DELEON REALTY - Key Persons
Alder Manor is located on the Southwest portion of San Carlos. This neighborhood borders Redwood City and its Clifford Heights neighborhood to its south. It borders the Pulgas Ridge Reserve to its west, Brittan Avenue to its north, and Alameda de las Pulgas to its east.
Alder Manor features mostly Single-Family Residences though there are Condos located along La Mesa Drive and Brittan Avenue. The Single-Family Residences off of Crestview Drive feature spit level styles that go along well with its large hill.
Alder Manor residents have an opportunity to enjoy two separate parks with multiple hiking trails with Eaton Park within the neighborhood and the Pulgas Ridge Preserve serving as the neighborhood border to its west. Both trails allow for leashed dogs and the Pulgas Ridge Preserve has an off-leash area.
While the Alder Manor neighborhood does not have any schools in its neighborhood, it is closely located to Clifford School.
A fourth-generation Palo Altan and second-generation real estate broker, Alex Wilbur was born into a real estate family. Over thirty years ago, her parents established Wilbur Properties, a preeminent family-owned brokerage and property management firm based in Downtown Palo Alto. As early as high school Alex began studying the local real estate market, observing and analyzing market inventory and trends. Her fascination with real estate continued at UC Berkeley, where she studied Economics and wrote her honor's thesis about the real estate market in China.
Alex also has a Master's degree in Real Estate from Georgetown University. While at Georgetown, she compiled a thesis analyzing the housing shortage in California and the Bay Area, in addition to studying redevelopment opportunities in the Downtown Palo Alto area. Alex has truly been living and breathing real estate her entire life.
With her unique background in both real estate investing and property management, Alex understands how advise her clients on the potential pitfalls of certain properties and how to maximize their real estate investments. Alex assists her clients in making intelligent investment decisions with utmost care, providing them with proper due diligence and helping them navigate the complex home buying process based on more than a decade of local real estate knowledge and experience.
Alex is an active member of her community and a graduate of the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Palo Alto program. Outside of work, Alex enjoys golfing, hiking, and sailing.
Raised in the Bay Area, Audrey has spent most of her life becoming familiar with the local areas. Her fascination with real estate developed in her early years, when she was influenced by her family being involved in the business. After graduating from University of California: Irvine, Audrey started to work for her family's real estate business before branching out to DeLeon Realty.
In addition to Michael, Audrey manages the listing team with all aspects of the sellers' transactions from the initial contact to the executed purchase agreement. Audrey's strong background in real estate gives her the experience to effectively manage the listing process, as well as the timing for marketing. She is closely involved with the Chinese marketing team, and has appeared on Chinese TV commercials to promote DeLeon Realty and its listings to the international community. Her fluency in both Mandarin and Cantonese also positions her as an invaluable resource for bringing challenging deals together.
Beverly Terrace is the largest neighborhood in San Carlos and is known for its hills, with most of its homes featuring on the hilly terrain. Beverly Terrace borders Highway 280 to its west, the town of Belmont to its north, San Carlos Avenue / Alameda de las Pulgas to its east and Brittan Avenue to its south.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant to Michael Repka / Office Manager
Job Titles:
- Escrow Administrator
- Transaction Coordination Manager
As a licensed Realtor with administrative experience, Karen also has over 19 years of experience in real estate, and provides a wealth of experience, organization, and knowledge to DeLeon Realty.
Prior to joining DeLeon, Karen worked as an administrator & staff trainer for Coldwell Banker's Transaction Management platform for the Northern California Offices. Karen also worked as a Realtor at Intero Real Estate Services, and 16 years with Alain Pinel Realtors. She worked in the Office Administration for the Broker of Record, Realtor, and Administrative Assistant for numerous top agents. Karen has knowledge of all sales, REO's, and real estate transaction management. Karen is also familiar with the processes involved with construction management. Earlier in her career, Karen was a store manager and buyer for a retail furniture store in the Bay Area. The knowledge gained from these experiences enable her to provide valuable service to DeLeon Realty and their clients.
Ken DeLeon is the founder and visionary behind DeLeon Realty. Ken was a scholar - he has a degree in mathematics and economics, and graduated from Berkeley Law and Stanford Graduate School of Business. Ken was a lawyer - he practiced law at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, one of the nation's most prestigious law firms and the largest firm in Silicon Valley. Ken is a real estate rockstar - in 2011, only 9 years after becoming a real estate broker, Ken was ranked as the nation's #1 real estate agent according to the Wall Street Journal. He is the only agent in Silicon Valley to ever be ranked the nation's top agent. Ken and his team have since been awarded the nation's top team by the WSJ ranking over the last few years.
