Fernando Semiao and his family came to America in 1965. They originally moved into the Ironbound section of Newark and then Kearny when he was 5-years-old. His parents are immigrants from Portugal and Brazil. They struggled to work multiple jobs to give their children a better life in America. Semiao graduated from Franklin School in 1979 and Kearny High School in 1983. After graduating from ITT Technical School in Nutley, he worked there for five years. During that time his father took both him and his brother down to Florida to buy their first property. It was that start, in buying a building lot, that excited Fernando and gave him the taste for a career in real estate.
In 1989, Semiao obtained his real estate license and worked selling properties in Florida before settling in with a local realtor for a few years before moving on to work for K Hovnanian Companies, one of New Jersey largerst new home builders. It was there that he learned about customer follow-up and developing new properties. In 1992, Semiao obtained his New Jersey broker’s license.
Century 21 Semiao & Associates was franchised in July 1993 and has grown to be one of the most successful and respected real estate brokerage firms in the Bergen, Essex and Hudson County areas. The company grew during the next decade to have five locations and over 300 licensed agents within the organization. In addition, Semiao started a development company that developed many projects that included one family, multifamily and condominium and commercial projects. He currently manages two offices in Lyndhurst and Kearny.
Semiao currently is the president-elect of The Meadowlands Board of REALTORS ® and past president of The Greater New Jersey Brokers Council. He is past president of The Meadowlands Board of REALTORS® and was REALTOR® of the Year in 2002. He also is a state director for The New Jersey Association of Realtors. Semiao is a part President of Greater New Jersey Brokers Council within The Century 21 International Corporate world. He has served twice as President of Rutherford Rotary Club. Rotary International presented him with The Paul L. Harris Fellowship Award in 2002 for his outstanding community service. Easter Seals of New Jersey has presented him with the The Round Table award many times for the company’s generous charity work. Century 21 Semiao & Associates as a company has raised over $100,000 in the last decade.
