Zelaya Properties

What Zelaya Properties does

Zelaya Properties LLC, operating as The Zelaya Companies, is a privately held, Alexandria, VA-based residential construction and real estate development firm founded in 2007 by Jay Zelaya, who has 20+ years of construction and real estate experience. The company's core operating model is a vertical buy-build-sell loop: it acquires underutilized lots with existing homes, performs major renovation or full demolition, builds a new home on the site, and sells the finished property. Around this core, the firm offers complementary services: direct home purchase from sellers, buyer-side property search and offer support, custom 'Build on Your Lot' construction on customer-owned parcels, residential remodeling (additions, multi-room remodels, basement finishing, kitchen and bath), and commercial interior build-out/renovation for restaurants, retail, and offices. The firm serves individual homeowners and small commercial clients in the DC Metro area — primarily Alexandria, VA, with extensions into Washington DC, Maryland, and West Virginia.

Revenue is generated primarily through transaction spreads on buy-build-sell projects and project-based construction contracts. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and direct sales, supported by a multi-channel local presence spanning Google, Instagram, Facebook, Houzz, yard signs, mailers, open houses, realtor referrals, and word of mouth. Customer segments are vertically segmented into home sellers, home buyers, and homeowners seeking renovation, with home sellers and buyers as the primary segments. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quote-based per project. The firm maintains a small full-time team (11-50 employees) and operates from a single headquarters at 950 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA. There is no disclosed institutional investment, funding, or parent company; ownership appears founder- and family-controlled, with one testimonial referencing a customer-turned-investor.

Name

Zelaya Properties

Legal name

Zelaya Properties LLC

Website

https://zelayacompanies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zelaya Properties is an Alexandria, VA-based residential construction and real estate development firm that buys underutilized lots, builds new homes, and sells them, while also providing remodeling, custom home building, and commercial build-out services to homeowners and small commercial clients in the DC Metro area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Real Estate Development

NAICS

New Housing For-Sale Builders (236117), Residential Remodelers (236118), Residential Building Construction (23611)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552), General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Land Development & Subdivision Homebuilding (Build-to-Sell Communities) (IMAFABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

New Construction & Builder Sales (BPAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Residential construction services
• Custom home building
• Home remodeling services
• Real estate development
• Property redevelopment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Home Sales: Company purchases underutilized lots with existing homes, redevelops them by building new homes, and sells the finished homes to new buyers. Revenue generated from the spread between acquisition/construction costs and final sale price.
2. Direct Home Purchase: Company buys homes directly from sellers, eliminating the traditional real estate transaction process. Provides options including buying as-is, completing minor renovations for higher profit, or major renovations before sale.
3. Construction Services: Full-service residential construction including additions, multi-room remodels, basement finishing, new home builds, kitchen and bathroom renovations. Services offered for both company-developed properties and client-owned properties.
4. Real Estate Brokerage: In-house REALTOR services provided by Rachel Zelaya, helping clients determine best upgrades for highest ROI when buying or selling homes.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Zelaya Properties is a residential construction and real estate development company that purchases underutilized lots with existing homes, demolishes the existing structures, builds new homes on those lots, and sells the finished properties. The company also provides custom home building on customer-owned lots, residential remodeling and renovation services, in-house real estate brokerage, and commercial interior build-out and renovation. All operations are concentrated in the DC Metro area, particularly Alexandria, VA and surrounding neighborhoods.

Product overview

Zelaya Properties (also referred to as The Zelaya Companies or Zelaya Companies) is a residential construction and real estate development company based in Alexandria, VA, offering an integrated suite of services spanning the full property lifecycle. Its core offerings include: (1) Residential Construction & Remodeling Services — additions, multi-room remodels, basement finishing, new home building, and kitchen/bathroom renovations; (2) Home Buying Services — property search, renovation planning, and offer submission assistance; (3) Home Selling Services — direct purchase and real estate advisory; (4) Build on Your Lot — custom home building on customer-owned lots; (5) Lot Redevelopment (Buy-Build-Sell) — acquiring underutilized lots, full demolition, new construction, and resale of finished homes; and (6) Commercial Build-Out & Renovation — interior construction for restaurants, retail, and office spaces. The company operates exclusively in the DC Metro area (Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lot Redevelopment (Buy-Build-Sell) Acquires underutilized residential lots with existing homes, manages full demolition and new construction on site, and sells the finished home to a new buyer. End-to-end real estate development model focused on the Alexandria, VA and DC Metro market.
• Residential Construction and Remodeling Services
• Home Selling Services
• Home Buying Services
• Build on Your Lot
• Commercial Build-Out and Renovation

Quantifiable outcome

• 20+ years of combined construction and real estate experience
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 minor.

• Assisting Children in NeedminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Zelaya was named Consultant to Construction and Facilities Planning and was the lead contributor in building the first Zelaya Library in Kampala, Uganda in 2016. The library provides educational resources to thousands of children and youth who previously had no access to literary resources. The company plans to build more libraries together across the globe.
• Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia ReStoreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs a Sustaining Business Partner with Habitat For Humanity's Northern Virginia ReStore, Zelaya Properties donates excess construction materials on a regular basis, supporting the organization's mission of providing affordable housing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wormald Companies: Maryland/DC custom home builder and remodeler with a portfolio of luxury residential projects — comparable custom residential construction focus in the DC Metro region.
• Case Architects & Remodelers: DC-area design-build firm specializing in home additions and major renovations, with in-house architecture and construction — comparable business model and DC Metro customer base to Zelaya.
• EYA: Bethesda-based neighborhood developer specializing in urban infill and build-to-sell townhomes/single-family homes in the DC Metro — highly comparable to Zelaya's buy-build-sell infill model.
• Focal Point Homes: DC-area design-build firm focused on custom home building and major renovations in the Virginia and DC market — comparable to Zelaya's residential construction and remodeling services.
• Craftmark Homes: DC-area homebuilder focused on infill and urban townhome/single-family communities — directly comparable build-to-sell residential model in overlapping DC Metro submarkets.
• BOWA Builders: DC Metro design-build remodeling and home building firm offering additions, whole-home renovations, and custom builds for affluent homeowners in Virginia and Maryland — directly comparable to Zelaya's residential design-build offering and geographic focus.

Regional players

• MRP Realty: DC-area real estate developer focused on mixed-use and residential projects in the DC Metro — comparable regional developer profile with overlapping investment and construction activities.
• Stanley Martin Homes: Mid-Atlantic homebuilder (part of Daiwa House) constructing new homes across the DC Metro and broader Mid-Atlantic — broader regional peer with overlap in new for-sale residential construction.

Broad incumbents

• Toll Brothers: National luxury homebuilder with active operations in the DC Metro area — broader incumbent peer competing for similar high-end build-to-sell demand in overlapping submarkets.
• Tri Pointe Homes: National homebuilder (parent of Winchester Homes in DC Metro) with for-sale residential operations — broader incumbent peer with DC-area presence that competes for similar buyer profiles.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ZelayaCompanies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zelaya-properties-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Zelaya Properties