Agent Leia Carlton

About Leia

Leia is one of the co-owners of Portland’s Alternative Realtors, and she absolutely loves her job. Her clients have described her as: tireless, patient, knowledgeable, upbeat, honest, diligent and efficient. She understands how busy her clients’ lives are, and enjoys giving the type of service that allows them to sit back and relax, knowing that the details of their real estate transactions are being handled with professionalism and care.

Leia brings a strong skill set to her real estate practice: 19 years of experience selling residential real estate in Portland, a professional background in marketing and public relations, and personal experience in owning real estate, remodeling homes & being a landlord. Leia is knowledgeable and passionate about Portland’s charming stock of antique homes. Her years of experience have made her an expert in the gritty underbelly of older homes, and she enjoys educating her clients about the joys and realities of vintage homes.  In her spare time, Leia loves reading, writing, cooking and getting outdoors with Chad, Max, Remy and Ozzy (her hubby, daughters & Golden Retriever), but sometimes the best thing of all is just simply being home.

LEIA CARLTON

Principal Broker/Owner

Licensed in the State of Oregon

office: 503.238.7617 x110
cell phone: 503.810.7850
fax: 503.234.9511

Words From Leia’s Clients:

“Recently Leia Carlton helped me sell a house I had been renting for many years.  She managed a very satisfactory and low stress process.  I especially appreciate that she kept me updated regularly as it progressed.  In addition she had an excellent list of vetted contractors and other resources.  All performed well.  They were available on short notice because of the relationship she has developed with them over the years.  My sale presented a particularly difficult problem because the house was occupied by tenants.  Leia went beyond what would normally be expected of an agent in helping me deal with the tenants.  They were extremely stressed about finding a new place.  Leia took the time to listen to them and encourage them in their search.   Overall she kept the sale process moving along as quickly as possible.  Thank you Leia!”

“I’ve had Leia Carlton as my realtor twice now – 5 years ago when was looking to purchase my first home, and wanted to use a local realty company. From the first meeting, Leia instantly made me feel at ease, and even though I was looking to buy on the low end of the market for a starter home, she always made me feel supported and important. She helped arrange everything with closing repairs and made the whole process super easy for me as a novice buyer. This year, the market has been so hot that I felt like it was time to sell, and of course my first call was to Leia. She got everything set up, strategized with me, and got me to a successful sale in less than 5 weeks start to finish!”

“We have had the opportunity to work with Portland Alternative Realtors and Leia Carlton for nearly 15 years now, through three home purchases and two sales. Leia is honest, transparent, thoughtful, funny, and diligent. She will always help you see the potential concerning aspects of a home, in addition to the beautiful ones, so that you can effectively think through a major life decision. She helped us manage the “little but big things” that come with a home sale, which hugely off loaded a lot of work, and was so so helpful. She also has this wonderful way to help navigate through the emotions and anxieties that come with home buying and selling (and there are many). We always felt that we could reach out for questions, talk through decisions, ideas etc. She listens so well. 
And just as importantly, there is never any pressure with Leia. There was a time when we were debating remodeling or selling, and Leia patiently helped us navigate that over a couple years, intermittently showing us homes every time we changed our minds. 
We referred all of our friends and family to Leia over the years, and I would refer anyone to her. She is amazing, and we are so grateful to her. We hope we are in our forever home… and am just a little sad to not get to work with her again!! If you need a realtor, Leia is the one!! We love her. “

“Very pleased with the outstanding service, timely, accurate, focused on results and in an unusual market, we were successful! Best in class communication and support. Look forward to working with Leia and her team on the next real estate transaction!”

“Leia is the best realtor I’ve ever had! She helped my husband and me sell the houses we owned individually & buy one together, all as the pandemic broke out. Leia’s knowledge of the market is very impressive and was such an asset when everything felt crazy. She gave us great advice and helped connect us with great resources in the community when repairs were needed (or desired)! We can’t recommend Leia & her team highly enough.”

