Vandana Aggarwal has always known that real estate is about more than buildings — it’s about the people and communities they bring together. As Vice President of Operations at Aggarwal Real Estate (ARE), she helps lead her family’s commercial real estate business that owns and manages more than 4 million square feet of property across the Southeast. Based in Gwinnett and concentrated in Georgia, the company currently specializes in retail shopping centers that are designed to bring lasting value to the communities they serve.
ARE’s mission — building communities as a community — defines the way they work. “We view our purchases as long-term investments; we’re not here to flip properties or simply make a quick profit,” says Aggarwal. “When we purchase a shopping center, we consider how a family could come and enjoy this space in addition to finding the businesses they want. For example, we’ve built playgrounds on some of our properties so people can come shop and play.”
That focus on community continues throughout ARE’s day-to-day operations. “We manage all of our properties in-house and create a personal connection with everyone involved, from tenants and brokers to vendors and contractors,” she says. “These relationships are one of the reasons that many of our tenants have been with us a decade or more.”