Silicon Valley Agents
State of California
Transaction Range
Languages · EN & 中文
About
Payne Sharpley's path to real estate is anything but ordinary. He earned a master's degree in economics at a university in China, became fluent in Mandarin, traded commodities in Chicago, and led operations for an international company in San Jose before bringing that discipline to the Peninsula market.
That background shapes how he works: he reads value like an economist, negotiates like an operator, and understands land and construction like a developer — because he is one. Today he represents buyers, sellers, and investors across the full spectrum, from first-time buyers to estate sellers to ground-up development.
Clear guidance, sharp strategy, and a standard of service worthy of the Forbes Global Properties name. That's what every client gets.
Press & Recognition
How I Help
Representation at every stage — from a first home to an estate sale to ground-up development.
From first-time buyers to seasoned collectors, you get off-market access, disciplined valuation, and a negotiator who protects your position in a market that moves quickly.
Precision pricing, Forbes Global Properties-caliber marketing, and negotiation that protects your outcome. Your home reaches the right buyers and sells for what it's truly worth.
I see what a parcel can become. From lot analysis and entitlements to spec homes and ground-up builds, I help you acquire, plan, and execute with a developer's eye.
As co-founder of Citis — a real estate intelligence platform for housing development and planning — I advise on feasibility, entitlements, and project structure, helping owners and investors turn Silicon Valley land into finished, profitable real estate.
Track Record
A selection of homes represented and sold across the Peninsula — including record-setting results in Old Palo Alto.
Where I Work
Deep, block-by-block expertise across the Peninsula's most sought-after addresses.
Testimonials
"Payne handled our trust sale seamlessly and discreetly. Zillow and Redfin put the value at $3.8M — within 14 days he negotiated an off-market deal for $6.3M. A true master negotiator. I cannot recommend him enough."
"Payne's instinct to list off-market in February changed everything — 30 groups at one showing, a record price per square foot, and $500k over asking in 3 days, right before the market dipped. A relentless negotiator and a complete gentleman."
"A true master negotiator and client advocate. Payne took us from first meeting to closing in one month — and got our home for $300k under asking against multiple offers. He truly puts his clients first."
Insights & Education
Weekly, plain-English guidance on Silicon Valley & Peninsula real estate, land, and development.
How Peninsula luxury homes actually get priced, prepared, and disclosed — and why the launch window you only get once decides the outcome.
Old Palo Alto to Barron Park — what actually separates the city's dozen markets, and the overlays, historic rules, and tree ordinance that decide what you can build.
The largest tech IPO ever filed may be weeks away. The 180-day mechanism that turns listings into Peninsula housing waves — and how to time it.
They share a border and a high school district — but not a rulebook. Lot sizes, zoning, schools, and what each town will actually let you build.
Downtown vs. the hills, schools, commute, and wildfire zones — what actually drives value across this Santa Clara County town.
Your house may be worth more as an address than a structure. The framework for choosing between renovating, tearing down, and buying new.
Rules, lot evaluation, and unit types — plus when an accessory dwelling unit actually adds value, and when it doesn't.
Septic, slope, trees, and floor-area limits — the lot questions that decide what you can actually build in the Hills.
How California buying works, financing as a foreign national, and choosing the right Peninsula community before you land.
California's transit upzoning law took effect July 1. A plain-English guide to what it means for owners, sellers, and land value.
San Jose, Palo Alto, Mountain View and beyond — where each city stands on rezoning, exclusions, and alternative plans.
Residual value, entitlements, soils, and the four questions that kill deals — a developer's framework for buying land.
Entitlement diligence in California is slow and fragmented. How AI is changing that — and why it makes clients better buyers.
From a small town in Texas to the Peninsula — where the ten rules came from, and why I finally wrote them down.
Contact
Buying, selling, investing, or building — reach out for a straightforward conversation about what's next.
