Meet The Team

Mr. Azarian is also the owner of Azarian Realty Co., a commercial real estate brokerage firm, which he started in 1986, that specializes in the leasing and property management of commercial and residential properties. He is a licensed real estate broker in the states of New Jersey and New York. Mr. Azarian has also acted as a court appointed rent receiver / property manager for shopping centers, apartment buildings and residential condominium complexes.

Mr. Azarian graduated from Saddle River Day School, Saddle River, New Jersey (SRDS). He graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management, where he was active in numerous clubs and activities, including his role as Editor of the school newspaper, “The Gauntlet” and the Concert Committee.

Mr. Azarian is a former President of the Alumni Association of SRDS (where he served an unprecedented six year term), as well as a former member of the school’s Auction Committee, Board of Trustees’ Marketing Committee, Golf Outing Committee (he served on these committees for many years) and co-chair of the Board of Trustees’ 50th Anniversary Committee. Mr. Azarian also received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007. In 2009, he received the designation of Alumni Association President Emeritus, the first ever in the history of SRDS. In 2010, John and Donna Azarian were the honored couple at the SRDS Auction / Dinner Dance (the fourth couple / family to be honored in the school’s 50+ year history).

Mr. Azarian was a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Thomas Aquinas College (STAC), Sparkill, New York from 2010 to 2022. He was a Member of the Executive Development, Audit, Campus Planning Committees,  and President of the Investment and Finance committee. He was a member of the Planning Committee for the annual Aquinas Medal Dinner Dance and he has also served as a guest lecturer, presenter and moderator for numerous business classes, events and panels at STAC. Mr. Azarian is also an Adjunct Professor in the School of Business where he teaches a weekly undergraduate class. The Azarian Group, L.L.C. is an MBA Business Partner of STAC.

Mr. Azarian was an executive member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Ramapo College, Mahwah, New Jersey from 2009-2020.

He has been a board member of Hope and Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund at New York Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City since 2013. Hope and Heroes’ mission is to “support and expand existing programs and therapies, develop new initiatives and enhance the research that is vital to continuing the fight against pediatric cancer and blood disorders.”

Mr. Azarian has been a member of the Board of Directors of Greater Alliance Federal Credit Union in Paramus, New Jersey since 2012. He also served on numerous committees including the Compensation Committee.

He has been an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) since 1981. As such, Mr. Azarian has attended numerous conferences, seminars, conventions, institutes and other professional forums on shopping center and commercial real estate matters. He has also attended and graduated from ICSC sponsored educational seminars and programs including the University of Shopping Centers and Management Institute I and Management Institute II. Mr. Azarian was awarded the prestigious Certified Shopping Center Manager (CSM) designation from the ICSC in 1991. He was awarded the CRX designation in 2013.

Mr. Azarian has been a guest speaker / presenter at numerous trade conferences, seminars and events. He was a guest speaker and panelist at the 2014 Northeast New Jersey Appraisal Chapter of the Appraisal Institute where he spoke about shopping center matters and market conditions. He was a guest panelist at the All Star Real Estate Panel at the Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Event in the Meadowlands on October 20, 2014.

He is the president of the John M. Azarian Memorial Armenian Youth Scholarship Fund, which was created in memory of his late father, and which annually awards scholarship awards to underprivileged college students of Armenian descent. Mr. Azarian and his wife also formed The Azarian Family Scholarship at STAC in memory of Martin G. Azarian and Barbara Azarian McCullough and are involved in the selection of awarding annual scholarships to deserving applicants.

Mr. Azarian has written numerous articles for professional publications, including “Commercial Lease Law Insider”; “The Real Estate Newsletter”; “NJ/PA Real Estate Journal”; “Northeast Real Estate Business”; “Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal” and others. Mr. Azarian has been interviewed about commercial real estate on Channel 7 Eyewitness News, as well as for numerous newspapers and magazines such as “The New York Times”; “Newark Star Ledger”; “The Record”; “Poughkeepsie Journal”; “Hyde Park Townsman”; “The Town Journal”; “AIM Community News”; “Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal”; “Commercial Lease Law Insider” and others. He has been featured in “Fortune Small Business (FSB)” (May, 2004) and “Worth” (March, 2008) magazines, and has appeared on television on “Hollywood Treasure”, Home and Garden Television (HGTV), “Personal F/X” on F/X, WPIX Morning News (Channel 11 in New York City), the “Don and Mike Radio Show,” and “Jersey Magazine” on WDHA Radio. Mr. Azarian was also involved with the development, production and casting of a television commercial about the American Way Outlet Mall and also had a starring role in the commercial. He has served on numerous Bankruptcy Creditors’ Committees, as Chairman as well as an active member.

