The Launch of Surterre
Properties Marks A Season of Change and Luxury
NEWPORT BEACH, CA — Dictionary.com defines the word luxury as
‘a service, conducive to sumptuous living, usually a delicacy, elegance, or refinement of living rather than
a necessity.’ The introduction of Surterre Properties, a real estate boutique, honors the definition of
luxury by offering experienced experts with an unsurpassed commitment to refined service in harmony with the
exquisite natural beauty of coastal California.
Surterre Properties has
developed an advertisement campaign that was created by the in-house full service ad agency, Surterre Studio,
under the direction of Paula Ansara-Wilhelm, chief brand and marketing officer. The campaign will debut in the Los
Angeles Times’ Daily Pilot, Riviera, Space Magazine, C Magazine, Homes & Land, Coast Magazine, Laguna
Beach Life and Laguna Beach Independent.
“We understand that our clients desire
individualized personal attention every step of the way which is exactly what Surterre Properties promises to
deliver,” said Gary Legrand, president of the Newport Beach-based real estate boutique. “Our agents,
technology, communication and creative abilities and ultimately our service are what set us apart and truly makes
us the luxury real estate boutique in Orange County.”
Surterre Properties’ agents provide
personal service and attention to a discerning clientele and is the benchmark of Surterre Properties. Surterre
Properties’ award-winning in-house creative advertising studio works closely with its clients to deliver memorable and
beautiful details about each home. The combination of the technological outlets it uses to communicate along with
ultimate personalized attention further accentuates the essence of Surterre Properties.
Gary Legrand
President
Surterre Properties
Gary Legrand launched his career in real estate while he served as the National Sales Manager
for Verifone, a company specializing in the technology industry. While busy growing the company from $9 million in
gross sales to more than $220 million in five short years, he began to invest in property throughout Southern
California. Soon after expanding Verifone’s infrastructure from 65 employees to an impressive 2,000,
Legrand’s interest in luxury real estate also expanded.
In 1991, Legrand joined Coast Newport Properties as an owner and CFO in his native, Newport Beach. He helped grow the company to over $1 billion in sales, after which the real estate boutique was sold to Coldwell Banker in 1999. He continued
to manage the Newport Beach Fashion Island branch which led sales nationwide in 2000 and remained one of the top
performing branches in the nation for 6 years.
Recently, Legrand was named president of Surterre Properties, the newly created luxury residential real estate boutique headquartered in Newport Beach. He brings an
unsurpassed level of knowledge and expertise to Surterre Properties. His unique perspective on the coastal
communities throughout Orange County and further south, is highly regarded. In addition to having a well-deserving
reputation within the real estate market, Legrand is a recognizable figure within the community of Newport Beach
where he was raised and where he and his wife chose to raise their son and twin daughters.
Paula Ansara-Wilhelm
Chief Brand & Marketing Officer
Surterre Properties
For more than 20 years, Paula Ansara-Wilhelm has been the driving force behind many highly
visible advertising and branding campaigns in Southern California. She began her career at an Orange County based
advertising agency, where she worked on such high profile accounts as Taco Bell, Yamaha, and International House
of Pancakes (IHOP). The agency was eventually acquired by Foote Cone and Belding, the world’s largest
advertising firm.
Ansara-Wilhelm then headed her own design firm where she developed and managed the creative
campaigns for Cendant Corporation, the parent company of Coldwell Banker, Century 21 and E.R.A. This relationship
launched Ansara-Wilhelm’s penchant for luxury real estate. In true Ansara-Wilhelm fashion, to better
understand the needs of real estate agents, she also became a licensed real estate agent. This authentic
perspective is the footprint of Ansara-Wilhelm.
In 2000, Ansara-Wilhelm helped launch Strada Properties in her role as vice president of
marketing & creative where she carved out her niche as a premier advertising and branding expert. Strada
gained huge momentum within the marketplace, due in large part to the breakthrough brand identity that was
developed by Ansara-Wilhelm. She also established the first in-house advertising agency in the region’s
residential real estate market. The Strada Studio. When Strada Properties was sold to Coldwell Banker in 2003,
Ansara-Wilhelm was responsible for The Studio, which produced ads, direct mail, brochures, stationery, cds,
banners, and all other printed collateral for the 17 offices and 1,000 agents throughout Orange County.
Ansara-Wilhelm’s latest venture is as co-founder and Chief Brand & Marketing
Officer for Surterre Properties, a new luxury real estate boutique headquartered in Newport Beach. In this
capacity she will develop and manage the company’s advertising and branding efforts as well as working with
individual requests from Surterre’s top agents throughout the competitive Orange County luxury marketplace.
She resides in Laguna Beach with her husband, David and son, Brandon. Paula is a member of the Orange County Ad
Club and a licensed real estate agent.
