Real Estate Transition Solutions

What Real Estate Transition Solutions does

Real Estate Transition Solutions (RETS) is a privately held real estate investment advisory firm founded in 1998 and headquartered in Kirkland, Washington, that specializes in tax-deferred 1031 Exchange strategies and Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) placement services for accredited investment property owners. The firm employs 21 licensed professionals across investment strategy, due diligence, marketing, and client services, and operates from four West Coast offices (Kirkland/Seattle HQ, Portland, San Francisco, and Orange County). Its core offering is personalized advisory delivered by 1031 Exchange Advisors holding Series 7, 22, 63, 65, and 66 securities licenses, supported by a proprietary DST Marketplace platform that provides real-time access to vetted DST properties nationwide, an in-house due diligence team with CFA and CPA credentials, and a content library spanning webinars, guides, a tax calculator, and the DST News & Properties newsletter reaching over 10,000 subscribers.

RETS does not generate revenue directly from securities transactions or advisory fees itself; instead, DST securities are placed through affiliated broker-dealer Aurora Securities, Inc. (a FINRA/SIPC member) and advisory services are delivered through affiliated SEC-registered investment adviser Secure Asset Management, LLC. Both affiliates share common ownership but are operationally independent from RETS. The firm monetizes indirectly through securities placement fees and advisory arrangements facilitated by these affiliated licensed entities, with a typical DST minimum investment of $100,000. GTM is sales-led and content-driven: educational content, webinars, and SEO attract accredited investors, who are then qualified through complimentary 30-minute consultations before being matched to vetted DST sponsors including Inland Private Capital, ExchangeRight, NexPoint, Cantor Fitzgerald, Bluerock, Passco, and Black Creek. The technology stack is a conventional content/CRM build (WordPress, Salesforce, email marketing, a self-service Marketplace) without proprietary AI/ML components.

Name

Real Estate Transition Solutions

Legal name

Real Estate Transition Solutions LLC

Website

https://re-transition.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Real Estate Transition Solutions is a privately held 1031 Exchange advisory firm that places Delaware Statutory Trust securities for accredited investment property owners through affiliated FINRA broker-dealer and RIA entities, operating from four West Coast offices with a 21-person licensed-advisor team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Investment Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)

Keywords

• 1031 exchange advisory
• Delaware Statutory Trust placement
• Tax-deferred real estate
• Investment property advisory
• Real estate transition services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mercer Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Securities Placement & Advisory Fees: Securities are offered through Aurora Securities, Inc. (ASI), a FINRA/SIPC member broker-dealer, and advisory services are provided through Secure Asset Management, LLC (SAM), a Registered Investment Advisor. ASI and SAM are affiliated companies and share common ownership. RETS is independent of ASI and SAM. Revenue is generated through securities transaction fees and advisory service arrangements facilitated through these affiliated licensed entities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Real Estate Transition Solutions (RETS) is a fully-integrated 1031 Exchange advisory firm that helps investment property owners defer capital gains taxes by identifying and acquiring like-kind replacement properties, including Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs), fee-simple real estate, tenant-in-common (TIC) properties, and REITs. Securities placement is conducted through affiliated FINRA/SIPC broker-dealer Aurora Securities, Inc., and advisory services are delivered through affiliated SEC-registered investment adviser Secure Asset Management, LLC. The core advisory service is supported by a proprietary DST Marketplace platform, educational guides, webinars, a newsletter, and a 1031 Exchange calculator.

Product overview

Real Estate Transition Solutions (RETS) is a fully-integrated 1031 Exchange advisory firm operating as a single core platform supplemented by multiple educational and transactional sub-products. The core offering is licensed 1031 Exchange Advisory Services, which provides personalized consultation on tax-deferred exchange strategies. This is supported by the DST Marketplace platform for browsing vetted Delaware Statutory Trust properties, along with downloadable guides (Investing in DSTs Guide, 1031 Exchange Basics Guide, 721 UpREIT Guide), live and on-demand educational webinars, the monthly DST News & Properties Newsletter, a 1031 Exchange Calculator tool, and a DST Sponsor Directory. The company serves investment property owners seeking to defer capital gains taxes through 1031 Exchanges into replacement properties including DSTs, fee-simple properties, TIC, and REITs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DST Marketplace: A nationwide directory of vetted DST properties open to investors, featuring in-depth property and sponsor details for 1031 Exchange replacement properties.
• DST News & Properties

