Ward Properties

What Ward Properties does

Ward Properties is a privately held commercial real estate company headquartered in Edgewood, Maryland, that develops, leases, and manages Class A office buildings and retail centers concentrated in Harford County, Maryland. Founded in 1986 as a manager of investment properties and operating as a second-generation company with roots tracing back to Art Builders, Inc. (in business for 50+ years), the company has assembled a portfolio of approximately 800,000 square feet of commercial space across ten or more properties, including the Box Hill Corporate Center office park (160,000 sq ft, anchored by SAIC's Harford County headquarters) and The Boulevard at Box Hill, a Wegmans-anchored retail center exceeding 450,000 square feet. Service offerings span the full real estate lifecycle — speculative development, built-to-suit construction for specific tenants (SAIC, MRA), ongoing property management, 24/7 maintenance and security, and financial administration — with the company describing itself as Harford County's premier commercial real estate developer.

The business model is recurring rental income from owned commercial real estate supplemented by direct leasing and property management services to commercial and retail tenants. The company pursues a sales-led go-to-market motion, conducting direct leasing to corporate, government, and retail tenants, and offers both speculative projects (constructed prior to tenant commitment) and build-to-suit facilities tailored to specific tenant requirements. Revenue streams are described as subscription-recurring in nature, tied to multi-year commercial leases. The customer base spans enterprise tenants (SAIC, Wegmans, Verizon), federal and state government agencies (GSA/Social Security Administration, State of Maryland), and SMB retail/service businesses (Duclaw brewpub, Talbots, Jordan Thomas Salon & Spa, Carroll Independent Fuel, Route 24 Alehouse, Humagalas), with operations and staffing (11–50 full-time employees including financial administrators, property managers, and maintenance personnel) located entirely within Harford County, Maryland.

Name

Ward Properties

Legal name

Ward Properties

Website

https://wardpropertiesmd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate

NAICS

Nonresidential Property Managers (531312), Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings (except Miniwarehouses) (531120)

SIC

Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512), Lessors Of Real Property, Nec (6519)

akta.pro primary industry

Office Real Estate Asset Management (BPAJAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Office Property Management (BPAJAGAA), Healthcare & Senior Housing Real Estate Asset Management (BPAJAMAH)

Keywords

• Commercial real estate
• Property management
• Office leasing
• Retail leasing
• Commercial property development

Headquarters

HQ city

Edgewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Commercial Real Estate Development and Leasing: Develops and leases commercial properties including professional office buildings and retail centers. Projects include speculative developments (constructed prior to tenant securing) and built-to-suit projects for specific tenants. Revenue generated from leasing space to commercial tenants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Ward Properties owns, leases, and manages commercial office and retail properties in Harford County, Maryland, with a portfolio totaling approximately 800,000 square feet. The company, founded in 1986, is a second-generation family business whose roots trace to Art Builders, Inc., and it actively manages tenant relationships across multiple named properties.

Product overview

Ward Properties is Harford County's premier commercial real estate company offering a portfolio of professional office buildings and retail centers. The company operates a unified real estate platform comprising office properties (Bright Oaks Courtyard, Bel Air South Professional Center, Old Emmorton Commons, Box Hill Corporate Center with multiple buildings) and retail properties (Box Hill Square, The Boulevard at Box Hill, Bel Air South Station, Blue Spruce Commercial, Blue Spruce Crossing). Services include property development, leasing, and management with over 800,000 square feet of commercial space under management. The company manages the full real estate lifecycle from development through ongoing property management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bright Oaks Courtyard Office property owned and managed by Ward Properties in Harford County, Maryland, offered to corporate and professional tenants.
• Bel Air South Professional Center Office property owned and managed by Ward Properties in Harford County, Maryland, leased to professional and business tenants.
• Old Emmorton Commons Office property owned and managed by Ward Properties in Harford County, Maryland.
• Box Hill Corporate Center Office property owned and managed by Ward Properties in Harford County, Maryland, leased to corporate tenants.
• The Boulevard at Box Hill Retail center owned and managed by Ward Properties in Harford County, Maryland, leased to retail tenants.
• Box Hill Square Retail center owned and managed by Ward Properties in Harford County, Maryland.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800,000 square feet of commercial space managed in Harford County

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GSA (General Services Administration)coreOthersWard Properties worked closely with GSA to locate Harford County's Social Security Administration office in Box Hill Corporate Center. This government partnership demonstrates the company's ability to secure significant public-sector tenants.
• State of MarylandcoreOthersWard Properties partnered with the State of Maryland to locate an administrative office in the SAIC building at Box Hill Corporate Center. This establishes the company as a trusted partner for state government real estate needs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services: Mid-Atlantic commercial real estate services firm providing leasing, sales, and property management for office and retail properties. Comparable regional focus and service offering.
• St. John Properties: Maryland-based commercial real estate developer that develops speculative and built-to-suit Class A office, flex, and retail product across the Mid-Atlantic. Closely comparable to Ward in both business model and Mid-Atlantic geographic focus.
• Greenberg Gibbons Commercial: Maryland-based commercial real estate developer focused on retail, mixed-use, and office properties. Comparable in regional focus, scale, and product type to Ward Properties.
• MCB Real Estate: Maryland-based commercial real estate investment and management firm developing office, retail, and mixed-use properties. Comparable regional Maryland focus and owner/operator model.
• Corporate Office Properties Trust: Maryland-based REIT focused on office properties, particularly serving government and defense tenants. Comparable to Ward's office/government tenant strategy in the Mid-Atlantic.
• Nottingham Properties: Maryland-based commercial real estate developer and owner of office and retail properties in the Mid-Atlantic region. Comparable geographic focus and asset class mix.
• David S. Brown Enterprises: Maryland-based commercial and residential real estate developer with an office, retail, and mixed-use portfolio. Similar regional Maryland focus and owner/operator model.

Regional players

• Boyle Investment Company: Mid-South-based commercial real estate developer and owner of office, retail, and mixed-use properties. Comparable business model and scale but operates in a different regional geography.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Properties: Large publicly-traded office REIT focused on Class A office properties in gateway markets. Operates in the same asset class but at materially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Highwoods Properties: Publicly-traded REIT focused on Class A office properties in the best business districts of select Sun Belt markets. Comparable office product focus but at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/joe-ward-properties

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Ward Properties