by guest contributor Sherry Moeller
Photo credit: Rich Kessler
“It was like jumping into a time machine and back to the fun days of the early 2000s,” said EagleBank’s Deb Levy at the Washington, DC-area real estate firm Smith | Schnider that held a grand opening event at its new Arlington, VA office to celebrate the new firm, upcoming projects and valued clients. Ron Smith, founding principal, president and principal broker, Marty Schnider, founding principal, and Julie Zelaska, principal and executive vice president, formed Smith | Schnider plan to offer the Washington region a real estate firm that specializes in the development, marketing and selling of high-end urban communities and custom single-family homes. Smith | Schnider is the uniting of three highly-regarded and very successful real estate professionals, bringing more than 75 combined years of unmatched industry expertise to the area.
Smith | Schnider team: Sean Manns, Laurie Hargadon, Genevieve Concannon, Julie Zelaska, Ron Smith, Sara Swart, Bella Schnider, Jaye Reyes
“When you have an opportunity to collaborate with true industry professionals, you start to realize the group’s collective potential,” said Schnider. “In creating Smith | Schnider, we got the band back together, and thanks to our entire team, the response right out of the gate has shown us that we are really onto something.”
Julie Zelaska, Carlee Cardwell, Lance Ohlsson
More than 100 guests enjoyed live jazz music by Bachelor Boys Band, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres by Windows Catering, and posed for fun snapshots with Tickled Photo Booth Company. The event showcased Smith | Schnider’s new office space at Liberty Center, and continued the festivities throughout the building’s main lobby, entertainment room and outdoor patio. Guests included Ballston BID CEO Tina Leone, Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s Alex Held, Dambly Design’s Carlee Cardwell and Cardinal Bank Senior Vice President and Market Executive Tom Grantham.
“The party felt like a reunion,” said Smith. “Guests commented on seeing fellow colleagues and friends they hadn’t seen in years—it was a true celebratory atmosphere.”
Zelaska added, “I’m very proud of all the amazing people I work with, and the outstanding job Jaye [Reyes] and Sara [Swart] did to put together this party.”
Sara Swart, Howard Bomstein, Marianne Garman
Guests commented on the great design of the new Smith | Schnider office space as well as how the grand opening event felt like a party at a friend’s house. “It was a great way to actually get to know people through casual conversation,” said Lauren DeSomma of W.C. Ralston Architects.
Andrew Moore, of Arlington Designer Homes, said, “I really enjoyed catching up with some old friends and meeting some new ones. It was a top notch gala.”
