William Small founded ZRA in 2014 as a real estate investment, asset management and services firm to provide a high quality of advice and support to experienced real estate investors; and to find and create investment opportunities for passive investors looking to make investments in commercial real estate in partnership alongside an experienced active asset manager.
He began his real estate career in 1982 working with the National Association of REALTORS® as a Political Direction and in-house legal counsel for their Political Affairs Division in Washington, DC. Starting in 1986, he started in the commercial real estate business specializing in marketing development sites and office buildings to major office developers and investors in downtown Washington, DC. During his career, he’s provided investment and real estate advice to wealthy individuals and families, major U.S. and foreign corporations, and institutions including such companies as Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of America, Times Mirror Corporation, the United States Mint, the Whitehall Fund (a joint venture between Goldman Sachs and the J.E. Robert Companies), Fleet Management and Recovery Corporation, JMB Realty, Metropolitan Theatres, Urban Outfitters, City of Aspen, Aspen Valley Hospital, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Costco.
William is the author of numerous articles on investing and investment strategy. In an effort to help others understand good investing principles and how to apply them, he has endeavored to create a systematic approach to finding good investments (whether stocks or real estate) to evaluate opportunities and apply proven tactics to achieve maximum results. His goal has always been to study and understand how to value investment opportunities and to apply those principles for investors. What he’s learned through his years of study and practice is that great investments, whether in real estate or stocks, all share common characteristics. He also recognizes the impact of crowd psychology and its impact on financial and real estate markets, and how those forces create both investment risks and opportunities.
William currently lives in Aspen, Colorado with wife, Lori and daughter Brigette, where he pursues his passions of skiing, biking, hiking, tennis and golf. He and Lori are avid travelers and spend several weeks a year traveling the world learning about global economic trends and looking for promising investment opportunities. He’s also active in several charities and professional organizations such RMCB, the Urban Land Institute and CCIM Institute. He’s a member of the District of Columbia, Maine, and United States Supreme Court Bar Associations, and the Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute of the National Association of REALTORS®, holding the CCIM designation. He holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Seattle University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maine.
