About Us

After graduating from Georgetown Law School in 1995, Marty became a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and worked for several years in complex commercial real estate transactions with renowned real estate law firms. He later teamed up with the Shooshan Company and Clark Enterprises in the late 1990s to develop the Liberty Center development in Arlington, VA, an urban mixed use development of over 2.5 million square feet.

In more recent years, Marty has expanded the Company’s investments across virtually all sectors in real estate and focuses predominantly on strategic partnerships to develop ground up opportunities in for sale residential, industrial and various covered land acquisitions in urban walkable communities.

The Company has numerous employees that have worked with the company for decades and provide best in class professional support for its investment activities. Fred Schnider provides deal sourcing, capital sourcing, financial analysis, construction management, sales and marketing support, engineering and property management in a unique horizontally integrated platform.

Ron Smith is founder and president of Smith l Schnider. As team leader for the past 6 years, Ron has spearheaded the company’s success in providing personalized sales and marketing advisory services for over 35 projects. Along with partner Marty Schnider, Smith has coordinated the company’s sponsor equity program and provided sponsor equity to over two twenty clients.

Ron has personally developed a diverse range of projects, ranging from several sites in the New Orleans Waterfront World Exposition to an award-winning 18-hole golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr.  As Senior Vice President of The Mayhood Company, Ron directed the sales and marketing of more than 6,000 residential units, across more than 50 projects, generating over $4 Billion in sales in the Washington, D.C., area.

Credentials

Ron is a licensed broker in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. He has served on the advisory committee to the chief financial officer of Washington, D.C., and as past chair of the Northern Virginia Building Industry (NVBIA) Sales and Marketing Council. He is an active member of the District of Columbia Building Industry Association (DCBIA), the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association (NVBIA), the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR). Member Urban Land Institute.

Julie possesses an exceptional ability to tune into what buyers want, to set the pace and guide her team through all phases of a project—from design, branding and pricing to sales setup—resulting in sell-out success. Her integrity and passionate commitment enable her teams to deliver customer service that is unparalleled in the industry.

Julie has ascended the ranks of the Washington, D.C. area’s leading residential sales and marketing companies, including The Mayhood Company, McWilliams Ballard and Van Metre Companies, consistently exceeding company and client expectations. At the Mayhood Company, she led sales and marketing for The Residences at Liberty Center project, working alongside then-senior vice president Ron Smith and developer Marty Schnider, founders of Smith | Schnider. Julie demonstrates core leadership strengths of ingenuity and tenacity that allow her to consistently turn challenges into profitable opportunities.

Credentials

Julie is a licensed broker in Virginia and D.C. She is also a lifelong member of Major Achievements in Marketing Excellence (MAME) and a member of Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR). Julie is a volunteer with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), an organization that advocates for abused and neglected children.

Sales project awards include:
Highest Sales Pace for the Mid-Atlantic Condominium Community, Delta Associates, 2010
The Residences at Liberty Center

Award for Excellence, Best Mid-Atlantic Condo Community, Delta Associates, 2009
Turnberry Tower

Award for Excellence, Best Mid-Atlantic Condo switch project, Delta Associates, 2004
The Clara Barton

Sue Martinez works as part of the Smith l Schnider executive team to manage company marketing efforts and assist in achieving project sales goals.  She brings more than 25 years’ experience as a vice president of sales and marketing with both regional and national homebuilders. Her expertise has long focused on the high-end range of the market. She has developed award-winning corporate brand campaigns for multiple regional builders—including Grayson Homes, Edgemoore Homes and Pillars Development Group—and together, her teams have won more than 100 awards for exceptional sales volume, marketing, product design, and community planning.   

Before joining Smith | Schnider, Martinez was Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Pillars Development Group, where among her duties, she managed sales and marketing efforts for their luxury condominium and urban townhouse projects, winning a Great American Living Award (GALA) for her marketing efforts.  

A graduate of Bethany College with a B.A. in Communications, Martinez’s extensive volunteer work includes leadership and committee positions with the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association (NVBIA), including a past position as president of their Sales and Marketing Council and past chair of both the HomeAID and GALA sponsorship committees. She is a current member of NVBIA’s Sales Achievement Committee.   

Patty joined Smith | Schnider after managing key projects for the City of Alexandria’s Workforce Development Center. Through her role, she implemented new technological resources and internal processes which greatly enhanced overall team efficiency.

In her current role, Patty manages both internal and external projects, ensuring all vital details remain on track and key stakeholders are kept apprised of any updates, as well as, overall progress. Additionally, she advises on resources to improve productivity and project deliverability, and also provides that ever-crucial internal technology support.

