MEET OUR TEAM
We market homes to receive the highest price possible in the shortest amount of time
After choosing the DeLeon Team, we will introduce you to your designer who will collaborate with Michael and our field coordinator to prepare your home for sale. We will listen to your needs, exceed expectations, and shift much of the work relating to home improvement, marketing, negotiation, and escrow onto ourselves. This includes ensuring any improvements to your home are done beautifully, within budget, and on time.
SIGN UP WITH US AND RECEIVE
DELEON PLATINUM COMPLIMENTARY SERVICES:
DESIGN & HOME PREPARATION
• Dedicated interior designer
• Staging (furniture rental, delivery, set up, de-staging)
• Property inspection and pest inspection
• Dedicated field coordinator
CONTRACT & LEGAL ASSISTANCE
• Strategic contract negotiations, transaction coordination, and escrow management
• Real estate attorney provided to review disclosures and answer tax-related questions*
CUSTOM MARKETING
• TV commercials featuring your listing across multiple channels such as CNN, ESPN, TBS, Bravo, MSNBC, and Fox News
• Custom 28-page home brochure
• Multiple, full-page newspaper ads
• Custom home website with 3D virtual tour and high-end hosted video
• Online and social media marketing campaigns
• Professional architectural photography
• Ads in The DeLeon Insight real estate magazine
• Extensive marketing to international buyers
* Legal services provided by the Integra Law Group, LLP See listing agreement for more details and limitations.
HOME PREPARATION
Making your home stand out from the rest
Strategic staging goes beyond mere decoration – it serves as the key to highlighting your home’s strengths, allowing it to shine amid the sea of listings buyers are likely to encounter. DeLeon Realty partners with top staging firms in Silicon Valley to reimagine your home’s interior, ensuring that it not only captures but captivates the eyes of discerning home buyers both in person and online.
We also have an extensive collection of outdoor furniture, artwork, rugs, and other staging inventory custom curated for Silicon Valley. DeLeon Realty pays for your home’s staging, which includes furniture rental and fees associated with design, delivery, set-up, and de-staging. Plus, we will not be reimbursed at closing for this service.
DELEON REALTY PAYS ALL FEES FOR YOUR HOME’S STAGING.
DEDICATED DESIGNER THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS
Your designer will manage your home preparation and unleash your home’s potential value. They will coordinate directly with vendors to prepare your home, which includes scheduling start and end dates for the project, overseeing the work, and making sure the work is appropriately performed. Our designers work extensively with the top staging companies in Silicon Valley and will select the one that best fits your home.
ADVANTAGEOUS PRICING FROM PREFERRED VENDORS
Due to our high volume of listings, we are able to negotiate special pricing with many local vendors. Our designers will guide these vendors on exactly which repairs or improvements will result in a higher sales price. There is no markup or other referral fee from any vendor who works with DeLeon Realty - all savings are passed directly to you.
DEDICATED FIELD COORDINATOR
Our field coordinators, who are experienced handymen, will assist with preparation at your property at no charge. Services include a multi-point, pre-inspection checklist, so simple items can be addressed before the buyers arrive. These may include gutter cleaning, power washing, paint touch-up, landscaping, checking or installing mandated smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, replacing light bulbs, oiling squeaky hinges, and much more.
COMPLIMENTARY INSPECTIONS
DeLeon Realty will pay for your property inspection and pest inspection, and we will not be reimbursed at closing for these services.
▲ Our fleet of vehicles includes a moving van that can assist you in moving into your new Silicon Valley home
► We own a large inventory of tools to help get your home ready for market, including a wood chipper, stump grinder, over-seeder, and so much more.
BEFORE
Home before our design team made any changes.
Home refreshed and revitalized by our team. Client spent less than $7,800 on the kitchen, living, and dining room improvements seen above.
BEFORE
Home before our design team made any changes.
AFTER
Our design and field coordination team performed all of the work and improvements at no additional charge to the client. That’s right, the seller paid nothing for these improvements.