With his legal background, Ken assists clients in every facet of the home buying process and he offers fully integrated services that benefit his clients. His experience as an attorney allows him to properly advise his clients of any contractual pitfalls and while an attorney, he gained invaluable negotiating experience.
Ken provides thorough economic analyses of property valuations and neighborhood appreciation potential due to his analytical background having studied mathematics and economics. Ken honed and improved his business model for clients by applying many of the insights he learned while at Stanford's GSB. Because Ken found that success in law and business requires expertise and specialization, Ken solely focuses on assisting high-end Silicon Valley buyers purchase homes while the other side of the DeLeon team focusses on listing properties.
Ken lives with his lovely wife Alex Wilbur DeLeon and four children at their home in Los Altos Hills. When he is not working, Ken loves going on hikes with Alex, giving motivational speeches at Realtor conventions or to local schools, or reading books on leadership. Ken also enjoys dancing, much to the chagrin of his children, and while he may not be the best dancer, he is amongst the fastest!
Ken has gained a lot of life epiphanies through overcoming four life tragedies including losing his sister as a teenager, being involved in a nearly fatal accident of being hit by a speeding car while on a walk with his father, and then having to beat cancer twice due to issues caused by the accident. Ken was cured of cancer both times at Stanford's Blake Wilbur Cancer Center, named after Alex's great uncle who founded the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Ken and DeLeon Realty have given back to Silicon Valley charities supporting cancer research and to local school districts.
Job Titles:
- Interior Designer
- Design Coordinator
Lawrence brings a wealth of experience to DeLeon Realty. He started his design career working in the infamous La Cienega Design Quarter of Los Angeles managing Magni Design's flagship luxury interior design firm with all the designers, as well as redesigning all print media for its eponymous furniture and light fixture line. He then branched out into doing freelance design and redmodels throughout the greater Los Angeles area. From there he moved on to work at Scott Group Studio, situated in West Hollywood's Pacific Design Center, working for high-end designers and famous clients word wide.
Prior to his career in interior design, Lawrence worked in the entertainment field for Paramount Pictures, Fox Studios, Warner Bros., and Disney Studios, working on major motion pictures with top talent.
Personal Facts : Lawrence has always had an interest in art, architecture, and design for both interiors and exteriors, and as a native Californian, loves the ability to blend indoor and outdoor living. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, exploring beaches, boogie boarding, and spending time with his family.
Education
University of Pittsburgh, Business
Brookyln University, Communications
Job Titles:
- Interior Designer
- Design Coordinator
- Lead Designer
Margie Fontanilla is an Interior Designer and Listing Coordinator at Deleon Realty. She works to assist clients in preparing their home for the market. She initially visits a home, and offers her suggestions on the interior design for staging and possible improvements that would increase the value of the home. She then obtains estimates and oversees the work along with the client's approval. Margie also selects the appropriate stager based on the style of the home.
Prior to joining Deleon Realty, Margie worked at different design firms and on a variety of projects ranging from residential and model homes to commercial residences. She worked on the full scope of projects from envisioning and developing the initial design concepts with clients, to translating them into unique design solutions, all while meeting aggressive schedules and budgets.
Margie Fontanilla graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design from University of Santo Tomas in Manila Philippines and Fashion Institutes in Design and Merchandising. She has over ten years of experience in the design profession. Margie enjoys keeping up with current products and trends in order to provide her clients with the latest fresh concepts. She is committed to serve simultaneously as a project designer and manager.
Constructed mainly between the 1970s and the 1980s, Marlin Park is located within the borders of the Redwood Shores Lagoon, Shell Parkway, Redwood Shores Parkway, and Bridge Parkway is the well-developed neighborhood of Marlin Park. This neighborhood is a mix of nearly 400 single-family residences (approximately one-third of which are waterfront), and a townhome community named Seabridge which provides just under 100 units. Most single-family residences within Marlin Park are traditional homes that may offer up to five bedrooms and three full bathrooms. Here, house sizes range from approximately 1,200 square feet to over 3,000 square feet on lots that span from 5,500 square feet to over 8,700 square feet. In Seabridge, the townhomes are mostly all waterfront and may have up to three bedrooms and two full baths, while the units vary in size from 1,500 square feet to over 2,100 square feet.
