Sirena Sosa, 30, has launched The W Group International Inc., taking over the operations of a longstanding Central Valley commercial real estate firm. The new company succeeds The Whitlatch Group, which was established in 1984 by Bill Whitlatch, a broker and developer. Sosa, who is from Visalia and a mother of two, was mentored by Whitlatch before founding her own firm this year.
“I am honored to carry this legacy forward — not just the name, but the relationships, values and vision that have shaped it for decades,” Sosa said.
With this move, Sosa becomes the first woman to own a full-service commercial real estate firm in the Central Valley.
“This is about more than business,” Sosa said. “It’s about showing what’s possible for women, minorities, first‐gen professionals and anyone building something in places that often go overlooked.”
The W Group will remain based at the former Whitlatch Group office in downtown Visalia and has expanded with an additional office in Downtown Fresno’s Pacific Southwest Building. This building is recognized as the tallest between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
During the transition, the property management arm of the business was sold to Equity PM, a local company. The restructured business now operates two divisions: brokerage and development consulting. The brokerage division handles leasing, land acquisition, and investment sales. Development consulting services include site selection, entitlement processing, and pre-development planning.
Sosa stated that their approach aims to deliver “maximum value with minimal waste.” The company motto is “blending tradition with innovation.”
The W Group has expanded from two employees to seven staff members with international backgrounds. Advisory services are now offered in nine languages. The firm also collaborates with engineers and architects for comprehensive project delivery.
Before launching her own company, Sosa worked at Cushman & Wakefield in Fresno and later moved into government real estate projects involving renewable infrastructure and right-of-way acquisition for state and federal transportation projects. She holds licenses as a real estate broker and right-of-way professional while pursuing further certifications including CCIM designation and a general contractor’s license.