Kevin joined Smith l Schnider with an extensive background in real estate research. And, as a lifelong Washington, DC area resident, he has been able to put his distinct understanding of the region to good use.

Kevin previously worked at CoStar, building a deep understanding of data integrity while tracking statistics and transactions across commercial and residential real estate markets.  More recently, he was a Senior Research Analyst with Newmark, a leading real estate advisory firm in Washington, DC., providing data driven real estate market analysis to a wide range audience.

At Smith l Schnider, Kevin has played a critical/key role providing clients with timely and accurate market research. His “boots on the ground” approach and accurate assessments allow Smith l Schnider clients to react rapidly to the ever-changing market conditions, assisting them in making profitable land acquisitions and move forward confidently with timely pricing analyses.

With an unrivaled passion for real estate, Michael has built his expansive network with a focus not only on residential sales, but on development and multi-family sales as well. His portfolio includes sales and marketing for the former Italian Embassy, Elysium 14, Lawrence House and Helicopter Factory, all of which are signature projects in the District. He continues to cultivate new relationships and business opportunities in the region  and is highly engaged in community activism, including his involvement with Becky’s Fund and serving as a Board Member of the Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund.

Michael has worked closely with both current and former DC City Council members and mayors, and, thus, he has a deep knowledge of real estate development activities in the City. Michael was also a Mayoral Appointee to the District’s Board of Tax Assessments and Appeals. He also served as a board member of the DC Chamber of Commerce. Previously with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty where he served as Vice President and sold more than 180 million dollars in residential real estate, Michael now joins  Smith | Schnider and aims to even better serve his clients and the DC community. Licensed in DC, MD and VA, Michael also holds the ABR, GRI, CRS, ePro and BPOR designations.

Bio Coming Soon!

A lifelong native of the Washington, DC metropolitan area, Jay Zelaska has an intimate knowledge of its unique neighborhoods and ever-evolving market. He keeps a continual eye on what is developing in the area to advise clients on homes that best fit their lifestyle.

His background in marketing is a strong asset, providing for powerful, digitally-intergrated strategies and accurate positioning of the unique selling points of the homes he is selling. 

For more than 17 years, Iman has specialized in new home sales, working with some of the largest home builders in the country including Ryan Homes, NVHomes and Drees Homes. During her career she has received extensive training in residential project management and new home sales. Iman has sold over 40 homes a year in Fairfax, Loudoun, and Price William counties, and is the recipient of numerous sales awards. She was also a NVR Burgundy Club Member, generating over $25M in sales in one year.

Iman is now working as a Realtor serving her independent clients and selling new homes for Smith | Schnider, LLC. She recently sold out the Portrait Square at Brookland townhome community for Madison Homes.

​Iman has a proven track record of outstanding customer service and knowledge of the Northern Virginia and Washington, DC housing markets. These traits, along with an understanding of construction methods and space design, and 17 years of home sales experience, give her clients a distinct advantage which is what keeps them coming back for additional support and referring her to family and friends.

​Her goal is to build long-term relationships with her clients, and she continues to educate herself on the industry in order to be as relevant a real estate resource in the future as she is today. Iman is licensed and serving clients in Virginia and DC.

During the span of her career she has diversified herself in specialties that include luxury homes, land sales and relocation, though new home sales remains a primary area of focus. From guiding prospective buyers through available selections to helping them visualize the finished home from a floor plan, Rachel can provide an invaluable level of insight to new home buyers.

Michael brings a unique perspective to the real estate industry having worked in new homes sales for 15 years for a regional builder and prior to that spending nearly 20 years in advertising, marketing and public relations for various ad agencies and trade associations.

As a new home sales professional, Michael has sold hundreds of new homes in the Washington, D.C. Metro area, from Frederick, Maryland to Fredericksburg, Virginia. Purchasers have included first-time homebuyers, move-up homebuyers, and empty-nesters looking for the last home they plan to own. Michael takes great pride in providing amazing customer service and making customers feel very comfortable during the entire sales process. When not thinking about selling homes, which isn’t very often, he enjoys supporting the local sports teams, which Michael says, “has caused most of my gray hairs.”

With a bachelor’s in Architectural drafting and design, and 10 years’ experience in the industry, she utilizes her insight into what home style and renovation trends resonate with this region’s buyers. Putting clients first, being constantly accessible, and responding quickly have been the keys to helping her clients’ achieve their success.