Named after this neighborhood, a large, centrally located park furnishes barbecue areas, a large play structure, a basketball court, and a soccer field. Residents here enjoy dining at the Mistral restaurant, perusing the Marketplace Shopping Center, and taking advantage of the jogging trails that run alongside Steinberger Slough.
Redwood Shores residents have access to excellent elementary schools, including Redwood Shores Elementary and Sandpiper Elementary. Redwood Shores Elementary enrolls students in grades K-5, and has an enrollment of over 400 students, with a student-teacher ratio of approximately 23:1. Sandpiper Elementary also enrolls students in grades K-5, has an enrollment of 600 students, and features a student-teacher ratio of approximately 24:1. These two schools belong in the Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary School District, which has a total of six elementary schools. Unlike most other school districts, this school district bases enrollment on walking distance from the student's house to the nearest school versus geographical attendance boundaries. Within this system, students are normally assigned to either the first or the second closest school to their home; however, based on school capacity, students may be assigned to any one of the six schools.
Both Redwood Shores Elementary and Sandpiper Elementary feed into Ralston Intermediate, which has nearly 900 students, and a student-teacher ratio of approximately 23:1. After their time at Ralston Intermediate, students then attend Carlmont High School, which has over 2,100 students, and a student-teacher ratio of approximately 23:1.
Job Titles:
- VICE PRESIDENT of DEVELOPMENT & CONSTRUCTION
As Vice President of Development & Construction, Matt lends his brokerage expertise alongside Ken on the buy-side of the Firm, and provides his keen development and construction insights to Deleon Realty clients as they make decisions on properties and explore options with potential builders, architects, and consultants for their next projects.
Prior to joining Deleon Realty, Matt spent 8 years as Principal and Chief Operating Officer with one of the most prominent design-build firms in Silicon Valley, where he managed land acquisition, development, construction, and sales of very high-end residential estates. His past experience also includes overseeing a diverse range of projects ranging from student housing to data centers at Stanford University's Department of Land, Buildings, and Real Estate Group, as well as acquiring, remodeling, and rebuilding numerous homes on his own account as a developer-builder in Los Altos.
Matt holds a Master's Degree in Construction Engineering & Management from Stanford University, and a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Santa Clara University. He's also a licensed General Contractor (CA), Licensed Real Estate Broker (CA, NV, and OR), Certified Public Accountant, LEED Accredited Professional, and Certified Build It Green Greenpoint Advisor & Rater.
Matt resides in Los Altos with his wife and two daughters, is an avid swimmer, and is an active supporter of Keys School in Palo Alto, serving on its Board of Trustees.
Education
Stanford University, School of Civil & Environmental Engineering
M.S. Construction Engineering & Management, 2000
Santa Clara University, Leavey
School of Business
Job Titles:
- General Counsel
- CEO & Managing Broker
- CEO, Managing Broker, & General Counsel
Michael Repka is the chief executive officer, managing broker and general counsel of DeLeon Realty, and offers an extensive background in real estate and tax law. Michael heads the listing team and you will be working directly with him.
Prior to joining DeLeon Realty, Michael was a practicing real estate and estate-planning attorney. After obtaining his first law degree, Michael joined a New Jersey-based law firm, where he counseled clients on the legal, tax, and procedural aspects of buying or selling homes. Unlike in California, New Jersey residential buyers and sellers routinely engage attorneys to represent them when entering into a real estate transaction. Michael's enhanced knowledge and experience provides a level of understanding and competency that consistently proves beneficial to DeLeon Realty's clients. Following this, Michael worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, and later at Baker & McKenzie, specializing in tax law.
Michael's love, however, has always been in real estate. Following his calling, Michael returned to real estate, first as a practicing attorney, and later as a broker. The experience gained from litigating real estate disputes enables Michael to identify potential problems and take mitigating steps to protect DeLeon Realty's clients.
Michael has served on the faculty at Menlo College, where he taught real estate economics and taxation, on the California Association of Realtors' Board of Directors, and on the Santa Clara Bar Associations Executive Committee of the Real Property Section. He has also lectured on real estate ethics and professionalism.
Michael is a private pilot who loves to ride his motorcycle along Highway 1 with his lovely wife, Rachel. Michael also skis, travels, and has completed eight marathons, over 30 half-marathons, and one triathlon, which was very embarrassing.