“We are a French – American family who moved to Portland from France last year. We have had the pleasure to work with Portland’s Alternative Inc to find our future home and we have nothing but praise for them! Erica and Leia are professional, knowledgeable, service oriented, and super fun to work with. They were able to help us close on our dream house in the neighborhood we really wanted. They also helped us meet contractors for the remodel we will be doing. Having worked in the real estate industry myself for the last 10 years in France, I have to say I was very impressed by Erica and Leia! Thanks so much!”

“Emma Frazier and Leia Carlton helped my husband and I buy our first home. They are simply the best. Overall, my husband and I were in the market for about 6 months and 8 offers. During that time, Leia and Emma were at our service and ready to help every step of the way. Even though it took us what felt like an eternity to find a home, they never made us feel pressured to do anything we weren’t 100% comfortable with. They negotiated us a great deal, procured what felt like 1,000 bids, and even caught some discrepancies in the loan paperwork during close. But, enough with the boring stuff. These two are fun. If you are anything like me, you will spend hours driving around Portland with your realtor. Do yourself a favor and don’t get trapped in a car with a dud. My husband and I looked forward to seeing Emma each week. There is a variety of competence in Realtors. When you work with Alt PDX you know you are getting the very best and will have fun along the way. I did.”

“We used Leia Carlton to buy, sell, and buy our homes in Portland. In today’s market, with all the tools available, it may be tempting to go through this process without a realtor. We considered doing the sell and purchase of our home without a realtor to save some money. But we do not regret at all using Leia as a realtor. She proved to be valuable on many levels to us. Leia offered professional advice throughout the process, and provided a calming presence when we invariably became anxious. Leia offers a non-judgemental voice and well timed advice in a process that is fraught with emotion. Leia was a great advocate and we would not hesitate to use her again for our future needs. I should mention as well, that we worked with other staff at Alt Realtors. So far, every member of their team over there are just as professional as Leia. Even as Leia went out of town for vacation, the transition to Emma for that period was seamless.”

“After my house sat on the market for over six months I decided to try a new realtor and I found Leia, everything changed for the better once I did. She knew exactly what changes I needed to make to the house and she helped me every step one the way! It worked! We had several offers and it sold in  just four days! Plus she was always available and was there to help in any way and answer any questions I had during the closing process! I would definitely recommend Leia for you realtor needs!”

“Leia Carlton is, without a doubt, the best real estate agent I have ever worked with.  My husband and I have bought and sold many homes over the years.  What’s amazing about her is that she is not only the consummate professional, she is charming and personable at the same time.  I have worked with her on 3 purchases and 2 sales of homes.  Each transaction went quickly, for the right price and without a hitch in large part due to her knowledge of the market.  I can give her my highest recommendation.”

“We first contacted Leia Carlton three years ago, when we were considering buying a house. We decided to wait, but we were so impressed with Leia that we called her as soon as we were ready. Even our kids remembered meeting her and the kindness she showed them as she pointed out neighborhoods on the map! Leia is always knowledgeable, prepared, patient, and quick to respond. She doesn’t sugarcoat anything, but presents the pros and cons of all situations, to help you decide what is best for you. Our family highly recommends Leia. She was with us every step of the way, and we are so grateful for her expertise.”

“As first-time homebuyers, working with Leia and Emma was a fantastic experience. First, we were so fortunate to have two Realtors working on our behalf, and they made a great team. Leia brought a depth of knowledge and experience, and her sage advice and good judgment were greatly appreciated during the offer and repair negotiations. Emma was gracious with her time, walking us through the offer contract line by line, and hunting down every roofing contractor in town to help us get an inspection. Overall, I am so impressed with their responsiveness, professionalism, and attention to detail. They managed all the contractors, tracked every open item, and helped us out every step of the way. The transaction went smoothly, we felt like we were in great hands the entire time, and I am so grateful for all their efforts on our behalf.”

“My husband and I worked with Leia Carlton as our listing agent and she was absolutely top notch.  Working under a time constraint to pull together a 1031 exchange, she moved things quickly and effectively along.  She had the proper contacts and knew the ins and outs each step of the way.  We couldn’t have done it without her – thank you, Leia!  We wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to refer her to anyone looking to buy or sell a house.

