Co-Founders

Gary Legrand, President

Surterre Properties®’ President, Gary Legrand, has been a driving force in Orange County luxury real estate for more than two decades, leading the industry to new levels of innovation, service and success. With the launch of Surterre Properties® in 2006, Legrand further revolutionized the region’s residential real estate market, offering clients a world-class, full-service real estate solution delivered by accomplished agents who are unwaveringly dedicated to their clients. Today, Surterre Properties® encompasses more than 340 top-ranked real estate professionals and has offices in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Corona del Mar, Monarch Beach, San Clemente, and Irvine, as well as agent affiliates around the world. As proof of the success of Legrand’s vision, Surterre Properties® sells more residential real estate from its Newport Beach headquarters than any other single office in Orange County.

Before co-founding Surterre Properties®, Legrand served as Manager for Coldwell Banker Previews International’s Newport Center branch, leading it to sales success as one of the nation’s top-performing offices for more than six years. Prior to his tenure at Coldwell Banker, Legrand was an investor and Chief Financial Officer for Coast Newport Properties, the region’s first boutique luxury real estate firm – a trailblazing development for the Orange County market.

Legrand resides in Newport Beach with his wife and three children. He can be contacted via email at glegrand@surterreproperties.com or 949.717.7200.

Paula Ansara-Wilhelm, Chief Marketing Officer

Paula Ansara-Wilhelm is widely recognized for revolutionizing residential real estate marketing and advertising on a national scale – and her groundbreaking work has forever changed the way that people buy and sell homes in Orange County. Ansara-Wilhelm co-founded Surterre Properties® in 2006, and simultaneously established the only in-house advertising agency to be featured at any residential real estate brokerage in the region: Surterre Studio. Under her leadership as Chief Marketing Officer, the Studio’s staff of talented advertising professionals has received more than 25 prestigious awards for marketing excellence. Her vision for the Surterre Properties® brand has continued to lead the industry into new creative territory, with innovative marketing initiatives and compelling advertising creative whose effectiveness has been borne out in the tremendous success of the firm.

Before Surterre Properties®, Ansara-Wilhelm helped to rebrand Coldwell Banker Previews International and launch Strada Properties. In 2000, the latter was considered a groundbreaking moment for the luxury residential real estate industry in Southern California. Prior to her pioneering work at Strada, she developed and managed creative campaigns for other real estate industry leaders, including Coast Newport Properties, Coldwell Banker, Century 21 and E.R.A.

Ansara-Wilhelm sits on the board of Miracles for Kids and resides in Laguna Beach with her husband and son. She can be contacted via email at pwilhelm@surterreproperties.com or 949.717.7211.