DISCLOSURES
For your peace of mind, we provide attorney services at no additional cost to you
In order to ensure the best protection for our clients and their interests, DeLeon Realty provides a licensed California real estate attorney to answer all of your disclosure-related questions and guide you through the process. There is no additional fee for this enhanced level of service and protection.
ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY
All of our homes are photographed by a professional photographer who specializes in architectural imagery. Based on our experience, the quality of our photography has had a profound impact on our marketing, as our brochures and ads leave a lasting impression. This is even more important now, with many buyers seeing homes for the first time online.
PRESENT YOUR HOME
Inspire buyers with engaging & memorable home tours
DeLeon Realty hosts open houses that are regularly well-attended, thanks in large part to promoting the events via e-blasts, online and newspaper ads, TV commercials, radio ads, and on social media.
Our open house events often create a buzz around the home and add to the high number of offers that we receive. Plus, busy open houses make potential buyers feel like the home is more desirable, and the attendance we generate at these events contributes directly to our strong sales statistics.
“The team addressed everything from staging, maintenance and landscaping. Our home had multiple offers and sold within six days.”
- Madeline B.
EXPANDED BUYING POOL
Sellers working with DeLeon Realty derive a significant benefit from our high sales volume and unique business structure
Other brokerages consist of a large number of independent contractor agents operating in silos. These agents rarely share information about potential buyers with agents in the same brokerage. DeLeon Realty is fully integrated – that gives us a considerable advantage.
Michael Repka and Audrey Sun personally handle all DeLeon Realty Platinum listings. This gives us the advantage of knowing which buyer-agents have clients looking for similar properties, since those agents have inquired about (or submitted offers on) previous DeLeon listings. Michael’s knowledge of what those buyers want expands the buyer pool for your home exponentially.
And while the Multiple Listing Service (“MLS”) is an incredibly powerful tool, its precision can act to the detriment of some sellers. For example, buyers searching for a home in Palo Alto may not be aware of opportunities in Menlo Park, Atherton, or Los Altos because their search parameters are set too narrowly. Our high sales volume makes us uniquely situated to find buyers looking for homes like yours.
WE REACH POTENTIAL BUYERS THAT WOULD NOT OTHERWISE SEE YOUR HOME.
Michael Repka is committed to you and the selling of your world-class home. He will be available from the prelisting preparation process through the close of the escrow to assist you with any questions or issues that may arise. Michael will ensure that your home-selling experience is as smooth and as stress-free as possible, and since he works primarily with DeLeon Platinum clients, he will have plenty of time to dedicate to your needs.
Michael has undergone extensive, graduate-level training in negotiation and holds a Graduate Certificate in negotiation and conflict management from Rutgers Graduate School of Business and School of Law. He also holds two law degrees, including an advanced law degree in taxation from NYU School of Law, and has sold well over 1,000 listings . Additionally, Michael has completed Harvard University’s Program on Negotiation in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Please contact Michael to discuss your home’s market value and learn how he will tailor a program to achieve your goals.
SELL YOUR HOME OFF-MARKET WITH NO PREP EXPENSES AND PAY ONLY 3% COMMISSION
Generally, the best way for sellers to maximize the sales price of their home is by letting us strategically prepare their home, stage it, market it very aggressively and broadly, and invite maximum competition from all buyers and agents. However, some sellers prefer the convenience, privacy, and/or the reduced expenses associated with selling off-market.
Similarly, certain sellers prefer to limit their commission expense to only 3% by selling their home directly to buyers, without the added expense of paying a buyer’s agent commission. Additionally, since a recent landmark court case found the National Association of Realtors and several large brokerages guilty of colluding to keep commissions artificially high, many buyer’s agents require their buyers to pay their commission if the seller does not volunteer to do so.
If you fall into either of these categories, we would be happy to promote your home to our buyers, and to buyers that contact us directly. Under this program, your total commission would be only 3%!
