Karoline Sauls

Senior Vice President

Sperry Van Ness Investment Real Estate Specialists

Claim to Fame: Top L.A. broker with Sperry Van Ness

Karoline Sauls was trying to work out a deal on a pristine property high atop Sunset Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway overlooking the Pacific Ocean. But there was a complication: It was near the Revello Slide, where landslides have occurred.

Sauls was undeterred. She convinced the buyer that the 3.5-acre garden apartment complex in Pacific Palisades was worth the price.

“I knew he could get $3,500 a month for a unit with a view and not $2,000 a month, as he thought,” Sauls said. “Because I knew my market and knew the demand for rental property, I was able to demonstrate the value of the property.”

After working through the difficult landslide issues, which would require building a new structure, Sauls closed the deal for $6.75 million. “I was able to find the right buyer to handle the challenges of the property,” Sauls said. “The key to that is to know your niche.”

That means specializing in a certain product large apartments, mostly and keeping databases current. She has represented Allstate Insurance Co., the Archon Group, Midland Loan Service, and GE Capital Realty Group in sales of real estate assets.

Sauls received her bachelor’s degree in finance, real estate and law from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Pomona. She began her career working for Beverly Hills Associates, a real estate firm involved in investment, management and development, where she was eventually promoted to director of acquisitions and sales, responsible for commercial properties in the West L.A./Hollywood area. She left in 1993 for Sperry Van Ness.

“I basically know all the players in Los Angeles and keep my eye on who is buying and who is selling,” Sauls said.

Jeannette DeSantis