What Sera Capital Management does

Sera Capital Management is a fee-only fiduciary registered investment advisor founded in 1990 and headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland. The firm specializes in tax-efficient exit planning for real estate investors, business owners, and individuals with highly appreciated assets, with Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs), 1031 like-kind exchanges, and 721 UPREIT exchanges accounting for over 90% of its work. Between 2020 and 2021 it expanded its advisory platform to include Qualified Opportunity Zone Funds and Section 453 Structured Installment Sales, broadening the range of exit situations it can address.

The firm is family-owned (founder Carlos M. Sera, President Carl E. Sera, Vice President Joe Sera, plus Vice President & Head of Operations Roman Balogh) with 1–10 employees and a single Annapolis office. Its core technology is a proprietary due diligence framework for evaluating DST sponsors — covering quality, balance sheet strength, debt structure, historical execution, portfolio composition, liquidity mechanisms, and long-term alignment — supplemented by client-facing digital tools such as a 1031 Exchange Calculator, a 1031 Basis Calculator, a Tax-Deferred Investment Quiz, a DST Due Diligence Challenge, and a DST Investor Portal. Sera Capital holds BBB accreditation, reports zero customer complaints since founding, and was selected as the preferred 1031/721 specialist for one of the nation's largest wealth management organizations following a Big Four accounting firm due diligence process.

Sera Capital earns revenue on a fee-only basis: flat consulting fees (typically one-half to one-third of traditional commission rates) for exit-planning engagements, plus AUM-based advisory fees for ongoing investment management. A distinguishing structural feature is that 100% of embedded DST commissions (typically 6–9% of investment) are credited back to clients as additional beneficial interest rather than retained. New client acquisition is entirely referral-driven through a professional network of CPAs, estate attorneys, financial advisors, qualified intermediaries, title companies, and business brokers built over nearly 40 years, supplemented by the firm's Financial Tales blog and founder-authored book. The firm serves clients nationwide from Maryland, with ongoing content and product development through 2026.

Name

Sera Capital Management

Legal name

Sera Capital Management

Website

https://seracapital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sera Capital Management is a fee-only fiduciary RIA founded in 1990 in Annapolis, Maryland, specializing in tax-efficient exit planning — primarily 1031 exchanges, Delaware Statutory Trusts, and 721 UPREIT exchanges — for real estate investors, business owners, and individuals with highly appreciated assets, sourced almost entirely through professional referrals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions) (FSAAACAG), Real Estate Capital Markets Advisory (Debt/Equity Placement, Refinancing) (BPAJANAE)

Keywords

• Tax-deferred exchange advisory
• Delaware Statutory Trusts
• 1031 exchange services
• 721 UPREIT advisory
• Fiduciary exit planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Annapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Fee-only Advisory Services: Compensated solely by clients - never by commissions, referral fees, or sponsor payments. Charges flat consulting fees that are about half to one-third of commission rates, plus credits 100% of embedded DST commissions back to clients as additional equity.
2. Assets Under Management: Fee-only investment advice based on a percentage of assets under management, or occasionally for a fixed fee. Provides advice on exchange listed equity securities, mutual funds, corporate debt, CDs, municipal securities, US government securities, and securities options contracts.
3. DST Commission Credit Model: Credits 100% of embedded DST sales commissions (typically 6-9%) back to clients as additional equity rather than retaining them as commission income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sera Capital Management is a fee-only fiduciary registered investment advisor that provides tax-efficient exit planning advisory services for real estate investors, business owners, and individuals holding highly appreciated assets. Its core practice is built on 1031 like-kind exchanges into Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs), 721 UPREIT exchanges into public non-traded REITs, Qualified Opportunity Zone Funds, and Section 453 Structured Installment Sales. The firm is compensated solely through client-paid flat consulting fees and AUM-based fees, and credits 100% of any embedded DST sales commissions back to clients as additional equity.

