SRE Becomes the #1 Top Selling Commercial Real Estate Brokerage for Investment Sales in Loudoun County
In its second full year of business, Serafin Real Estate does it again. Not only was Serafin Real Estate (SRE) Loudoun County’s top commercial real estate brokerage for total volume sold out of 167 commercial real estate companies in Loudoun County, but Joe Serafin, owner, founder and principal broker of SRE, personally topped the chart with closed contracts exceeding $70 million. (the #2 position closed for less than $56 million.) In addition, Sean Kline, SRE’s chief operating officer and a veteran of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, ranked #5 out of the 570 real estate brokers who focus on and work out of offices in Loudoun County.
Joe Serafin knows exactly why his new company has rocketed into the stratosphere. While Serafin Real Estate was founded in 2019, Joe Serafin has more than 16 years in the business, closing more than $530 million in property sales.
Joe Serafin works to a powerful principle, summed up as “There are 5Ps in Pinnacle.”
The 5Ps of the Serafin Real Estate Pinnacle
The First P is “Principles”
“We are guided by the Realtor Code of Ethics” and our own set of ethics that make up our company philosophy. Our duties to clients, to the public, and to other Realtors are the principles on which our business stands. We are trusted partners in every transaction. As one of our clients commented, “This brokerage is refreshingly unique in that they approach the transaction as interested partners rather than as a disinterested intermediary.” (Praxis Capital). That speaks volumes.
The Second P is “Philosophy”
Commercial real estate is owned by two primary groups:
- The passive investor who will maximize portfolio profitability by owning the right kind of property in the right location, occupied by the right kind of NNN lessee.
The investor may be an individual, a REIT, or a local corporate commercial property investor. They may hold one or multiple property assets. They all want an investment that will generate maximum passive income, often determined initially by Cap rate and then by historic and expected future ROI.
- The owner-operator whose goal is to have total control over their business premises while taking their own business onwards and upwards.
Serafin’s business philosophy is to understand the Loudoun, Fairfax, and Prince William Counties’ marketplace so well that finding the right buyer for a listed property or the right property for a potential buyer is automatically part of the entire process.
As well as these primary factors, investors are also under other pressures, resulting from, for example, 1031 exchange time constraints. Working with a successful and expert brokerage makes a critical difference in achieving the end result.
Part of a successful commercial real estate business philosophy means knowing where to focus. Serafin has carved out special niches. Those niches are not just about investment property opportunities, per se, but about knowing the broader business trends well enough to make those niches successful for each client and, ultimately, for the marketplace those sectors serve.
With this philosophy, Serafin automatically becomes successful itself, which, in turn, becomes self-fulfilling and generates more business opportunities.
SRE’s Market Niches
Serafin’s primary niches are specific and intense.
- The Childcare and Education Market. Northern Virginia’s population is well educated, well-qualified, and is made up of many double-income families. Those parents want the best care for their children and the best education. That dual demand has spurred this market sector. SRE has closed an impressive 90%+ of all childcare property-related transactions in Loudoun County.
- The Multiple Investment-Property Market. Northern Virginia’s major industries have spawned many support and service industries. Successfully purchasing single and multi-tenanted properties which will generate continuous high ROI demands two things:
- A clear understanding of which businesses will make good long-term NNN tenants because they serve other well-established businesses.
- An “on-the-ball” knowledge of current and planned future trends and events, and how they may affect the investment property market.
It is here where SRE excels and is, therefore, so able to advise, market, and negotiate on behalf of their clients. As a result, many clients have intentionally developed long-standing relationships with SRE.
Another result is that many veterinary clinics, private schools, offices, and industrial organizations, etc. operate out of what are, to them, prime locations. That, in turn, means they deliver the results the property owners wanted when they first invested.
- The $3 million to $30 million property price range is another of SRE’s niche market areas. It encompasses particular types of property which attract particular types of clients.
- Geographically focused in Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William County and surrounding areas.
Integrating all of these niches has generated corporate success. The philosophy works! It also leads naturally to the third ‘P’.
The Third P is “Promises”
Serafin’s promises to clients and prospective clients are well-known throughout the marketplace. Focusing on specific niche markets gives SRE the ability to fully relate to each client’s future vision and goals because they are what drives the sale or purchase of a property. That understanding enables SRE to fully meet client expectations and deliver the right results. The property owner is presented with a fully qualified buyer who is ready, willing, and able to proceed to closing; and the prospective buyer is presented with ideal properties to choose from.
Both of these – sell or buy – have their focus points. SRE is Loudoun County’s leading commercial real estate brokerage for investment sales because they are experts in all focus points, so they can and do deliver on their promise to each client.
The Fourth P is “People”
When Joe Serafin founded his company, his vision was to build a team of up to ten commercial real estate specialists who had their hearts in the Northern Virginia market and the market in their hearts. A top-performing team is cooperative and interdependent, so their energy is directed outwards towards their clients’ goals. That sentence sums up the people at Serafin Real Estate.
The Fifth P is “Process”
Processes are the vehicles that deliver the results. SRE has sold properties at record-breaking prices, the lowest cap rates, and the highest price per square foot. They have also marketed and closed on properties that other brokers had failed to sell.
The processes focus on building maximum marketing exposure momentum for each property in the chosen marketplace. SRE utilizes systems that are more advanced than those used by many of its competitors. SRE’s proprietary marketing strategies expose listed properties locally, nationally, and internationally.
Northern Virginia’s huge international business base attracts suppliers and service providers from all over the world. Marketing the financial value of owning SRE’s listed properties to qualified buyers is a powerfully successful process.
To quote one client, “I can’t say enough about Joe and his team . . . I had a very unique property listed for years with another broker, with no results. I then listed with (SRE) and saw almost immediate traffic. Joe really invested time and thought into my property and put together a very effective marketing package. The results were fantastic. Joe was able to sell my property when no one else could. . . If you are looking to list a commercial piece of real estate, I wouldn’t even waste my time with anyone else.” C. Cook.
As Joe Serafin says of SRE’s processes, “We are always researching and improving technology strategies to reach the most qualified buyers.”
Another part of the process is always to give honest advice. If something falls too far outside the SRE areas of expertise, they refer the prospect to a different brokerage that specializes in that area. Principles and philosophy are very much a part of the process to ensure the right results are always achieved.
Win-Win-Win
By reaching the pinnacle of success in Loudoun County after just two years in business, it is obvious that Serafin Real Estate is a winner. Joe Serafin is quick to point out that his company’s win is based entirely on the wins he and his team achieve for each client.
It would be tempting to leave it as a “win-win.” But, again, Joe makes it clear that the third win is Loudoun County. The other businesses based here, the parents who want their kids to get the best care and education, the kids themselves, who will benefit from that to grow into the next generation of college graduates to fill the new and growing business sectors and everyone else who lives here. The profits generated by those businesses and the tax revenues collected then go back to Loudoun County and the rest of Northern Virginia. Win-Win-Win, indeed.