Shield Realty Co., Inc. has proudly served the Tidewater area of Virginia from the same location, Shield Office Building, since F. Ray Shield, Jr., opened the doors in 1955. Back then, the realty was situated in Princess Anne County, only later to become the City of Virginia Beach. During this period the firm mostly brokered undeveloped tracts of land.

     In 1969 Ray Shield’s son, Frank, joined the company and took the reins from his retiring father. In the mid-1970’s two more members of the family came onboard: Bill (Frank’s younger brother) and Sara (Frank’s wife). During this period, the national real estate scene began to evolve and the simple mortgages of yesteryear provided by neighborhood banks were becoming more complicated with ever more restrictions on the lending process. The days of home loans where the bank sent the Board of Directors to visit and inspect the property proposed as collateral was rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

     Accordingly, in the mid 70’s, investors and auditors began requiring “appraisals” to support the value of the collateral property to justify the loan. Because of the stature and stability of Shield Realty Co., Inc., along with its principals’ substantial knowledge of the local marketplace, banks began to call on us to appraise properties. This led to the birth of Shield Appraisal Company, an independent subsidiary of Shield Realty Co., Inc.

In 1976, the Veteran’s Administration (VA) appointed Frank to the VA Appraisal Panel. Shortly thereafter Bill joined the panel and Sara eventually did too. For decades, all three appraisers continued to serve on the VA Panel, as well as the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) roster, and were approved by most (if not all) conventional lenders.

     In 1990, Shield Realty Co., Inc. expanded into Property Management by becoming Veteran Administration Management Brokers for Virginia Beach. For the next fourteen years, the firm managed and oversaw more than 1500 VA acquired homes. At one point, our inventory exceeded 200 units. Over the years we have gradually expanded the property management division to include the rentals and vacation homes of private owners.

In approximately 2004, the Virginia Beach Circuit Court appointed Frank to sit on the Assessment Board of Equalization as an Administrative Law Judge due to his extensive and lengthy experience in the valuation of Virginia Beach homes. He continued in this capacity for the next four years and heard and adjudicated countless cases of property assessment disputes.

     As the 21st century’s second decade drew to a close, changes and evolution at the company became inevitable.  In 2017, David Smith, a Shield agent since 2004 and an associate broker since 2008 transitioned to President and Principal Broker of the company.  Frank and Sara happily retired.  Shield    Appraisal Company was absorbed and integrated into Shield Appraisal Services, an appraisal firm owned by Bill Shield and his son, Adam (website: www.shieldappraises.com).
     Now, some sixty-five years after our founding, the company continues to serve our community as a proud and independent small business.  Our property management division includes a portfolio of residential rental units, commercial and industrial space, and vacation homes.  Our brokerage division assists buyer and sellers with their real estate needs throughout all of southeast Virginia .  Please contact Shield Realty Co., Inc. today so we can discuss how to put our localized experience to work for you!