Nathan Hughes

About Nathan Hughes

Most business owners realize they needed a commercial real estate broker about six months after they needed one. By then, the lease is signed or the building is sold and the terms are locked in. There\'s no undoing it. That\'s the problem I spend every day solving. Finding the right space — or the right buyer, or the right business to acquire — sounds straightforward until you\'re in the middle of it. The commission structures work differently than people expect. The terms that seem standard often aren\'t. And the other side of the table has done this many more times than you have. I\'ve spent 20 years doing nothing but this. Small business commercial real estate and food service business brokerage in Richmond. Not as a side specialty. As the whole thing. I started at Bandazian & Hughes in 2005, coming out of finance and a decade working inside restaurants and small businesses. I understood the cash flow pressure, the thin margins, the difference between a space that works and one that slowly bleeds you out. That background shapes how I think about every deal. At Sperity Real Estate Ventures, we built the firm around small business owners specifically — the systems, the team, the process. My agents and I represent tenants, buyers, sellers, and investors, but we stay in our lane. We\'re not trying to be everything to everyone. I hold the CCIM designation and the Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) credential. I currently serve as the 2026 Chair of NAR\'s Commercial Committee and as Treasurer on Richmond\'s Economic Development Authority Board. If you\'re a small business owner figuring out your next move on space or a business transaction — or a professional who refers clients into those situations — this is where I spend my time. sperityventures.com

Experience

1. Owner & Principal Broker

   Sperity Real Estate Ventures

   Sep 2015 — Present · Richmond, VA, US

   Most commercial real estate firms are built for institutional clients. Sperity was built for small business owners.We specialize in two things: commercial real estate for small businesses in the Richmond area, and business brokerage for food service operators. That focus isn\'t a limitation — it\'s the point. Clients get a team that has seen their specific situation dozens of times, not a generalist figuring it out as they go.In practice that means tenant representation for businesses finding their first or next location, landlord representation for property owners targeting small business tenants, investment property sales in the sub-$6M market, and business sales for restaurant and food service operators ready to exit or acquire.I lead a team of agents who specialize alongside me. Every engagement pulls the full firm, not just whoever picked up the phone.

Education

• Virginia Commonwealth University

  BS, Finance

  1993 — 1998

Skills

• Connector
• Public Relations
• Restaurants
• Real Estate
• Retail
• Property Management
• Small Business
• Social Media
• Connectors
• Location Intelligence
• Brokerage
• Leadership
• Social Media Marketing
• Investors
• Real Estate Transactions
• Residential Homes
• Commercial Real Estate
• Leases
• Investment Properties
• Corporate Real Estate
• Disposition
• Real Estate Development
• Real Estate Economics
• Selling
• Contract Negotiation
• Tenant
• Short Sales
• Shopping Centers
• Negotiation
• Landlords
• First Time Home Buyers
• Real Estate Financing
• Tenant Representation
• Budgets
• Lease Negotiations
• Sellers
• Sales
• 1031 Exchanges
• Commercial Leasing
• Relocation