Product overview

Sera Capital is a fee-only fiduciary advisory firm offering a unified platform of tax-efficient exit planning services for real estate investors, business owners, and individuals with highly appreciated assets. The core offering centers on Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) advisory services paired with 1031 Exchange and 721 UPREIT exchange strategies, supplemented by Opportunity Zone Fund advisory, Section 453 Structured Installment Sale services, and Investment Management consulting. Supporting digital tools include a 1031 Exchange Calculator, 1031 Basis Calculator, DST Due Diligence Challenge, Tax-Deferred Investment Quiz, and DST Investor Portal. The platform operates as a fee-only model where all embedded DST commissions are credited back to clients, distinguishing it from commission-based competitors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 1031 Exchange Advisory Services

Quantifiable outcome

• $800,000+ tax saved on $2.5M property sale (32% of proceeds)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CPAs and Tax ProfessionalscoreOthersPrimary referral source sending clients who need specialized DST and 721 UPREIT exit planning. Work alongside Sera Capital throughout engagements for binding tax guidance.
• Estate Planning AttorneyscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSend clients planning business exits or estate transitions. Work alongside Sera Capital throughout exit planning engagements.
• Financial AdvisorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSend clients needing specialist exit planning services. Many advisors in referral network do not specialize in DST structures or 721 UPREIT mechanics themselves and bring Sera Capital in for complex situations.
• Qualified IntermediariescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEssential partners in 1031 exchange process who hold proceeds from relinquished property until replacement property is acquired. Sera Capital is a preferred partner for QIs seeking DST expertise.
• Title CompaniesminorOthersReferral source for clients completing real estate transactions who need exit planning.
• DST SponsorscoreTechnology or IntegrationReal estate developers and sponsors who create Delaware Statutory Trust offerings. Sera Capital evaluates and selects from top DST sponsors with proven history of success for client recommendations. Works with sponsors who have created temporary DSTs enabling 1031 exchange into REITs via 721 mechanism.
• Business Brokers and Private Equity PartnersminorOthersReferral source for clients selling businesses who need tax-efficient exit planning.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kay Properties and Investments: Fee-based DST and 1031 advisory firm focused exclusively on Delaware Statutory Trust investments. Highly comparable to Sera Capital: similar niche specialization in DSTs for 1031 exchanges, accredited investor client base, and education-led marketing model.
• Asset Preservation Inc. National qualified intermediary coordinating 1031 exchanges and DST investments for individual investors. Directly comparable because Asset Preservation serves the same 1031-exchange exit-planning workflow that Sera Capital advises on, with overlapping CPA and real-estate investor client base.
• IPX1031: Qualified intermediary specializing in 1031 exchange administration including DST transactions. Comparable as a working partner-competitor in the 1031 exit-planning funnel Sera Capital advises within.

Emerging players

• EquityMultiple: Online investment platform offering DSTs and other private real estate to accredited investors. Comparable to Sera Capital in serving the same DST investment use case for 1031 exchange proceeds, but differentiated by technology-led rather than advisor-led delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Cetera Financial Group: Large independent advisor network providing wealth management, retirement, and exit-planning services. Comparable as a massive incumbent RIA platform that could compete with Sera Capital for HNW exit-planning mandates and is also a potential channel partner for Sera's specialized services.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: National wealth management firm providing comprehensive financial planning, tax, and exit-planning services. Comparable as a large-scale RIA in the same HNW advisory market where Sera Capital competes and could potentially partner.
• Creative Planning: One of the largest U.S. RIAs offering comprehensive fee-only wealth management and tax planning. Comparable as a fee-only incumbent that is both a competitor and a potential referral channel for Sera Capital's specialized DST/1031 advisory work.
• Mercer Advisors: National RIA providing wealth management and financial planning to HNW households. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same asset- and tax-planning market that contains Sera Capital's niche.
• Fisher Investments: Large RIA providing portfolio management for high-net-worth investors. Comparable as a large fee-based advisory competitor in the HNW segment that Sera Capital also serves, though much broader in mandate.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large fee-only RIA offering wealth management and financial planning to HNW clients. Comparable as a large incumbent in fee-only HNW advisory that competes with Sera Capital for advisory clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sera Capital Management