Martin Selig is an accomplished real estate developer and entrepreneur, with over six decades of experience in the industry. In 1958, Selig founded Martin Selig Real Estate, a Seattle-based firm known for its expertise in developing and managing Class A office buildings. Since then, he has built a reputation as one of the most successful and respected developers in the Pacific Northwest.
While Martin calls Seattle home, he wasn’t born here. He and his family fled Germany in 1939 via the Trans-Siberian Railroad. From there, they made their way to Japan before they secured a place in steerage to America—whereupon arriving to Seattle, his family decided to stay on a whim.
Upon settling in the PNW, his parents opened a textile store, where Martin worked from early childhood to his days at the University of Washington. Using his earnings, he acquired his first commercial property in 1958 and subsequently earned his MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1962, he sold his first property and reinvested the proceeds in the purchase of his first shopping center. In the years that followed, he would sell at a profit, reinvest, and by the 1980’s Selig owned a third of all office space in Seattle.
Over the course of his career, Martin has developed and managed over 8 million square feet of office space in Seattle, including some of the city’s most iconic buildings such as Columbia Center, Fourth and Blanchard, and 3101 Elliott. He is known for his hands-on approach to development, working closely with architects and contractors to ensure that his buildings meet the highest standards of quality and design.
As Seattle continues to grow, Selig is focused on shaping the skyline while preserving Seattle’s architectural heritage. His most recent developments include The Federal Reserve Building, 400 Westlake, and 3rd & Lenora. Looking forward, Martin plans to develop 800 Alaskan; a multi-use building located on Seattle’s waterfront covering a whole city block, 401 Queen Anne, and MSRE’s second multi-family project: 3031 Western.
Over the course of his career, Selig has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the real estate industry and the community. He was inducted into the Washington State Business Hall of Fame in 2010 and has been recognized as a “Seattle Living Legend” by the Seattle City Council. He is also a member of the Urban Land Institute and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties.
