Article Archives
Article Categories
Behind the Designation: Spotlight on Jennifer Sotelo, CCIM
Behind the Designation: Spotlight on Jennifer Sotelo, CCIM
By Amber Bennett
We sat down with CCIM West Coast District Board Member Jennifer Sotelo to discuss DST strategies, navigating 1031 exchange deadlines, and her perspective as both a broker and active real estate investor. Jennifer brings over a decade of commercial real estate expertise to her specialization in Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) investments and 1031 exchange strategies. A licensed broker in Florida and California with background spanning self-storage, medical office, and multifamily transactions, Jennifer currently serves as a DST Representative while holding Series 22, 63 and 65 securities licenses with Cabin Securities, Inc. As an active property investor herself, she pairs hands-on ownership perspective with technical exchange knowledge to guide clients through complex replacement property decisions. Jennifer actively serves on the CCIM West Coast District Board of Directors and the CCIM Florida Chapter Scholarship Committee, and advocates for Section 1031 preservation in Washington, D.C. with the Federation of Exchange Accommodators. A University of Miami graduate, she is based in Tampa.
What led to your recent move, and how does this experience enhance the services you provide to your commercial real estate clients?
After years in commercial real estate brokerage — most recently specializing in multifamily, self-storage and healthcare assets — I kept encountering the same moment with clients: they'd sell a property, face a 1031 deadline, and realize they didn't want to trade one set of landlord headaches for another or they didn’t have another property to exchange into. Delaware Statutory Trusts solve that problem, but very few advisors specialize in them with a true real estate background. What are your primary goals for your business over the next 12 to 18 months? Connect with individuals, such as real estate agents and brokers, who advise real estate investors on whether to sell their investment property— most investors learn about DSTs too late in their exchange timeline, and the professionals around them are the fix for that. For those who haven't worked with you yet, what is your primary area of expertise? I help real estate investors — often longtime landlords approaching retirement or those who have trouble identifying a property — complete 1031 exchanges into passive, institutional-quality real estate through Delaware Statutory Trusts. Think of it as the exit ramp from active management that still preserves tax deferral, income, and real estate exposure. I also work with investors on debt replacement strategies, estate planning considerations around stepped-up basis, and 721 UPREIT structures.
If you could have your clients describe you in 3 words, what would you want them to say?
Thorough, honest, responsive.
Who is your ideal client / ideal project?
A property owner with meaningful appreciation and depreciation recapture who is tired of tenants, toilets, and trash but doesn't want to write a large check to the IRS. Another type of investor I work with are those who are in a 1031 exchange and are having trouble finding a replacement property. Often they're selling a rental portfolio, an apartment building, or land, and they have specific constraints — debt to replace, income needs, heirs to plan for. The more complex the exchange math, the more value I can add.
Section 2: The CCIM Advantage How has the CCIM curriculum or holding "The Pin" influenced the way you approach a commercial transaction?
CCIM trained me to start every conversation with the investor's actual financial picture — cash flow, basis, leverage, holding period, after-tax. In the DST world that's essential, because understanding the client’s financial situation is paramount.
How do you use your CCIM background to translate complex risks into "investment-speak" for clients?
DSTs sit at the intersection of securities regulation and real estate, and the offering documents can run hundreds of pages. My job is to distill that into the questions a real estate investor actually cares about: What am I really earning? Explain these lease terms?
How does this loan's terms affect my exchange requirements?
CCIM's cash flow modeling framework gives me a common language — I can show a client the same IRR and equity multiple analysis they'd expect on a direct deal, applied to a securitized structure.
Can you share a brief example where a CCIM-specific insight helped you save a deal or mitigate risk?
I recently worked with an experienced exchanger who needed to replace roughly 40% loan-to-value on his upleg to satisfy his exchange requirements. Several offerings being pitched to him looked fine on the surface, but when I modeled the debt structures, the leverage mix would have left him short on debt replacement — creating taxable boot hewouldn't have discovered until his CPA prepared the return. We restructured the allocation across offerings to match his exact debt and equity targets. That's straight CCIM math applied to a problem.
Section 3: Market Insights What is the biggest "red flag" or trend you're currently seeing in our local market?
Not just in Tampa but Florida as a whole, insurance costs: Florida investors are seeing carriers reprice risk in ways that materially change underwriting, and I've fought a few of those battles on my own rental properties. Not a red flag but a trend—I’m hearing a lot of conversation about data centers being built across the country. There’s a lot of data usage that stems from A.I. and various other sources so they’re needed. However, many states aren’t allowing them to be built in their state for various reasons. Many others are concerned about electric and water usage. It’ll be interesting to see how that asset class plays out over the next couple of years.
What is one common mistake you see even experienced professionals make?
Waiting until the last day of the 45-day identification period to think about replacement options. Even sophisticated investors treat the identification deadline as a formality until it isn't. The exchange strategy — including whether a DST belongs in the mix as a primary investment or a backup identification — should be mapped out before the relinquished property goes under contract. The second one: forgetting that debt must be replaced in a 1031 exchange, not just equity. That's the most expensive surprise in the 1031 world.
What are you most looking forward to at upcoming chapter events, and what's the best way for members to strike up a conversation with you?
I currently serve as Treasurer of the West Coast District, so I'll be at most everything. The easiest conversation starters with me: real estate, 1031 questions, dogs, or road trip recommendations. I just did Tampa to Richmond with my mom and two dogs, so I have opinions on dog-friendly stops in Charleston and Savannah.
Outside of the industry, what is something members might be surprised to learn about you?
Before commercial real estate, I spent about 17 years in media in Los Angeles — magazines, media advertising and travel publishing. I did well financially in my 20’s and bought an apartment building in Los Angeles in my early 30’s. I renovated the entire property and still own it and manage it myself today. That started my real estate journey. I also cheered at the University of Miami.
Jennifer Sotelo, CCIM
Founder, DST 1031
Capital Registered Representative, Cabin Securities
Disclosure: Jennifer Sotelo is a Registered Representative of Cabin Securities, Inc, Member FINRA. All information provided is general in nature and for educational purposes only, not a recommendation to buy or sell any specific investment. DSTs involve risk and are not suitable for everyone. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Cabin Securities, Inc. Consult your financial advisor before considering a DST or any investment.
Amber Bennett is a St. Petersburg luxury real estate specialist with a decade of experience in waterfront estates, new construction, and downtown condominiums — including sales team roles at Reflection and The Cade. Known for her strength in contract negotiation and deal analysis, she's earned recognition in Realtor Magazine, serves as a CCIM board member and on St. Petersburg's Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, and coaches fellow agents as Keller Williams St. Pete's Productivity Coach. When she's not closing deals, she's competing nationally in beach volleyball for the U.S. Virgin Islands.