About Us
Orange County has a long history of residential real estate boutiques. Surterre Properties is
the latest addition to this impressive legacy. The founders of Surterre Properties have used their experiences at
these other enterprises to create something that builds on the past, while creating something unique for today
— a luxury residential real estate experience that helps home buyers and sellers to navigate the
complexities of our area through Sales Associates committed to personal responsibility and service.
Surterre Properties’ commitment to its Sales Associates is matched by our commitment to
the communities we serve. We are active in local organizations and determined to utilize environmentally safe
materials wherever possible to ensure that the beauty of the Orange County coastline remains for each of us and
our families to enjoy.
Surterre Launches with Green In Mind
When Surterre Properties launched the ad campaign with the signature rock, beautiful seashell
and lush greenery, it quickly generated attention. Within months since its premiere Surterre Properties has
secured 100 top agents. This immediate success isn’t new to Paula Ansara-Wilhelm, who serves as the Chief
Brand & Marketing Officer of Surterre Properties and who has been responsible for many successful branding
campaigns in the luxury real estate market for more than two decades. She recently sat down to address some
important questions about the competitive market place and the meaning behind that ‘rock.’
Q: What are the key components highlighted in the Surterre Properties marketing
campaign?
I built this brand to compliment the very unique and beautiful homes in our area with natural
images that are inherent to the building process or landscaping that make them so extraordinary. The literal
translation of “surterre” means ‘on earth’ in French. At Surterre Properties it means that
we share the natural beauty around us and we want to preserve and promote this in every way possible.
Q: How does a real estate company ‘preserve and promote’?
At Surterre Properties, we’ve begun by thinking and acting green to affect the matter
in our environment which then is communicated through our marketing efforts and brand building. We have
consciously moved into a more eco-friendly working environment. Behind-the-scenes at Surterre Properties, we have
made a commitment to use recycled materials for our stationery, direct mail, brochures, business cards and
everything we print. We’ve also located office chairs made out of recycled plastics. Our conference room
table comes from a 700 year old tree that died of natural causes and was divided into salvageable pieces. One
portion was rescued by a company that specializes in this kind of rescue and recovery of trees to make
eco-friendly furniture. That’s how we’re beginning to do our part in the preservation process at
Surterre Properties and we’re planning as a company to do much more by working with local charities that
emphasize the environment. To promote “green” we’re creating subtle imagery that emphasizes the
natural beauty and landscape and we focus on the important details of each home that advocates pride in ownership
and environment. Our clients are excited and supportive of our efforts and they identify with the need to promote
this eco-lifestyle model.
Q: How is Surterre Properties different from the other real estate brands that
you’ve developed?
As a part of the local and global community, we felt we needed to do something new and most
of all, something important. There are plenty of real estate companies in Orange County, we knew that we wanted
to create a company philosophy that celebrates the beauty of our natural landscapes found in Orange County and
relates it to the properties we represent. This is a new approach from some of the brands I’ve created in
the past because it’s truly a set of values that we all share internally.
Q: You mention that there are plenty of other agencies in Orange County, so besides
having an environmental savvy approach to your campaigns, what else makes Surterre Properties stand out from the
rest of its competition?
That’s a great question. There are a lot of choices in Orange County, what makes
Surterre Properties great is that we focus our efforts on telling the story about the home. It’s not about
the agent and at the end of the day it’s not about our company, it’s always about our clients. This is
one element along with our in-house creative studio; the boutique-style setting where our agents have the freedom
to customize and meet their client’s needs; and of course our eco-friendly approach to business that sets
Surterre Properties apart from other real estate companies in Orange County.
Surterre Launches with Green In Mind
Surterre Properties® commits to an eco-luxurious business model that is deeper than
the beautiful images used in its recognizable ad campaigns. Here’s how:
Surterre Properties® established this brand identity to complement the natural
surroundings that are inherent to Orange County. The literal translation of “surterre” means “on
earth” in French. At Surterre Properties® everyone shares the same admiration for the beautiful
terrain, and most importantly, the desire to preserve and promote this in every way possible.
By preserving and promoting the local environment, Surterre Properties® thinks and
acts green to affect positive change in the global community. Surterre Properties® is the only EcoBroker
Affiliate™ in coastal Orange County and has consciously created eco-friendly and eco-luxurious working
environments for its team. The knowledge our agents gain earning the Ecobroker® Certification grants them
the potential not only to help you save money while buying or selling a property, but to ensure a better tomorrow
for the environment. Behind the scenes at Surterre Properties® are a commitment to use recycled materials
for printing purposes and concerted efforts to locate and utilize resources that use eco-friendly materials in
their business. Our office chairs and work stations are made out of recycled plastics, and our conference room
table comes from a certified century-old tree that died of natural causes. These are just some of the exemplary
eco-luxurious steps Surterre Properties® has made.