“We’ve been so impressed with Leia and with the approach that Portland’s Alternative Realtors takes to customer service. We never realized that we could expect to be treated this way by our realtors. Honest! It’s been a revelation.”

“My wife and I purchased our home with Leia in 2012. Before choosing Portland Alternative Realtors, we had interviewed two other agents at two larger firms in Portland. In those interviews, while it was clear we would receive professional and courteous service, it was also clear that the agents did not quite get the types of homes and neighborhoods we were interested in.

Leia was the last agent we interviewed and the difference was clear. She immediately understood the style of home we were after and what we wanted and needed out of the home buying experience. After patiently and professionally showing us 10-12 homes over a 4-5 month period, we found our dream home in May 2012. Leia had singled out the house in an email to us the first day it was listed and we viewed and made an offer that same day. Despite many other offers, Leia provided excellent advice and spent her Friday evening drafting the offer for us and the following day the seller’s accepted our offer.

Once the offer was accepted, Leia and Portland Alternative Realtor’s worth shined even brighter. They were complete professionals with home inspectors and communications with the sellers’ agent and she expertly handled two somewhat major fixes that needed to be made after the inspection was complete. Since then, Leia has been an excellent resource for insurance agents, renovation services, and other needs.

I would recommend Leia, her team, and Portland Alternative Realtors to anyone looking to buy a home in the city proper. You will be blown away by their warmth, professionalism, and results.”

“Bought my first house this year thanks to Leia and her crew @ Alt PDX — the whole office is friendly, professional, and very knowledgeable. Leia was a blast to work with and has a great eye for potential issues in a property. She was a fantastic advocate during negotiations and excellent company for our adventures in home touring (the house of the Dolly Parton fans, the house of odd heating systems, various episodes in These People Made Interesting Decorating Decisions, etc). Strongly recommended, perhaps particularly if you’re new to the sometimes-terrifying-and-odd process of buying a house.

“As first time home buyers, we didn’t know what we were really getting ourselves into. We met with several realtors before we got started – one was too mellow, one was too aggressive. Luckily, friends recommended Leia Carlton at Portland Alternative Realtors. She was a great balance of a calming demeanor with a keen eye for when to fight hard in our corner.

Leia was amazing – she put us at ease, clearly understood what we were looking for, worked with our schedule, and helped us negotiate for a great house. Her recommendations throughout the bid process helped calm our nerves, and lo and behold, we got the house! I can’t imagine the experience with anybody else.

We’ve already sent several clients her way, all of whom have been equally impressed. Can’t recommend Leia highly enough!”

“Leia Carlton was my realtor winter-spring of 2014, when I was looking for a house in Portland. After three months of looking, I found a wonderful house and with Leia’s coaching, tendered an offer that was accepted. Leia helped me through the entire process, from checking out possibilities on the web to actual viewing, and after the offer had been accepted, through the various inspections. She was tireless and cheerful throughout the entire process, and a joy to work with.

Leia is smart, incredibly knowledgeable about inspections and what problems to look for, energetic, and fun to work with. I have already recommended her to several of my friends, and wouldn’t hesitate to work with her again. She is a true pleasure to know.”

“My husband and I were buying a place in Portland while we lived in San Diego; quite a challenge. Leia was great to work with, always extremely pleasant, very patient, and flexible–with me as well as sellers. She knows and loves Portland, too, which is very helpful. I also trusted her completely to check out potential houses when I was unable to fly up on short notice. I have recommended Leia and altpdx to others, and will definitely use Leia if we move again. I miss working with her!”

“Thank you Leia, we are popping the champagne! We can’t thank you enough for all of your expert support. It is nice to have worked with someone so competent and trustworthy”

 

“We wanted to thank you for all of your time and expertise throughout our search. It was kind of like having a good friend – who happened to know all the ins & outs of home buying – be our partner through it. We truly loved working with you and look forward to doing so again!”