While these homes will likely require more prep work for the buyers than one of our traditional listings, we can help the buyer find the right service providers to tailor the property to their taste and needs.
And though some other agents or teams encourage off-market sales, they inexplicably charge both sides of the commission! This begs the question: Why limit exposure unless you are, at least, saving commission?
We generally don’t recommend that homeowners sell their homes off-market; however, we are the best choice for sellers if they decide to go this direction. After all, no other agent or team has the market reach, or the discretion, of the DeLeon Team.
MORE THAN JUST REAL ESTATE,
WE CARE ABOUT PEOPLE.
DeLeon Realty owes much of its success over the past 12 years to the immensely talented people who work for us. We attract the best with our competitive compensation, full benefits, and abundant company perks.
At the heart of our company’s core values, DeLeon Realty strives to provide JOYFUL experiences for our employees and make meaningful CONNECTIONS with the community.
A HAPPY TEAM MAKES HAPPY CLIENTS
• Adventurous Annual Company Trips, Including Week-Long Cruises
• Uplifting & Festive Office Activities
• One-of-a-Kind Cultural Events
• Inspiring Team Building Outings
LIFE IS FUN WHEN WORK IS FUN.
“Recently, I had the opportunity to plan an employee ski & snowmobile getaway to Lake Tahoe. Michael and Ken spared no expense to make it a memorable and great experience.” - Jessica Taylor, Office Manager, DRE #01913236
MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE
The DeLeon Team enjoys giving back to the community and engaging in a number of local events and humanitarian efforts. Some of these include:
• Annual sponsor of the Palo Alto Weekly Moonlight Run
• Volunteer work with local organizations including Project WeHOPE in East Palo Alto
• Partnerships with the Bill Wilson Center and Toys For Tots to provide holiday gifts to those in need
• Annual donations of supplies and money to local schools
The answer is simple: By orchestrating off-market deals, agents can often collect commission from both the buyer and the seller. This results in more money in the agent’s or brokerage’s pocket even if the final sale price is substantially lower. In these cases, their personal financial incentives directly conflict with their fiduciary duty to maximize the seller’s sales price.
Why Do Agents Like “Hidden,” “Pocket,” and “Office Exclusive” Listings?”
There are three main reasons why agents are drawn to “officeexclusive,” “pocket,” or off-MLS listings:
1) More Commission — The agent and/or the brokerage significantly increase their chances of representing both the buyer and the seller when a property is kept off the open market. This dual representation allows them to potentially collect the full commission—or at least a substantial referral fee—on both sides of the transaction.
2) Appealing to Strategic Buyers — Agents or brokerages can attract buyers seeking a lower price by offering access to exclusive, non-public listings that are hidden from a broader pool of qualified buyers. Reduced market exposure and limited competition usually translates into lower sale prices—an appealing prospect for buyers looking to secure a deal.
These off-market opportunities allow agents to charge higher commissions. It is not uncommon for buyers to agree to pay buyer’s-side commission of 2%, 2.5%, or more if they believe these "hidden" listings could sell for 5% to 8% below market value due to the lack of competition.
3) Reduced Costs — Under the MLS’s “Clear Cooperation Policy,” agents are prohibited from advertising a listing, or even informing agents from other brokerages of its availability, unless the property is on the MLS within 24 hours of the public dissemination of the information. While there are now some recently enacted exceptions to this rule, our experience has been that few listing agents make their hidden listings available to agents outside of their office. By keeping listings off-market, agents not only increase their
chances of earning a second level of commission—or at least a substantial referral fee—from the buyer’s side, but also save on marketing costs.
The California Association of Realtor’s (C.A.R.’s) Position
While some agents resort to intimidation tactics or make disingenuous threats of group boycotts to pressure sellers into pre-committing to specific buyer-agent commissions—including commissions payable to the listing agent if the buyer comes to them directly—the California Association of Realtors has taken a much more client favorable and ethical position.