John M. Azarian is an active member of St. Leon’s Armenian Church, Fair Lawn, New Jersey where he served as a Sunday School teacher for many years. He is a past active member of St. Mary’s Armenian Church, Livingston, New Jersey where he was an elected member of the Parish Council, and served as Church Treasurer for two terms, he was also a member of the annual Food Festival Committee, and Youth Group Advisor (which was an organization he started at the church).

John M. Azarian is married with four children.

Mrs. Azarian graduated from William Paterson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Women’s Studies. She is also a licensed real estate broker in New Jersey and specializes in commercial real estate sales, leasing, and property management. In addition, Mrs. Azarian holds insurance licenses for Life, Accident, Health or Sickness, Personal Lines, Property and Casualty.

Mrs. Azarian has been an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) since 1984 and has attended and completed University of Shopping Centers programs and Management I and Management II Institutes as well as attending numerous seminars and conventions. She is also a member of the National Association of Female Executives (NAFE), a member of the Ringwood Chamber of Commerce, a member of the West Essex Chamber of Commerce, the Vice President of the John M. Azarian Memorial Armenian Youth Scholarship Fund, and Vice President of the Azarian Building Condo Association.

Mrs. Azarian is a past member of the Washington School PTO, the Wyckoff Service Unit Team of Lenni Lenape Girl Scouts, leader of the Washington School Daisy Troop #1059, leader of the Washington School Brownie Girl Scout Troop #481, and a past member and Sunday School teacher at St. Mary’s Armenian Church, Livingston, New Jersey. She is an active member of St. Leon’s Armenian Church, Fair Lawn, New Jersey where she served as a Sunday School teacher and Pageant Director. Mrs. Azarian is also a past member of the Saddle River Day School Auction Committee, Development Committee, Upper School Liaison and she served as a member of the school’s 50th Anniversary Committee, as well as President of the Saddle River Day School Parents’ Guild. In 2010, Mr. and Mrs. Azarian were the honorees at the annual Saddle River Day School Auction / Dinner Dance. She is a past president of the Shadow Lake Club Association, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. 

She is a board member and Ladies Luncheon Chair of Hope and Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund at New York Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Hope and Heroes’ mission is to “support and expand existing programs and therapies, develop new initiatives and enhance the research that is vital to continuing the fight against pediatric cancer and blood disorders.”

She is married with four children.

Having started his career in the commercial real estate field in 2009 with the company as a Leasing Agent and Property Manager, Kevin then spent 8 years at Simon Property Group, where he was an integral part of the property management strategies and execution of leasing initiatives for over 20 regional and outdoor shopping centers throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Midwest. Most recently, Kevin was Senior Acquisitions and Real Estate Manager for Lidl US, identifying store expansion opportunities for the leading German grocer.

Kevin has provided industry insights and perspectives in various industry publications including Shopping Center Business, Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Journal, and NJBIZ.

Kevin has negotiated or represented several national tenants including Orvis, Luke’s Lobster, Swatch, Warwick Winery, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Moncler, L’Occitane en Provence, Penzey’s Spices, Primitive Axe, Hummus Republic, Fast Bagel, AM/PM Urgent Care, and many more. 

In 2021, Kevin rejoined the company as Senior Director of Leasing. Now Executive Vice President, Kevin oversees and leads the the core business functions as well as the implementation of new business development and assignments.

Kevin has been a key contributor in leading the leasing and property management departments through merchandising mix and leasing strategy, budget forecasting, capital expenditure allocations, day-to-day property management oversight and tenant fit-out construction management for the company’s third-party portfolio of commercial properties.

Since joining the firm, Pelio has directly overseen new lease negotiations of 160,000 square feet of retail and office space, across a broad spectrum of local, regional and national retailers, bringing the portfolio’s occupancy to 92%.

In 2023, Kevin was a recipient of the CoStar Power Broker award for Q1 & Q2.