 

“Leia Carlton of Portland’s Alternative Realtors is a fantastic real estate broker. Leia helped my wife and I purchase a Portland property in 2005 and sell that same property in 2010. In both instances Leia brought her intelligence, compassion, creativity, and know how to the mix. She actually went above and beyond the typical broker. As clients living out-of-state, Leia became our local eyes and ears, scoping out desirable properties and then conferring with us daily about strong candidates. When it came time to sell, Leia not only helped us to find and coordinate painters and other contractors but she also helped to choose paint colors for the home and brought in a professional stager to stage the house. I think probably the greatest compliment I can give Leia is that my wife and I trust her fully. We trust the integrity that she brings to the process, her knowledge of the business, and the ease of partnership that she creates throughout. We’re grateful that we found Leia and would certainly work with her again.”

“You hard work was much appreciated. Being my first home sale, I have a bad feeling that future home sales won’t go nearly as well, you both made it so smooth. I think I’ve been spoiled, thanks to your hard work. Thank you Leia + Erica.”

 

“Leia Carlton worked as my seller’s broker for two properties last winter and managed to get both of them sold in an exceptionally difficult market (it was the start of the economic crisis at the time!) Both of the sales were extremely challenging for myriad reasons, and she kept on top of each and every detail (right down to making sure the buyer’s broker was doing their part in one difficult instance) Not only that, but one of the sales had to be completed while I was in New York, and this was something she took care of with ease.

As you can tell, my respect for Leia as a broker is tremendous: She is keenly aware of the market and has an uncanny ability to set the selling price at a point that balances desirability to both buyer and seller. She’s flexible, communicates clearly, and is incredibly human. We have kept in contact regarding a number of other potential transactions since then, and I consider her a real asset!

Portland’s Alternative Realtors is deeply rooted in the SE community. The brokerage she works for is by far the most organized and professional residential brokerage I have ever worked with.”

 

“I was a complete stranger when I moved to Portland after 23 years in Europe. This is a wonderful city, but it was imperative that I find a home, and quickly, too.

Some phenomenally good luck lead me to Leia Carlton of Portland’s Alternative Realtors. I’ve never worked with an American real estate person before and suspect that my experience was sort of atypical. For me it was like going shopping with an extremely knowledgeable friend who was also willing to offer some very subtle guidance. Within one meeting we had each other’s measure: this was a woman I could trust, one who understood what I was looking for even though I hadn’t been here long enough to have a very clear idea of my own. With Leia’s help I found the perfect place in only four month’s time. She guided me though the bewildering process of purchasing my new home. And now here I am – happy as it’s possible to be!”

“Leia Carlton was fantastic to work with when we relocated and had to sell our home. She did more homework then any of the other agents we interviewed and readily adapted her approach to what we told her we wanted. She gave us great advice for doing what we could to increase our home’s value without resorting to cheesy “flip it” tricks. She was a very good negotiator, and totally on top of market values in our specific neighborhood. She kept us updated once we were out of state, and went above and beyond the call of duty to make a stressful occasion not so bad. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to any of our friends.”

“As first-time buyers, my partner and I entered the world of real estate needing guidance and support through every step. Leia ushered us through the process with skill and grace, advising us honestly and realistically. Her knowledge of the process and connections in the community allowed our transaction to be executed efficiently and easily. I can still hardly believe that our experience of looking for a house, making an offer, appropriate inspections, and closing on our home all took 6 weeks! I feel blessed and would recommend Leia Carlton as a buying agent to anyone seeking a smooth experience!”

“Thanks for your hard work, dedication, and being such a wonderfully upbeat and positive person to work with. Paths definitely cross for a reason and we are fortunate to have met you. For making our house-selling process as smooth as one could only dream of…”

“I truly appreciated Leia’s efforts to get my house sold. She exceeded my expectations in all respects, and I’ll certainly refer people to her in the future!”

“After selling our last two houses ourselves, we decided to use a realtor to sell our home in SE PDX. Working with Leia exceeded our expectations and we have been continually impressed by her communication skills, professionalism, and ability to navigate a complex transaction.  From our first meeting to the day of closing, Leia provided sound, straightforward guidance.  Leia showed excellent communication throughout, and consistently provided an honest appraisal of our options and position when faced with difficult decisions. Both of us felt well taken care of and well informed at each stage of the sale.  We have already, and will enthusiastically continue, to recommend Leia to all our friends and family when they are buying or selling in PDX.  Thank you!”

