Diego Hodara is the founder and CEO of Titanium Realty Group, a real estate investment and development company focused on mixed-use and residential assets in transit-oriented markets across the New York metropolitan area. Titanium Realty Group has close to 2,000 units under development or completed in Jersey City, NJ, and Port Chester, NY, representing more than $800 million in total project value. Diego holds a master’s degree in Real Estate Finance and Investment from NYU, as well as degrees in Architecture, Urban Planning, and an MBA from the University of Uruguay.

Insights from Diego Hodara on Reinvention and Resilience in Real Estate Development

When Diego Hodara arrived in the United States from Uruguay at 30, he had an architecture degree and construction know-how, but no network, no capital, and no work visa. He started over selling kitchen cabinets and managing renovations across New York's boroughs, learning how the city actually gets built. During the recession, he bought his first property in Jersey City with his own savings. It went underwater almost immediately. Instead of walking away, he held on, managed it himself, and turned those mistakes into lessons.

That discipline became the foundation for Titanium Realty Group. Diego scaled methodically from fix-and-flips to 30-unit buildings to high-rise developments, proving he could execute at each level before raising the stakes. Without family wealth or institutional backing, he had no room for error. He grew slowly, questioned every assumption, and reinvested everything into the next deal.

In this episode of The Dealmakers’ Edge, Aaron and Diego discuss starting over at 30 with nothing, scaling from two-family homes to high-rise developments without losing discipline, and the guiding principle that’s shaped everything Diego has built—don’t try to be the biggest, try to be the strongest.

1:28 — Moving from Uruguay to the U.S. at 30 and starting over without a network

4:42 — Selling kitchen cabinets and managing renovations across New York City

8:05 — Early lessons in construction, financing, and navigating a new market

10:56 — Buying his first property in Jersey City and surviving the downturn

14:23 — Building confidence through experience and small-scale development

18:00 — Founding Titanium Realty Group and committing to deliberate growth

21:17 — From two-family homes to high-rise projects and institutional credibility

24:50 — Managing risk and questioning assumptions before every new deal

28:36 — The importance of discipline when working with investors’ money

31:45 — Expanding into preferred equity, bridge lending, and conversions

34:20 — What it means to build strength—not size—in development

Mentioned in Reinvention and Resilience in Real Estate Development with Diego Hodara

Titanium Realty Group | LinkedIn

Diego Hodara on LinkedIn

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