Ben Steel, a Raleigh native, founded Steel Projects in 2020 following nearly 15 years of real estate finance, brokerage, development, and asset management practice with various local groups. Prior to founding Steel Projects, Ben served as Vice President of Asset Management and managing broker for downtown Raleigh-based Empire Properties. During his tenure, Ben successfully negotiated over 1,000 commercial leases and played a key role in the acquisition, disposition, and evaluation of numerous properties, contributing to the firm and its clients’ significant growth. He also managed third-party brokerage projects, assisting clients with purchasing, selling, leasing, financing, and managing commercial and multifamily real estate holdings. Earlier in his career, Ben worked with Paragon Commercial Bank, now TowneBank, gaining valuable experience on a number of projects that included aiding with raising large-scale capital and underwriting clients’ prospective commercial real estate projects.

Ben has been the recipient of awards by the Triangle Business Journal (TBJ) and/or Triangle Commercial Association of Realtors (TCAR) for the most completed commercial real estate transactions in the region in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Ben has received over 20 additional awards from TCAR during his career and was also named a member of the TBJ’s “40 Under 40” in 2016, awarded to individuals demonstrating substantial community service and high professional achievement.

Since founding Steel Projects, Ben and his team have earned multiple Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Community Appearance, presented by the City of Raleigh. Their accolades include the Rehabilitation/Historic Preservation Award for Vanguard and The Front & Alley Houses, the Residential Award for The Wood & Steel Pile Block, and the Community Impact Award, also for Vanguard.

Ben serves on the Southeast Raleigh YMCA board of directors and its racial equity committee, and has previously served on the boards of directors of the Me Fine Foundation and Visual Art Exchange, and the advisory board for the Junior League of Raleigh. Ben was a member of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce’s 31st class of Leadership Raleigh, was appointed to the City of Raleigh Retail Task Force, and has served on numerous other planning and development initiatives. Ben and his family are also long-time supporters of SAFEchild, and he was brought on as the organization’s volunteer real estate project manager in 2022. He worked with the group to successfully develop and implement a strategy for the successful sale and relocation from the organization’s former headquarters at 864 W Morgan Street.

Ben is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Economics and minoring in both Entrepreneurship and Spanish. Ben’s affinity for downtown Raleigh came at an early age while attending Washington Elementary, Ligon Middle, and Enloe High schools, before later graduating from St. David’s School, formerly St. Timothy’s-Hale School.

As a Raleigh native with a diverse real estate background, Ben takes a creative and considerate approach to development. He brings valuable local insight to his clients, and is dedicated to preserving and enhancing his beloved hometown. His first self-managed project began in 2008 with the rehabilitation and renovation of a condemned historic home in the Chavis Park neighborhood. Saving that house from demolition ignited his career in meaningful development and sparked a lifelong passion for preserving Raleigh’s historic buildings.

Ben and his wife, Lindsay enjoy living in downtown Raleigh, spending time with their two young children, seeing live music, and going to the beach - especially Cape Cod.