“I had heard that Leia is an exceptionally able realtor, knowledgeable about real estate in my area.  Yes to that!  She went beyond the duties of her job to advise me about home improvements.  She listened attentively to my questions and thoughtfully considered each of my own ideas as well as coming up with her own.  We left no stone unturned as we toured my house and looked at my garden.  She has such an experienced eye and was willing to envision each option in the context of my finances, life stage and many potential improvements  Leia’s work was professional and then some–it was creative and generous, Thank you.”

Wow! To say that Leia Carlton is a Real Estate Goddess might indeed be an understatement!

Leia cheerfully took us on as clients while we were in the process of moving back to Portland from Berkeley, CA. Although she knew we had a house to sell back in Berkeley, she was undaunted and gladly took us out looking at neighborhoods even before we could realistically make an offer on something here. She did this as a way of letting us familiarize ourselves with the options open to us. She NEVER pushed a personal agenda on us but acted as an amazing facilitator and guide–thoroughly answering any question we threw at her along the way.

Flash forward 40-50 house tours and several months, and we’re spending the first night in our new (90-year old) dream home. We feel we got exactly what we wanted at just the right price because Leia was such a patient and knowledgeable agent/broker. When we had questions about schools. She had insightful answers. About the wacky Portland real estate tax code? She had answers to those, too. Where to go for late-night eats? Yep, she was dialed into that, too! She even counseled us on what to look for in windows, insulation, systems and foundation. 

Come closing day, Leia was there as we went to sign the mountains of paperwork required to take ownership of a home these days…not because she was required to be there, but because she wanted to be there in case we had any questions. Such a nice thing to do! 

But probably the best thing about working with Leia is that she’s a really cool lady. She’s fun, pleasant and easy to be around. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone and we’ll definitely call on her again in the future!

“We have had the opportunity to work with Portland Alternative Realtors and Leia Carlton for nearly 15 years now, through three home purchases and two sales. Leia is honest, transparent, thoughtful, funny, and diligent. She will always help you see the potential concerning aspects of a home, in addition to the beautiful ones, so that you can effectively think through a major life decision. She helped us manage the “little but big things” that come with a home sale, which hugely off loaded a lot of work, and was so so helpful. She also has this wonderful way to help navigate through the emotions and anxieties that come with home buying and selling (and there are many). We always felt that we could reach out for questions, talk through decisions, ideas etc. She listens so well. 
And just as importantly, there is never any pressure with Leia. There was a time when we were debating remodeling or selling, and Leia patiently helped us navigate that over a couple years, intermittently showing us homes every time we changed our minds. 
We referred all of our friends and family to Leia over the years, and I would refer anyone to her. She is amazing, and we are so grateful to her. We hope we are in our forever home… and am just a little sad to not get to work with her again!! If you need a realtor, Leia is the one!! We love her. “

“I just sold a home through Portland Alternative Realty and Leia Carlton.
Beyond feeling helped, I felt joined.

It was less like the realtor said, “I will walk you through” and more like “I will take this walk with you”.  It was as if they had mapped out every step and designed a system to smooth the way for me. And then added humanity to the delivery of every step in the system. Even the notary was engaging.

Leia is comfortable, personable, bright. I had the impression she was starting her day each day identifying what I needed task-wise and morale-wise by when.
Leia hit every beat. Picture combined efficiency and empathy.

My sale involved choosing an offer and negotiating with a realtor colleague in the same firm. Even with that, I never had any doubt about integrity. So, add “trustworthy”.

Due to unusual circumstances, I am dealing with several realtors at the same time.
For me, this experience of quiet, humble excellence by far outshines.”

“I feel grateful beyond measure to have been referred to Leia and Pat at Portland’s Alternative Realtors. Leia is probably better at her job as a broker and realtor than any other person I have met in ANY given job, real estate or otherwise. As first time home owners, buying during the holiday season with high interest rates, my husband and I felt an overwhelming sense of calm knowing that we were in such knowledgeable and thorough hands.