Products and services

• 1031 Exchange Advisory Services
• DST Marketplace

Quantifiable outcome

• Tax deferral on capital gains taxes (up to 42.1% in some states) on investment property sales
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aurora Securities, Inc. (ASI)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecurities (DST interests and related securities offerings) are distributed through Aurora Securities, Inc., a FINRA/SIPC member broker-dealer. ASI is an affiliated company under common ownership with Secure Asset Management, LLC. RETS is independent of ASI and SAM.
• Secure Asset Management, LLC (SAM)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdvisory services are provided through Secure Asset Management, LLC, a SEC-registered investment advisor. SAM is affiliated with Aurora Securities, Inc. RETS operates independently from both entities.
• FINRA / BrokerCheckminorOthersThe firm and its advisors are verified through FINRA's BrokerCheck system. Securities are offered through Aurora Securities, Inc., a FINRA/SIPC member. Displays BBB accreditation and BrokerCheck verification badges on its website.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 1031 Services Inc.
• Accruit: Accruit is a 1031 Exchange Qualified Intermediary and advisory firm providing tax-deferred exchange services and DST investment opportunities to accredited investors. They are a direct competitor to RETS with a national platform and similar focus on 1031 advisory and DST placement.
• Equity Advantage: Equity Advantage is a 1031 exchange company headquartered in Lake Oswego, OR, providing qualified intermediary and advisory services for investment property owners. They are a direct competitor to RETS in the Pacific Northwest 1031 advisory space, with a similar full-service model and accredited investor focus on tax-deferred real estate transitions.
• IPX1031: Investment Property Exchange Services (IPX1031) is a national 1031 exchange qualified intermediary headquartered in Brea, CA. They provide exchange services to investors and advisors and compete directly with RETS in the 1031 advisory space, with deeper resources, broader national reach, and similar accredited investor focus.
• Kay Properties and Investments: Kay Properties is a national 1031 Exchange investment firm that helps investors identify and acquire DST and TIC replacement properties. They are a direct competitor to RETS in the DST placement and 1031 advisory space, with a focus on institutional-quality replacement property selection for HNW investors.
• Asset Preservation, Inc. Asset Preservation is a national 1031 Exchange Qualified Intermediary based in Costa Mesa, CA, providing tax-deferred exchange services for investment real estate. They compete directly with RETS in the 1031 advisory and qualified intermediary space with a broader national footprint and similar focus on accredited investor clients.

Others

• Inland Private Capital Corporation: Inland Private Capital is a DST sponsor that has raised over $5.5B in equity from 9,000+ investors across 255 private placement programs with 716 property acquisitions across 44 states. They are listed as a partner of RETS in distributing DST offerings, supplying the investment product RETS places to its clients rather than competing directly.
• ExchangeRight: ExchangeRight is a vertically integrated real estate investment firm managing over $3.1B in net-leased assets for 1031 exchange and accredited investors. They are a partner of RETS as a DST sponsor, supplying the products RETS distributes to its clients rather than competing directly in the advisory layer.

Broad incumbents

• Cantor Fitzgerald: Cantor Fitzgerald is a premier global financial services firm founded in 1945 with over 10,000 employees in 150+ offices and $2B+ invested in commercial real estate infrastructure. They offer DST properties through affiliated broker-dealers and compete broadly with RETS in the institutional DST placement space, though they are a much larger incumbent with diversified services.
• CBRE: CBRE is the world's largest commercial real estate services firm with comprehensive investment management, brokerage, and advisory capabilities. While not a dedicated 1031/DST advisor, CBRE's scale, sponsor relationships, and institutional reach make them a broad incumbent that could expand into RETS's specialized niche with greater resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/real-estate-transition-solutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Real Estate Transition Solutions