Independent by design. Accountable by inheritance.
Baker 1031 is an independent real-estate-securities brokerage in San Francisco. We guide accredited investors through 1031 exchanges, Delaware Statutory Trusts, Qualified Opportunity Zone investments, and 721 UPREIT strategies — with the rigor of an institutional desk and the instinct of an operator who has stood on the property.
A specialist desk, not a storefront.
Most exchanges are won or lost on two things: the quality of the replacement options on the table, and the discipline to move before the 45- and 180-day clocks run out. We exist to give accredited investors both.
We are independent and sponsor-agnostic. We do not manufacture our own deals or push proprietary product. Our work is to understand an investor's exchange, surface the offerings that actually fit, and bring institutional-grade diligence to a decision that has to be made on a deadline.
We serve accredited investors only, because the strategies we work in — DSTs and private real-estate securities — are sold exclusively to them.
Three generations on the same side of the table.
The name carries a history. Real estate has been the family's business across three generations — through cycles, downturns, and recoveries that taught a simple lesson: the deal matters, but the standard you hold it to matters more.
That inheritance shows up in how we work. We have sat on the ownership side of buildings, not just the brokerage side of trades, and we bring that operator's instinct to every sponsor and offering we evaluate. It is also why accountability is not a marketing word here — it is the family business.
No house product. No hidden agenda.
Sponsor-agnostic
We are not owned by, and do not exclusively represent, a single sponsor. Our coverage spans the institutional DST and 1031 universe, and our job is to find the right fit — not to fill an allocation.
Diligence-driven
Every sponsor and offering is evaluated on its own facts. We publish our methodology so the standards behind our coverage and any performance figures are open to inspection.
Aligned with the investor
We work for the person making the exchange — surfacing risks as plainly as opportunities, and saying when a strategy or a sponsor is not the right answer.
From a ticking clock to a closed exchange.
Understand the exchange
We start with your relinquished property, timeline, debt, and objectives — the constraints that define what a suitable replacement even looks like.
Curate the options that fit
From offerings across the sponsors we cover, we shortlist those that match your dollar amount, debt replacement, asset preferences, and risk tolerance — including backups so a stalled deal does not fail.
Bring the diligence
We pressure-test sponsor, structure, leverage, and business plan against a consistent standard, and walk you through the offering documents and the risks — not just the highlights.
Execute on the deadline
We coordinate with your qualified intermediary and advisors to identify within 45 days and close within 180 — where discipline is everything.
Who you work with.
Gerald F. “Jerry” Baker, III
A former Wall Street real estate professional with experience spanning more than $10 billion in transactions, Jerry brings institutional underwriting discipline to individual investors navigating 1031 exchanges and DSTs. He carries the third generation of a real-estate lineage. Read Jerry's full bio →
How we earn the trust.
Our Approach →
How we turn exchange math into a diversified DST portfolio — with four illustrative scenarios.
Due Diligence →
Our real-estate-first, six-layer review — why we underwrite the building before the offering.
Methodology →
Exactly how we define and compile every performance figure — sources, metrics, and limitations.
Who We Serve →
Accredited-investor eligibility under SEC Rule 501 — the income, net-worth, and entity criteria.
For Advisors & CPAs →
How financial advisors, RIAs, and CPAs partner with our 1031/DST desk — you keep the client, we handle execution.
For Agents & Brokers →
How real estate agents win listings with a tax-deferred 1031 exit for sellers — keep the client and your commission.
Fees & How We're Paid →
Plain-English compensation: who pays selling costs, the total load, and where every fee is disclosed.
Our Team & Partners →
Independent advice paired with Aurora Securities (FINRA/SIPC) and an affiliated RIA for execution and supervision.
Jerry Baker's bio →
Founder and managing principal; $10B+ in prior Wall Street real estate transactions.
FAQ →
Common questions about the firm, eligibility, fees, and the strategies we place.
Glossary →
Plain-English definitions of DST, 1031, 721, Opportunity Zone, and performance terms.
Contact the desk →
Call, email, or send a message — you'll reach the desk directly, not a call center.
About Baker 1031
What is Baker 1031 Investments?
Baker 1031 Investments is an independent real-estate-securities brokerage in San Francisco that helps accredited investors complete 1031 exchanges using Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs), and also works in Qualified Opportunity Zone funds, 721 UPREIT exchanges, mineral and royalty interests, and REITs. Securities are offered through Aurora Securities, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC.
Is Baker 1031 independent?
Yes. Baker 1031 is sponsor-agnostic — it does not manufacture its own deals or exclusively represent a single sponsor, and it is independent of the broker-dealer, Aurora Securities, Inc. Its role is to find the replacement options that fit an investor's exchange, not to fill an allocation.
Who can work with Baker 1031?
The strategies Baker 1031 works in — DSTs and other private real-estate securities — are sold only to accredited investors as defined under SEC Rule 501 of Regulation D who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Who is the broker-dealer, and how is Baker 1031 paid?
Securities are offered through Aurora Securities, Inc. (member FINRA/SIPC), which provides supervision, registered-principal review, and execution. Baker 1031 Investments is independent of Aurora Securities. Compensation and conflicts for any specific offering are disclosed in that offering's private placement memorandum.
Where is Baker 1031 located?
Baker 1031 Investments is at 650 California Street, 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108. You can reach the desk at +1 415 579 1660 or invest@baker1031.com.
Start a conversation.
San Francisco, CA 94108
Baker 1031 Investments provides information about 1031 exchange, DST, Qualified Opportunity Zone, and 721 UPREIT strategies to accredited investors as defined under SEC Rule 501 of Regulation D. Securities offered through Aurora Securities, Inc. (ASI) — CRD #46147, SEC #8-51322 — member FINRA/SIPC. Gerald F. 'Jerry' Baker, III is a registered representative of ASI (FINRA CRD #7537416). Baker 1031 Investments, LLC is independent of ASI and is not a registered broker-dealer or investment adviser. This page is informational only and is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security, or tax or legal advice; any offer is made solely through a sponsor's private placement memorandum following a suitability determination. DST and related securities are speculative and illiquid, for accredited investors only, and involve substantial risk including possible loss of principal. Content subject to registered-principal review.