At our core we are a value added investor.  Blending our passion for real estate with memorable and creative execution.  We love to roll up our sleeves, to personally connect with each property and to make good things happen as a team.  We are problem solvers, entrepreneurs at heart and not easily scared off by a challenge or new opportunity. We invest a considerable amount of time touring the market and assets that inspire us in support of our never ending goal of raising the bar project to project.  We don’t have standard finishes across our portfolio or a one size fits all solution - every project is carefully crafted to authentically stand apart in the marketplace.  We express and adhere to our brand across major West Coast geographies and our core investments of office, industrial, retail and multi-family.  And we don’t stop curating until we’ve arrived at an only in SENTRE experience.  We love this stuff.  

We pursue projects in infill locations that are amenity rich and located near transportation, education and job hubs. Location the primary driver. Each pursuit starts with the development of a story and then we relentlessly challenge that narrative.  What makes the asset unique?  Is there optionality in the business plan that could manifest as upside or mitigating to downside?  Can we create something special over our investment horizon? Are we the right team at the right time to execute?  We don’t financially underwrite an investment until we can qualify the opportunity as best suited for our portfolio and our skill set. And we’re agnostic with respect to investment - the best opportunity commands our focus. We’re not beholden to a single investment thesis which allows us to be nimble, contrarian and opportunity driven.

The case studies below, as further explored in our firm overview, represent us in action across multiple real estate types:

  • Mosaic. Originally developed as industrial, the building had been converted to creative office featuring unusually high 24’ ceilings. A truly unique office experience in a market featuring co-tenancy of many prominent technology firms such as Apple, Amazon, Intuit and Sony Electronics. We leaned into the differentiated office vibe rebranding the asset as Mosaic, inspired by the diversity of tenants and industries that called the formerly named West Bernardo Corporate Center home. We embraced the high visibility location by investing in new, modern signage that provided each one of our tenants a notable opportunity to identify their business. We partnered with a local artist to bring life to the entry of the building via a large mural. And we invested capital into our single vacant suite creating an environment that blended an indoor and outdoor work experience which we branded and marketed as “a workplace built for the new world”.  During the pandemic we lost a tenant to bankruptcy, an unforeseen and unfortunate outcome. We ultimately re-leased that same space to a publicly traded technology firm at an almost 25% premium in rent to our former tenant, the byproduct of a business plan centered on flexibility.   

  • The Warwick. In 2017 we acquired a hotel. We don’t own and/or operate hotels.  But we loved the location adjacent one of San Diego’s largest hospitals (and employers), the physical characteristics of the property which included kitchen infrastructure in the units and the prospect of conversion via redevelopment into a boutique apartment community. We confirmed the original permits allowed for conversion without incurring entitlement risk and we got to work the day we closed. We invested over $75,000 per unit over 12 months under construction curating an amenity package that we believe to be second to none for a project of its size. The end result featured a resort style pool with cabanas, a community fire pit, one of the first apartment community fitness centers with Peloton bikes and an early stage, innovative access control solution in partnership with Latch, a now $1B+ public company. This year The Warwick won best San Diego apartment community in the Union-Tribune Readers Poll. 

  • Rancho Bernardo Vista. On the surface it looked like an acquisition of a buttoned up, trophy industrial building leased for a decade to one of the biggest brands in the world in Amazon.  And RBV is all of those things, but there is more than meets the eye. Prior to be being developed as a 142,000 square foot industrial building the 10 acre site was entitled for 270,000 square feet of Class A office space taking into account the site’s proximity to major employers as well as exceptional panoramic views. Further, as designed today the building can be adapted to a higher density office use with parking that allows the offering to be expanded to almost 200,000 square feet. When Apple arrived in San Diego one of the first office buildings they leased was next door to our property paying over double the rent as compared to our industrial tenant. Few industrial assets have the benefit of being desirable to both best in class industrial and office users simultaneously. We invested in today’s story with tomorrow’s optionality.
 
  • Mercado San Marcos.  When we acquired the shopping center we used an aerial in our closing announcement. The property, owned and operated by a family for decades, wasn’t ready for its close up. But, as a grocery and discount anchored retail project highlighted by the tenancy of Grocery Outlet, dd’s Discount (Ross) and 99 Cents stores, the pieces were in place. Over the course of our initial 18 months of ownership we invested almost $2M of capital into the property which included exterior improvements that enhanced the center’s appearance and ambience, a re-branding including a new name, logo and project signage and a restoration of our vacant suites to a leasable condition. In the midst of the pandemic, we signed 2 new leases at a 25% rent premium to our acquisition underwriting bringing the center to 95% leased. We also successfully extended one of our anchor tenants for 10 years. Tired retail may be dead, but grocery, drug and discount anchored centers, when properly curated as an experience, still serve an important function within the context of a neighborhood. 

One of our core values: Greatness follows passion.  We are forever passionate about real estate and the opportunities that exist to add value and to leave a mark on the communities in which we invest.

We welcome the opportunity to invest alongside you in future value added real estate investment pursuits and to be a continued resource and partner in the real estate arena and beyond.

Your Partner,
Doug Arthur and Team SENTRE