By Michael Repka, Esq. Many people take issue with the real estate industry and the way transactions have been handled traditionally. Many clients justifiably believe that there are far too many conflicts of interest, too little oversight, inadequate training, and a general herd mentality that is often not in the best interest of the clients. […]
By Michael Repka Michael Repka, DeLeon Realty CEO, on a recent business trip to Hong Kong Prior to Great Britain’s transfer of Hong Kong back to China in 1997, there was a significant increase in demand for US (and Canadian) real estate from Hong Kong buyers. Wealthy people from Hong Kong were understandably concerned that there […]
by Michael Repka, Esq. Silicon Valley is one of the best places to live in the entire world. From our robust economy and rich culture, to our great weather and scenic beauty, there are few places on earth that can compare to where we call home. Unfortunately, the attractiveness of this area, coupled with the […]
By Michael Repka, Esq. 1) We never take money from both sides of any transaction Most brokerages, and even many individual agents, take money from both sides of the same transaction when they have the opportunity. While some try to characterize these payments as “referral fees” and have another agent in their office submit the […]
I love Sharon Heights for its rolling hills, convenient location and diverse architecture, and, of course, its people. Regrettably,
Sharon Heights homes have historically sold for less than I believe they should, and less than similar homes in Palo Alto, Los
Altos, and other parts of Menlo Park.
By Michael Repka Way back in 2011, Ken DeLeon and I discussed the possibility of establishing an innovative new real estate team. At that time, no individual agent or team from Northern California had ever been number one in the United States in terms of sales volume. That honor typically went to real estate agents […]
REAL Trends, the national authority for Realtor rankings, just released their verified 2018 results in the Wall Street Journal. Once again, the DeLeon Team, based in Palo Alto, California, secured the top spot in the team category for the entire nation with over $850,000,000 in annual sales. These sales, the highest in the history of […]
By Michael Repka One of the fundamental problems with the real estate industry is that the interests of the sellers are often in conflict with the interests of their agents. The 100% commission-based compensation system employed by most brokerages, coupled with the permissibility of the same agent or the same brokerage receiving money from both […]
By Michael Repka Over the past 15 years, we have seen a shift in buyers’ preferences away from remote estates located far up into the hills and towards fine properties closer to city centers. While no group is ever homogenous, many tech buyers and buyers from large urban centers, such as New York, Boston, Shanghai, […]
