A Family Business, Run with Family Pride

It would be hard to drive through any community in the Crofton area without seeing the smiling faces of the Surlis family.  If you don’t see them in person then you will surely see their family picture along the side of the road.  The Surlis family is not only deeply rooted in the Crofton community but it’s also their family business to help other families make it home. 

Born in Ireland, Aidan Surlis, Sr has lived and sold real estate in Anne Arundel County for over 30 years.  At that time the community of Crofton Meadows was being built and Aidan worked as a builder’s representative for a portion of the community. Also at that time Aidan and wife Catherine themselves purchased a new town home in the new Crofton Meadows.

Aidan eventually joined a new real estate company in the area, RE/MAX becoming one of the first agents in the county to join. Over the next twenty years Aidan continued day to day to work and build a strong base of clients in Anne Arundel and Prince Georges County.

Their 3 children Cathy, Tara and Aidan Jr. grew up in Crofton and attended Crofton Elementary. Their daughter Cathy said she earned her real estate license while still in high school and worked as her father’s assistant over summer vacations. After graduating Rutgers University in 1995 she joined him full time in real estate.

Aidan Jr. said “Cathy’s husband Chris Gress, joined the team after working for over ten years as a teacher and in the Baltimore City School system.  Chris recently completed his second Master's Degree and is a licensed agent working in Anne Arundel, Howard and northern Prince George Counties.”

According to Aidan Jr. in 1996 he graduated from Saint Mary’s College of Maryland with a degree in Philosophy. At the invitation of his father he then also joined the Surlis family partnership and they began to work under the name ‘Team Surlis’.

Two years later, after returning from a 10 month around the world backpacking tour the youngest daughter, Tara, joined the family business working first as an administrative assistant, then earning her real estate license.  Aidan Jr. said “Today she sits on the Board of Directors for Anne Arundel County’s Masters Club, a highly respected Real Estate Sales Club.”  Tara’s husband Tim is a licensed realtor with the team.

Aidan Jr. added “Cathy’s husband Chris Gress, joined the team after working for over ten years as a teacher and in the Baltimore City School system.  Chris recently completed his second Master's Degree and is a licensed agent working in Anne Arundel, Howard and northern Prince George Counties.  Tara’s husband Tim, as well is a licensed realtor with the team.”

“One of the best aspects of growing up in Crofton and remaining here is the fact that our children now go to the same schools we did” said Aidan Jr.  He continued “Cathy and Chris have a son in Kindergarten and a son in second grade, and Aidan Jr and Mandy have a son in Kindergarten. I went to Creative Gardens nursery school and then my son attended there until he began kindergarten this year.   Now my daughter goes there . Cathy and Chris’s two sons attended their also,” said Aidan Jr.  

Team Surlis works out of the RE/MAX Leading Edge Gambrills/Crofton office, which had been at the Village of Waugh Chapel for the last 8 years.  Recently their office moved to the Crofton Princess Center on Route 3 South, just behind the Blue Dolphin restaurant.