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The Observer n www.theobserver.com By Kevin A. Canessa Jr. kc@theobserver.com

f you’ve lived in Kearny or Lyndhurst for any part of the last 32 years, one name that has become synonymous with successful real-estate ventures is Fernando Semiao’s. In fact, driving along the Kearny Avenue/Ridge Road corridor during that timeframe, you’d see his two offices within a few miles of each other — one in Kearny, the other in Lyndhurst. And as successful as Century 21 Semiao & Associates has been since 1993 when he opened the Kearny office, (he’s been a realtor since 1989) Semiao himself has always looked to do more. And now, he is — in a big way. Century 21 Semiao & Associates, Century 21 Christel Realty and Century 21 Gemini have merged operations to form Century 21 Venture Real Estate, a unified brokerage serving Bergen, Hudson, Passaic, Essex, Morris and Sussex counties — home to nearly 40% of New Jersey’s total population and one of the most competitive real estate corridors in the country. The merger brings together veteran real estate leaders with decades of combined experience, creating a seamless North Jersey operation purpose-built for the scale and complexity of the region. Spanning nine offices across six counties, the newly combined brokerage brings together more than 350 independent agents who collectively speak 27 languages — a reflection of the region’s rich diversity and the varied expertise each legacy firm contributes. Century 21 Semiao & Associates’ deep commercial roots, Century 21 Christel Realty’s established corporate relocation practice and Century 21 Gemini’s government relocation in addition to

their combined expertise in residential real estate now operate under a single banner, creating a breadth of specialization rarely seen in a regional brokerage. Century 21 Semiao broker/owner Fernando Semiao and Century 21 Christel Realty Broker/ Owner Peter Skolsky will serve as the principal owners of Century 21 Venture Real Estate, while Century 21 Gemini broker/owner Louis Batelli will serve as Office Supervisor of the company’s Wayne office. Semaio will remain broker of record for the entire organization. As an additional bonus, Semiao has also merged with Kearny native and longtime realtor Alex Jesus, formerly of Exit Golden Realty. With that, Jesus brings his well-established and respect real-estate school, which will continue to train the next generation of real-estate agents. Meanwhile, Century 21 Christel Realty has been affiliated with the Century 21 brand since 1974, Century 21 Gemini since 1975 and Century 21 Semiao & Associates since 1993. “The depth of our combined experience in Northern New Jersey real estate and our collective tenure with the most recognized name in real estate creates an incredible springboard for future growth, expansion and success,” Semiao said. “Peter, Louis and I are incredibly excited at the opportunity this merger presents to be the leading real estate brokerage in the state’s most populous region.” HOW IT ALL CAME TO FRUITION “I got together with Pete Skolsky because of our relationship with the broker council. We’ve been working together for 25 years and talked about buying two companies, and even splitting up the

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

The Observer n www.theobserver.com

CENTURY 21 Semiao & Associates forms new company: Century 21 Venture Real Estate Fernando Semiao forges alliance with 2 well-established Century 21 agencies

two offices,” Semiao said. “He would take one, I would take the other. And I’d end up with five, and he would end up with four. But we ended up buying it together, and then we talked about, wouldn’t it be great for all of us to get together, me, the new offices, and his offices, the three he had, all including Parsippany, Hamburg, Montclair, Wayne,

Hasbrouck Heights, Secaucus, Lyndhurst, Kearny and Rockaway, with Lyndhurst being the regional office. And those talks started, and it took six months, but we came to an accord that we could save money by getting together our bookkeepers and our back offices and front offices. You don’t need four of each anymore. Now you need two.”

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Semiao will remain broker of record for all the branches. And now with this greater reach, office-wise,the new company represents even more than meets the eye. “We handle about 10 counties because our MLS’s reach, so we’ve got you covered, and this is really good and a win for everybody,” Semiao said.

“Right now, the economy, as a whole, is lackluster. Inventory is little, prices are high. While other agencies are losing offices every month, we’re growing.” Meanwhile, the new company instantly becomes one of the largest in New Jersey’s real-estate market, something that has brought Semiao immense pride. A GREAT GROUP OF NEW PARTNERS With the new company former, Semiao says he’s excited to be able to work with the great professionals he’s known for a long time. Both took time to discuss what they bring to the new organization. “With greater synergies and increased efficiencies at the brokerage level, we will be able to focus on supporting our agents in deepening their presence across all six counties and increasing engagement with clients at every stage of their homeownership journey,” Skolsky said. “From Hudson County to the Pennsylvania border, we cover the full breadth of what Northern New Jersey has to offer — and our expertise in serving clients through every life stage, from a first home purchase to corporate relocation to retirement, means we’re with them for the long haul.” “Bringing together this unrivaled roster of real estate agents gives us a strong competitive edge as we benefit from the increased collaboration across a significantly larger network of agents,” Batelli said. “When you work with a Century 21 Venture Real Estate agent, you are backed by the wealth of experience and expertise of 350 professionals who bring to the table a wide variety of specialized skills that can meet the specific real estate needs of each and every client.” Leveraging the Century 21 brand’s robust suite

9 of business-building tools, agents affiliated with the new joint brokerage will have access to stateof-the-art technology and an international network to complement their community connections and local market knowledge. “I have had the privilege of watching Fernando, Peter and Louis build something truly special in their individual markets over the years — a shared commitment to their agents, their clients and their communities that is rare at any scale,” Mike Miedler, president and CEO of Century 21 Real Estate LLC, said. “What they are creating together with Century 21 Venture Real Estate is more than a merger. “It is a blueprint for what the future of real estate looks like in one of the most vibrant and complex markets in the country. For agents, it means access to a broader network, deeper resources and a platform to grow in ways that simply were not possible before. For consumers across Northern New Jersey, it means working with professionals who combine local expertise and personal relationships with the full power of the Century 21 brand behind them. I could not be more excited about what comes next.” Meanwhile, Century 21 Venture Real Estate is looking for motivated and ambitious independent sales professionals to join their growing real estate company. Whether exploring a new professional opportunity or looking to elevate a long-lasting real estate business, new faces are welcome. For those looking to buy or sell a home in the Northern New Jersey area, visit C21VentureRealEstate.com to learn more. There, you’ll find information about all of the company’s locations, a roster of agents and so much more.