 Following Huracán's relegation, Zárate's contract at the Parque Patricios ended and he signed with another club in the second division, Defensa y Justicia, again on a free transfer.After his retirement he became a football agent, representing Maximiliano Romero among others and arranging his December 2017 transfer of Romero from Vélez to PSV Eindhoven.Zárate made his debut for Argentina on 9 March 2005, a friendly match with Mexico in which the former only fielded players from the domestic league.