Like DeLeon Realty, C.A.R. maintains that listing agreements should not include any pre-set commission offered to the buyer’s agent. After all, buyers are now required to negotiate and agree to the compensation they will pay their own agent. In fact, C.A.R. has even removed the section in its standard listing agreement that previously obligated sellers to offer commission to the buyer’s agent. Nevertheless, some agents seeking to preserve the traditional commission model, irrespective of the massive court loss and terms of the settlement, continue to use alternative forms, such as those provided by PRDS, which still include that outdated and potentially problematic line by which the seller pre-commits to a commission to the buyer’s agent.
DeLeon Realty’s Position
C.A.R’s position is also closely aligned with DeLeon Realty’s view that sellers should welcome all offers, most certainly including those in which the buyer requests the seller to cover some or all of the commission the buyer owes to the buyer’s agent. Like the price and contingency periods, this commission request becomes a point of negotiation.
One might ask, what’s the difference? The key distinction is that buyers are unlikely to request more than they have already agreed to pay their own agent, unless the seller has pre-committed to offering a higher amount. Additionally, DeLeon Realty is the only major local brokerage that always gives self-directed buyers the option of submitting an offer through one of our buyer’s agents with neither the buyer nor the seller paying any commission to the buyer’s agent. DeLeon Realty covers all the in-house buyer’s agent’s compensation.
Clandestine Counter-Arguments
It is noteworthy that DeLeon Realty, along with the national press, have published numerous critiques of secretive “office exclusive” listings and agents pressuring sellers to commit to any minimum buyer’s agent commission in the listing agreement. However, other agents' disingenuous counterarguments supporting these questionable tactics typically surface only in private conversations with clients. Tellingly, agents are reluctant or unwilling to put these positions in writing, or respond to press inquiries.
On multiple occasions, we have proposed that Compass’s Palo Alto office manager and I co-present a seminar on how the DeLeon approach differs from Compass’s approach. Unfortunately, to date, this manager has yet to agree to such a public discussion. However, the messenger is not important— it is the message that matters. If the Compass manager would feel more comfortable having a conversation about the services, marketing strategies, commission structure, and views on limiting sales only to buyer’s represented by a Compass agent with Ken DeLeon instead of me, we are more than happy to accommodate that request. Alternatively, if Compass would prefer a different office manager to participate in an open and candid discussion comparing Compass’s business philosophy with that of DeLeon Realty, we would gladly participate.
The Take-Away
Withholding listings from the majority of interested buyers is inconsistent with the seller’s best interest and almost certainly the agent’s fiduciary duty to their sellers unless the seller is informed that the reduced exposure and competition will likely sacrifice sales price for privacy.
Imagine that an agent or brokerage with a 15% market share knows of three buyers who would love a home just like yours. Irrespective of which agent the seller chooses to list with, all three buyers would know about the home if it’s placed on the MLS. However, by withholding it from the MLS, as well as websites like Zillow, Redfin and MLSListings.com, the seller would effectively exclude the other 20 potential buyers, those who are either represented by agents from other brokerages or who aren't yet working with an agent at all.
When you list with DeLeon Realty, your home will be featured on the MLS, Zillow, Redfin, and many other public-facing websites. Interestingly, it will also appear on Compass’s website, Coldwell Banker’s website, and almost all other websites that showcase properties for sale. Additionally, we regularly advertise our listings across multiple channels, including newspapers, this newsletter, direct mail, TV and streaming ads, social media, and radio. Plus, our extensive network of potential buyers helps us attract those who may love a home like yours, but are looking in a different area or are not actively searching at the moment.
Personally, I would enjoy watching a spirted debate in which a Compass manager argues the alternative position. Namely, that it is in the Seller’s best interest to withhold the listing from any buyer not working with a Compass buyer's agent and to do no public marketing outside of their brokerage.
Make no mistake: I firmly believe that agents who suggest limiting exposure to only buyers working with them or their brokerage are generally not concerned about your privacy or best interest—they’re focused on increasing their commission, even if it means a significantly lower sale price.