Surterre Properties® has also teamed up with local charities that educate, promote,
and help preserve the environment, including eWaste drives quarterly at both offices in partnership with the Earth
Resource Foundation. Clients have responded positively and are excited and supportive of these efforts, and often
times, implement eco-lifestyle models into their own lives.
Most importantly, Surterre Properties® focuses its efforts on finding the important
details about the client’s home and then translating them into a compelling journey through visuals and
information. While Surterre Properties®’ philosophy is deeply rooted in “green”, its
main function is always to deliver successful results for the client.
Making today’s advanced technologies work for you
You check emails each day. You carry a cell phone, Blackberry or other personal technology
device. Today, technology is everywhere, and there are more ways than ever for conducting business.
Surterre Properties utilizes every possible technology to maximize the effectiveness of our
Sales Associates. Powerful, web-based tools help Sales Associates to continuously monitor and manage listings,
leads and transactions to take advantage of every opportunity. Access to detailed, up-to-the-minute information 24 hours a day means
every change in the marketplace is instantly noted and responded to.
Surterreproperties.com is THE comprehensive residential real estate online destination for
the Orange County area. It utilizes the latest search engine strategies and technologies to ensure that it
indexes high on all major search engines and is designed for easy navigation.
Your Sales Associate will ensure that your home is prominently featured on
Surterreproperties.com, as well as on other leading real estate sites, including Realtor.com and the interactive
Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Our powerful web capability allows your Sales Associate to convert visitors into
buyers for your home.
Through Surterre Properties’ innovative technological capability, your Sales Associate
spends more time focused on what he or she does best— working with you and for you to create a successful
real estate transaction.
Design Studio
Surterre Properties® features a special service found in no other residential real
estate firm – an award-winning, full service design studio guided by Paula Ansara-Wilhelm, a nationally
recognized expert in real estate branding and marketing. Paula was instrumental in the creation of Strada
Properties and is one of the guiding forces behind Surterre Properties®’ commitment to the
environment. Wherever possible, the company uses only recycled papers and environmentally safe materials.
Why is this history and commitment important to you? Because under Paula’s leadership,
“green” real estate marketing and advertising is all the Surterre Studio does. What’s more,
Paula has called on her extensive experience working within Orange County’s highly specialized luxury
marketplace to create a distinguished brand for Surterre – a brand that allows the unique character of each
property listed to shine through.
The Surterre Studio has become widely known for its unmatched ability to produce luxury
marketing materials that are original, effective, and on par with the exquisite land and homes that occupy the
local market. Prominent industry organizations such as the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA) the
International Association of Printing House Craftsmen (IAPHC), and the Davey Awards have honored the Studio for
their innovative achievements in revolutionizing the look and feel of real estate marketing.
Through the perfect combination of words and photos, potential buyers will experience the
beauty, serenity, comfort and possibilities of your residence. Carefully designed brochures from the Surterre
Studio are filled with more than statistics. They tell a story – your story. There are no greater experts
anywhere in not just informing prospects of the essential details of your home, but in inspiring prospects as to
what makes your home unique.
Launch Ad Campaign
A season of change
Introducing a fresh new vision of real estate in Orange County. Surterre Properties is
a luxury real estate boutique shaped by experience, expertise and the time-honored traditions of personal
relationships and responsibility. Here, discover how unprecedented attention to detail and unsurpassed
service and support combine to create an individualized real estate experience unlike any you can remember.
And one you will likely never forget. Surterre Properties.
A sea of change
There is an ebb and flow to Orange County’s coast that can, at times, create rare
opportunities for change. Now is such a time. Introducing Surterre Properties, a luxury real estate
boutique shaped by the dynamics of industry expertise, technological innovation and personal responsibility.
Here, discover how a personal relationship with one of Orange County’s best agents will create more than you
ever imagined – an individualized real estate experience that is as refreshing as it is rewarding.
Surterre Properties.
Perfect Harmony
When essential elements align, harmony is born. Now is such a time. Introducing
Surterre Properties, a luxury real estate boutique created from the fertile dynamics of industry expertise,
technological innovation and personal responsibility. Here, discover a real estate experience unlike any you
have ever experienced. One rooted in a personal relationship with a Sales Associate that will grow from an
introduction into a business partnership that is as refreshing as it is rewarding. Surterre
Properties. Where the difference is you.
Shaping change
Success doesn’t just happen. It takes carefully applied expertise to guide a
process towards a desired conclusion. That’s why it is so rare. And it is why Sales Associates
from Surterre Properties are so valued. It begins with personal relationships and responsibility. It
continues through unprecedented attention to detail and the kind of service and support that will create an
individualized real estate experience unlike any you can remember. Surterre Properties. Shaping change
one moment, one day, one home at a time.
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