Education
NYU School of Law, LL.M, Taxation, 2001
Rutgers University School of Law, JD, 1999
Rutgers University Schools of Business and Law, Graduate Certificate in Conflict Management, 1999
Pace University, BA, Finance, 1991
Job Titles:
- Interior Designer
- Design Coordinator
Nitasha is an Interior Designer with over ten years of experience. She focusses on customer service and bringing attention to detail through her interior design knowledge and strong project management skills. She visits the homes and discusses the scope of the project with the clients including scheduling, budget planning, selection of materials and finishes, and based on client approvals, she oversees the entire process from start to completion. She works on presentation and styling, bringing in the appropriate staging crew for the home to add the final elements for home preparation.
Before joining Deleon Realty, Nitasha worked with West Elm at William Sonoma and styled residential spaces, offices, model apartments and worked closely with homeowners, designers, local artisans, builders and developers. Prior to that, she worked with Expo Design Center at Home Depot where she gained experience in materials and finishes for home renovation and remodeling.
Nitasha brings an extensive knowledge of products and retail experience with skills in space planning, furniture and furnishings, fixtures, textiles, color theory, countertops and cabinets, tile and flooring, kitchen and bath design. She has spent most of her life in Bay Area with her roots that travel back to India. When she was young, she took inspiration from her mother and was introduced to the world of design. An interior designer in the industry for many years, her mother trained her with the knowledge of textiles. Nitasha is well travelled and blends international trends and forecasting into her design.
Nitasha has a background in science with specialization in interior design. She has earned a Bachelor's Degree in Science and has a Certificate in Interior Design from India. She has a Certificate of Interior Design from Interior Designers Institute at Newport Beach, CA and Certificate of Interior Design from West Valley College, Saratoga, CA.
Nitasha is mother of two boys, a 20 year old and a 15 year old and wife of a software engineer. She loves to travel and go on vacations with her family. In her free time she practices yoga and is very fond of listening to music. She is bilingual and speaks English and Hindi.
Palo Alto Hills Golf and Country Club: A Hidden Oasis - By Michael Repka, Member This article is the first of a series in which we will look at some of the area's best country clubs and social meeting places. Approximately five years ago, my wife and I considered joining a local country club. We looked at a few options and found the Palo Alto Golf […]
Air Traffic Impact on Real Estate - By Michael Repka, Pilot As a licensed pilot and Silicon Valley's most active real estate listing agent, I have a unique perspective on how air traffic impacts local real estate. From this vantage point, I can see and understand the concerns of both sides of the debate as to how we can keep aircraft noise […]
Rachel Repka is the chief operating officer at DeLeon Realty. As an attorney with years of legal experience, Rachel's strong educational background coupled with her impressive work ethic enables DeLeon Realty's clients to rest assured their real estate transaction will run as smoothly as possible. Rachel oversees all in-house responsibilities, ranging from marketing to listing, and is the chief point of contact for all departments within DeLeon Realty. Generally, she is responsible for ensuring that DeLeon Realty's resources are marshaled efficiently and effectively, and that clients will have the best and easiest experience.
Prior to joining DeLeon Realty, Rachel worked as an intellectual property litigation attorney at large international law firms, focusing on complex patent litigation before federal district courts, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the US International Trade Commission (ITC). As a patent litigator, Rachel handled matters in a wide variety of technical areas, including computer hardware and software, semiconductors, telecommunication systems and networks, wireless devices, pharmaceutical, and medical devices. Rachel's background and experience - with both law and technology - make her one of DeLeon Realty's best resources. Rachel believes in the need for teamwork, product and service perfection, responsiveness, and strong client relations, which she shares with each DeLeon Realty employee.
Rachel graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, and went on to obtain her JD from Rutgers University School of Law. During and after law school, Rachel committed many generous hours to pro bono work to serve the community. Her pro bono work includes helping battered women obtain restraining orders in domestic violence cases, assisting the underprivileged with immigration issues, assisting caregivers in filling out and witnessing their Advance Health Care Directives, and acting as a coach for mock trial and debate programs in inner-city schools.
Prior to practicing law, Rachel was a research assistant at NASA's Ames Research Center, where she analyzed microorganisms thriving in biological extremes. She also was a research assistant at UCLA Medical Center, where she managed and coordinated several scientific research projects involving silicone breast implants, HIV vaccines, and artificial blood constructs.