Rick Kepler, REALTOR®

FEATURED LISTING: 3275 Kalihiwai Rd Units A & B KAUA'I HI

Click To View The Virtual Tour

Rick Kepler is a residential real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty serving Santa Cruz County, California. Based in Aptos, he represents buyers and sellers throughout the Monterey Bay region, including Santa Cruz, Capitola, Soquel, Scotts Valley, Watsonville, and nearby mountain communities such as Felton, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, Brookdale, and Davenport. Rick is licensed in California (DRE #02203534) and also holds an active Hawaiʻi real estate license (HI R(S) 78379), a dual-licensure background that can be especially helpful for clients considering relocation, second homes, and lifestyle-driven moves.

Licensed since 2016, Rick has completed approximately 40 real estate transactions and supports clients on both the listing and buying side of the business. His experience includes single-family homes, condominiums, coastal properties, luxury residences, investment or income properties, and homes that require significant improvements. Across these scenarios, Rick’s approach is centered on organization, clear communication, and practical decision-making. Clients commonly describe his style as honest and steady, with a focus on guiding the process in a way that reduces uncertainty and keeps priorities clear.

A Santa Cruz County focus with a Monterey Bay lifestyle lens

Santa Cruz County is a collection of distinct micro-markets: beach communities with strong lifestyle appeal, commuter-friendly neighborhoods, and mountain areas where land, access, and property condition can drive the decision-making more than surface-level price comparisons. Rick’s day-to-day work reflects that reality. He helps clients evaluate not just “what a home costs,” but how location, condition, disclosures, and long-term usability affect the value and risk profile of a property.

In coastal areas such as Aptos, Capitola, and Santa Cruz, buyers are often balancing proximity to the water, neighborhood feel, and the realities of coastal ownership. In mountain communities like Felton, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, and Brookdale, the conversation can shift to access, drainage, defensible space, property infrastructure, and the practical realities of ownership. Rick’s process is designed to keep these considerations visible early, so clients can make informed decisions without surprises late in escrow.

Buyer representation built around preparation and clarity

Rick is known among clients for being methodical and prepared on the buyer side. Buying a home in Santa Cruz County can involve competitive conditions and tight timelines. Rick’s role is to help clients align their goals with a realistic strategy, then execute cleanly.

That starts with framing the search around non-negotiables and deal-breakers, not just a list of nice-to-haves. From there, he helps clients interpret market conditions using current and comparable information, with the goal of making confident decisions based on facts and context. When it comes time to write an offer, Rick focuses on clear terms, strong presentation, and a transaction plan that is compliant and practical.

Once in contract, his work becomes project management: coordinating inspections and due diligence steps, helping clients understand disclosures and reports, keeping track of timelines and contingencies, and supporting negotiations in a calm, organized way. Even when the process gets complicated, Rick’s style remains steady, with straightforward communication and clear next steps.

Listing services designed for real-world outcomes

While Rick’s business has been primarily buyer-focused, he also supports sellers and listing clients with structured planning. Sellers often need help deciding what improvements are worth doing, what to leave alone, and how to prioritize the time and budget available. Rick provides guidance on pre-sale preparation, helping sellers evaluate where effort is likely to improve marketability and where it may not.

Pricing strategy is a critical part of listing work, especially in shifting or uncertain markets. Rick approaches pricing from a market-based perspective, using comparable sales, current competition, and property-specific factors to help sellers choose a strategy that matches their objectives and timeline. From there, he coordinates the listing process through the Coldwell Banker platform, leveraging brokerage systems and professional support for marketing execution, showings, and transaction management.

Rick’s goal on the listing side is not a “one-size-fits-all” pitch. It is a structured plan that reflects the property’s true strengths, the local market environment, and the seller’s goals, while maintaining compliance and accuracy in all public-facing materials.

Property types and situations Rick commonly handles

Rick has represented a broad range of residential property types and special situations, including:

• Single-family homes

• Condominiums

• Coastal properties across the Monterey Bay region

• Luxury residences and lifestyle-focused properties

• Investment or income properties

• Homes requiring significant improvements, where condition and due diligence are central to the transaction

• Architecturally distinctive homes, where design features may affect valuation and buyer profile

This range matters in Santa Cruz County because properties can vary widely not only by neighborhood, but also by construction era, site conditions, and ownership realities. Rick’s process is built to address those differences directly and early.

Experience that supports second-home and relocation decisions

While Rick’s Santa Cruz County work is California-focused, his active Hawaiʻi license and transaction experience provide additional perspective when clients are thinking beyond one market. Many buyers and sellers in Santa Cruz County are also evaluating lifestyle moves, second-home timelines, or relocation possibilities. Rick’s dual-licensure background helps him speak to the practical realities of comparing markets, coordinating long-distance decisions, and working within differing local norms and procedures.

He is careful to keep advice market-specific and compliant, but clients often appreciate having an agent who understands how second-home and relocation decisions unfold in real life, not just on paper.

Communication style and what clients tend to value

Rick’s clients consistently value honesty and straightforward communication. In a transaction, that means he does not hide risks behind optimism or over-simplify complex issues. He focuses on explaining options, timelines, and tradeoffs clearly. When the market is competitive, he helps buyers stay grounded and strategic. When sellers are navigating preparation decisions, he helps them prioritize and avoid unnecessary work.

Rick’s background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Southern California, and that training shows up in how he communicates: clear, direct, and tailored to the client’s decision-making style.

A high-performance background that translates to real estate

Outside of real estate, Rick brings a long-standing background in high-level athletics and coaching. He is an elite USPTA tennis and pickleball professional and part owner of Seascape Sports Club. In tennis, he achieved national #1 doubles rankings in the 35s and 40s age divisions for six consecutive years. He remains active in pickleball competition, including participation in senior division tours.

That background contributes a practical benefit to clients: a disciplined and calm approach under pressure. Real estate often involves deadlines, negotiation, and emotionally charged decision-making. Rick’s coaching mindset helps clients stay focused on goals and next steps rather than getting pulled into unnecessary stress.

Brokerage support and a client-first operating standard

Rick is affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty, a brokerage known for training, professional standards, operational support, legal compliance resources, and technology tools that support buyers and sellers. Rick leverages those systems to deliver a structured client experience, from marketing execution and listing support to transaction coordination and communication.

Clients benefit from a combination of Rick’s hands-on guidance and a brokerage platform designed to support accuracy, professionalism, and consistent execution. The goal is a well-managed process, whether a client is buying in a competitive environment, selling with a preparation plan, or navigating a more complex transaction with inspections, repairs, or negotiation.

The bottom line

Rick Kepler serves Santa Cruz County and the Monterey Bay region with a practical, organized, and honest approach to real estate. He helps clients buy and sell with clarity, strong communication, and a steady process that keeps decisions aligned with goals. His California license (DRE #02203534), active Hawaiʻi license (HI R(S) 78379), and multi-market experience support clients who are planning life changes, relocation, or second-home ownership, while his local Santa Cruz County focus keeps the work grounded in the details that matter most.

Contact:
rickkepler@gmail.com
831.332.5296
rickkeplerrealtor.com

SHOW LESS