent in November 2015.

As a self-proclaimed numbers geek, John originally had plans to build a career in finance. However, after finding success in real estate investments and having an incredibly gratifying client experience, he knew his future was working with clients one-on-one as their real estate agent.

“My original desire to become a real estate agent was to have closer access to investment opportunities,” John recalled. “But after working with clients and helping them with their needs, I found the entire process to be extremely fulfilling.”

Over the years, John found that his greatest influencers were within his own family. While John was growing up, his parents were wonderfully supportive of him and his two brothers and encouraged them to chase their dreams. “My parents made a lot of sacrifices for the betterment of our family,” he said. “My brother Joe and I share the same passion for real estate. His guidance as a real estate professional and individual has been priceless.” John’s other brother, Jerry, has been serving in the United States Air Force for nearly 15 years and underscores the meaning of commitment and bravery. “Jerry is a leader in everything he does, which is a great source of motivation to me,” John said. Moreover, John said his fiancé, Dayna — who he met in college — has been a steady rock in his life and inspires him to be a better person every day.

For the past six years, John has worked with his brother Joe, who is the founder of The Delia Group with Keller Williams. There, they have 10 full-time agents and seven full-time operation members. Since launching his career, John has a total sales volume of over $78 million — $17 million of which he achieved in 2020. He has been ranked for four consecutive years in Hour Detroit Magazine as one of the top 5% of real estate agents and has been a top-producing agent each year within The Delia Group.

“I’m most passionate about maintaining and improving relationships with all of my current and former clients,” John said. “It’s incredible to see their life unfold through big life milestones such as marriage, children and birthdays. Many of my former clients have become good friends, and I’m honored to be included and trusted with their significant investments of homeownership — it’s truly the most rewarding part of my business.”

An interesting fact about John is that he’s extremely punctual. “I’ll never let my schedule interrupt my assistance to a client because there’s always a way to help,” he said. “However, that being said, my biggest challenge for me when I was initially getting into this business was dealing with time management. During my first year, I assisted 72 clients with either buying or selling a home — nearly 70 of them were buyers. I learned how to properly time block my schedule and leverage the team.”

Part of John’s structured discipline came from his years as a wrestler in high school. “Our family was huge into wrestling, including my father, uncles and cousins,” he explained. “The dedication I gave to my sport encouraged a disciplined lifestyle that greatly impacted me as a person.”

For John, success is making a positive difference in the lives of those around him while also accomplishing his personal and professional goals. “My favorite part of being a real estate agent is the lasting relationships I’ve been able to develop,” he said. “That’s a true measure of success.”

When John’s not working — or running numbers on potential investment properties — he enjoys traveling with his fiancé, Dayna. Together, they also find time to be on the water or with family and friends. Dayna is an avid Detroit Red Wings fan and has a dedicated space within their home for her Red Wings memorabilia. The couple has two dogs named Lylah and Izzy whom they rescued from the Humane Society — an organization that they love and support, and will be donating to in honor of their wedding.

To get the greatest return on his real estate business, John invested in his relationships with clients, colleagues and industry partners. “I found creative ways to add value into people’s lives,” he said. “It’s important to continue planting seeds every day and to have as many conversations as possible to continuously add contacts to your database.”

Whether it’s selling a home or investing in new properties, John said real estate will always be a part of his life. “I nerd out when I’m running numbers, analyzing company financial statements and trends, and finding ways to improve property values,” he said. “The number-crunching is really fun for me, but I’ll never get away from working with my clients — that’s what makes this business so rewarding.”

John Delia - Rising Star