I felt like Pat and Leia helped us through what otherwise would have been an overwhelming process to find the right house for us, they accommodated our many requests for inspections and contractor quotes ahead of the final close date. They knew how important this decision was for us, and took it just as seriously as we did, all the while working generously with their time to meet our short timeline…

Thanks to Leia and Pat, we were able to close early on our home, and move in in time for the holidays. It felt more like working with family because of how genuinely invested they were in our happiness and satisfaction and never made us feel pressured to move quicker than we were ready and kept both my husband and I completely informed. We love our home and I wouldn’t trust anyone else with a home buying or selling decision besides Leia and Pat. They make such a good team!”

“Leia assisted my wife and I selling our home and we were so happy that we had her by our side. There were a number of twists and turns during our selling process, and Leia was a steady presence during the way. She gave us good advice and pointers, and did so in a very easy-going and relatable style. We highly recommend her.”

“Leia Carlton
I once was discussing with a friend whose realtor was better and it turned out we were both talking about Leia! We bought two houses and sold one with Leia as our guide and we are full of praise. She immediately sussed what kind of home we were looking for and guided us away from homes that did not fit our criteria — no matter how pretty they were on Redfin. She was patient and helped us through 2 contentious purchases remaining calm in the face of our nerves and frustration. But, best of all she is fun! Her sense of humor helped us slog though many homes in the “sell over asking in 24 hours” period of Portland home sales.”

“For more than 10 years we have bought and sold properties with Leia Carlton and Portland Alternative Realtors. Leia has supported and guided us successfully through complicated and difficult transactions. She and her team are fantastic to work with and I recommend her to anyone looking for a reliable and highly effective realtor.”

“Leia was so good to us in our search for a home in SW Portland. She was so knowledgeable, and always available when we had questions or concerns. She was even available to us after closing when we had more questions. Honestly, cannot recommend her enough. She helps us find our forever home!”

“In the 50 years that I have bought and sold houses, in every part of the US, most of the realtors i have used have been first rate but Leia Carlton ranks among the best of the best.

We decided to move from Chicago to Portland but, given the craziness of the housing market in late 2021, we could not be in Portland every step of the way. So… but to use the marvels of the new technologies (thank you FaceTime) to find our new home! Leia immediately picked up on style of living, what we needed and the “little things” that were most important to us. It took a few months — principally because the minute a house would go on the market it took less than a weekend before it was sold – but we found what we wanted. If it are not for Leia we would probably still be looking!!

All of our family members who live in the area (and many of their friends) have engaged Leia to buy and sell their homes and when we decided to settle here each and every one insisted that she was “the one”. How right they were and how lucky we are.”

“Leia Carlton helped me buy my property several years ago and helped me sell it last month. The market was a little strange. She never gave up. I really, really appreciated her help!”

“Leia Carlton helped us buy and sell our condo in Portland. We really enjoyed working with Leia, and recommend her to anyone. She is knowledgable, professional and kind. We had to sell our beloved condo because we were moving out of the state, and it was not a good time to sell. Leia was patient and realistic. I found it really impressive how she could share her knowledge and expertise, and at the same time include us in decision making. Leia gave us lots of personalized attention and never made us feel we are just one of many clients. She truly went above and beyond, especially once we had moved out of state.”

“Is there 10 stars as an option?! We worked with Leia Carlton to buy our beautiful home. She went above and beyond, showing us homes for hours via Zoom when we were out of town, researching projects ahead of offers, and helping us to buy our home at a great price! Her experience in Portland, her contacts, her attention, her follow up, her ability to make you feel special and always prioritized. Nothing seems to phase her. She has the calm you need during a very stressful time. Even a month after the sale, we’ve still had questions and she continues to help us navigate and with referrals. I truly can’t imagine working with anyone else in Portland!”

“Leia Carlton was the perfect person to help me find a my new home. She worked patiently long-distance with me for almost a year. She was unfailingly responsive when I had questions. She talked me down from a couple of properties that in retrospect would have been a mistake. After the sale she was always there when I had questions about the house. Leia is straight-forward, reliable, honest, knowledgeable, intelligent, and simply a wonderful person to work with.”