Entries by Brandon Rabanal


Winning Offers in 2026: What Buyers Are Doing Differently

By Louisa Brunner, Buyer Specialist If there is one word that defines the 2026 Silicon Valley housing market, it is intentional. Buyers are no longer rushing into decisions or reacting emotionally to headlines. Instead, they are informed, strategic, and focused on long-term value. That mindset is reshaping how successful purchases are made across Palo Alto, […]

Silicon Valley Housing Market 2025 Highlights and 2026 Predictions

By Ken DeLeon, Managing Broker & Attorney The 2025 Silicon Valley housing market was exciting and volatile, shaped by countervailing forces and seasonal patterns that differed from the norm. Traditionally, spring is the busiest and most favorable time for sellers. In 2025, however, the spring market was subdued, marked by lower prices and longer days […]

How New MLS Rules Are Impacting Pricing and Appraisals in Silicon Valley

By Lisa Lombardi, Certified Appraiser Recent changes to Multiple Listing Service (MLS) rules, driven by industry-wide commission reforms, have not-so-quietly changed how transaction details are reported. Most notably, broker compensation and seller concessions are no longer displayed in the MLS. While sale prices are still public, the terms behind those prices often are not. In […]

The DeLeon Team Leads the Way in Organized Real Estate

By DeLeon Staff The DeLeon Team is proud to congratulate Francis Lopez and Alexander Lewicki on their election to leadership roles within two of California’s most influential real estate organizations. Francis has been elected 2026 President of the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA), Silicon Valley Chapter, while Alexander has been elected President-Elect of […]

Legal Updates: New Photoshopping Rules, Stacked Development Near Transit, and Limits on Institutional Investors

By Colette R. Thomason, Esq. We have recently seen several noteworthy updates in the legal real estate arena.  The first new law discussed below has been implemented, the second will be in the summer, and the third is still evolving. 1) Effective January 1, Business & Professions Code § 10140.8 (AB 723) requires agents to […]

Tapping into Two of Silicon Valley’s Most Powerful Buyer Pools

By Audrey Sun, Director of Listings Silicon Valley remains the epicenter of the tech world, drawing elite talent from across computer science, engineering, law, and venture capital. The buyer pool remains dominated by the best and the brightest from across the country and abroad, most notably China and India. Despite national headlines highlighting economic uncertainty, […]

Sell Before the ARMs Race

By Francis Lopez, Director of Listings The housing inventory on the peninsula has continued its momentous decline over the past several years. This can be attributed to interest rates in two intertwined ways: (1) with interest rates above 6%, homeowners have been hesitant to move, instead opting to stay in their current home; and (2) […]

Referral Fee Transparency Gets a Kickback

By Alexander Lewicki, Esq., Director of Listings “Referral fees,” “incentives” or “kickbacks” (i.e., payment to another individual for the referral of a client) have long been present in the real estate industry. These fees, which often amount to 25-30% of the total commission earned by the agent, are regulated under California law. And while the […]