Our Team

Ginna Lazar is a native Californian to her bones! She grew up in sunny San Marino and Laguna Beach. She attended The Orme School in Arizona, The Bishop’s Schools in La Jolla through high school, and attended Cal-State Northridge.

Lazar can truly say that she grew up in this business.  Her family owned and operated Turner Associates Real Estate in Laguna Beach for over 45 years! Ginna started her career as a Realtor in May 1995 with Seville Properties in Los Altos. She has sold properties everywhere along the peninsula, from San Francisco to Gilroy, and specializing in the Palo Alto area since 2001, achieving wonderful results for both buyers and sellers.

Ginna is a dedicated philanthropist and active member of Real Estate community organizations in addition to many educational boards. A life time cowgirl, she spends her spare time with her horses and her amazing children, Claire, who has joined the Lazar Homes team; and William and Jane, who are twins and attend local schools.

Along with showing her horses, Lazar loves walking with her dog Bitsy and cuddling up with a mystery book.

Ginna currently resides in Los Altos with her loving husband John.

Ginna’s Experience

• Present, Realtor/Associate, Oliver Christies, Palo Alto, CA.
• November 2011- November 2012, Realtor/Associate, Coldwell Banker, Palo Alto, CA.
• April 2004 - 2010, Realtor/Associate, Cashin Company, Palo Alto, CA.
• 1997 to 2004, Realtor/Associate, Coldwell Banker-San Antonio, Los Altos, CA.
• May 1995 to 1997,  Realtor/Associate, Seville Properties, Los Altos, CA. Assisting clients in the successful sale and purchase of single family homes, planned unit developments and investment properties throughout the Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.
• 1977 to 1984, Assistant and office support staff, Turner Associates Real Estate, Laguna Beach, CA. Assisted Louise Turner and Nancy Casebier in the Emerald Bay and Irvine Cove areas with escrow coordination, property inspections and appointments.

• Board of Directors, Morrissey-Compton Educational Center
• Board of Trustees, Charles Armstrong School
• Board of Directors, Silicon Valley Association of Realtors
• California Association of Realtors, Director
• District Chair, Los Altos District, Silicon Valley Association of Realtors
• Founder of Los Altos Community Foundation
• Member, Los Altos District, Silicon Valley Association of Realtors
• Member, California Association of Realtors
• Member, National Association of Realtors
• Board of Directors, Los Altos Festival of Lights Parade
• Advisory Board, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

John A. Lazar is a 50-year Bay Area real estate veteran! Most recently he was the Vice-President and Manager for Cashin Company's Palo Alto office.

Prior to that he was the manager of Coldwell Banker's Palo Alto Downtown office. As Manager, John oversaw the sales activity and general operations of the office and its numerous sales professionals. Throughout his tenure with the Palo Alto Downtown office he built the team into one of the top producing offices, ranked 4th nationally. John joined Coldwell Banker from the prestigious, South Bay Area-based Cornish & Carey, where he was a broker and partner until 1997.

John earned his bachelor's degree from University of California, Berkeley in 1955 and his masters from Stanford University in 1957. John is an active member of the Palo Alto Club and the Family Club, and was for many years a member of the Menlo Circus Club.

Additionally, he has furthered his real estate expertise by serving as the President of the Palo Alto Board of Realtors and Silicon Valley Association of Realtors (SILVAR), as well as Chairman of Region Nine of the California Association of Realtors (CAR).

John takes pleasure in baseball games, good books, dominos and homemade lemonade!

A Los Altos resident, John has three children, John Jr., Matt and Katie; three stepchildren (with wife Ginna), and Five grandchildren, Megan, Rachel, Jackson, Henry and Madison.

• Present, Broker Associate, Oliver Christies, Palo Alto
• 2010-2011, Broker Associate, Coldwell Banker, Palo Alto
• 2009-2010, Broker Associate, Cashin Company, Palo Alto
• 2004 - 2009, Vice President, Broker Associate and Manager, Cashin Company, Palo Alto 
• 2001 - 2004, Broker/Associate at Coldwell Banker-San Antonio, Los Altos
• 1997-2001, Manager at Coldwell Banker Palo Alto Downtown Office
• 1987-1997, Manager at Cornish & Carey Residential Real Estate, Palo Alto
• 1986, Manager at Cornish & Carey Residential Real Estate, Menlo Park
• 1982-1997, Owner/Partner, Cornish & Carey Residential Real Estate
• 1981-1985, Manager, Cornish & Carey Residential Real Estate, Saratoga
• 1971-1985, Sales Agent and Assistant manager, Cornish Carey, Palo Alto
• 1963-1971, Broker-partner, California Lands Investment Company, Palo Alto (later Stanford Financial Co.)
• 1958-1963, Sales Agent, Hare, Brewer & Kelley, Inc., Palo Alto

Claire Lazar is the newest addition to the Lazar Homes team. Born and raised in Los Altos. Claire, like her mother, was born into the real estate industry. Since she was a small child, Claire’s home away from home has been the Lazar Homes office. Naturally she never thought she would follow in her mother’s footsteps. Yet here she is!

Organization, document preparation along with her creative spunk, made the young addition so wonderful to Lazar Homes. Claire became a Notary Public to add to the convenience and efficiency of team and for the client’s disposal.

Currently in process of getting her Real Estate license. Claire is ready to take the full plunge into the family business. Until that time, mini-Lazar is heading the Marketing side of the ever evolving Lazar Homes.

Claire loves the out doors! In her free time she enjoys riding her horses and dirt biking with friends. Best of all, she loves playing with her dogs Tippy and Lola. 

Lazar Homes is excited to announce the addition of Doug Suma to our sales team!

Doug comes to us with over 30 yrs of marketing and sales experience in the real estate, retail and hospitality industry.

Founder and CEO of Suma Design, a marketing and public relations firm in San Francisco for 18 years, Doug’s client list includes Wilkes Bashford, I. Magnin, Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Saks, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Visa, Apple and The Gap to name a few. 

“I have always approached my clients with the hospitality industry’s point of view. The client chooses to come to you for your services. Every transaction is an opportunity to show them that they have made the right choice .”

These principles have served Doug well in his line of successful entreprenurial ventures.  

With the dot com boom in the late 90’s Doug was the Founder and CEO of the internet company, By The Vine. Launched in 1997, the company provided a exclusive assortment of Wreaths, Topiaries, Bonsai and a wide variety of living plants as well as complete fullfilment services to clients such as AOL, QVC, HSN, Amazon, Macy’s as well as major mail order catalogues like Smith and Hawkens, White Flower Farm, Etera, LL Bean and Frontgate. 

Having moved to the wine country town of Sebastopol in Sonoma county Doug next turned his marketing and sales talents to real estate.

He quickly became acknowledged as a top producer for Prudential Realty in both listings and sales. Always applying the principles of customer service with every client. 

 “I do not believe in a one transaction client. I try to build a relationship through exceptional service so that my clients will choose me and refer their friends and associates to me for many years to come.”

With his love for the wine country of Sonoma and all that it offers to food lovers Doug again has founded and is CEO of a new venture, The Best of Sonoma.com. Offering the best that the Sonoma wine country offers in gourmet foods, wines and specialty services.

As Lazarr Homes expands it’s circle of business relationships we are partnering with Doug Suma and The Best of Sonoma to offer you personal access to the many beautiful properties available in the Sonoma wine country.  

Call us to meet Doug or any of our sales team to learn more of how we can help your find the perfect property for you. 

Nicole Hitchcock is a native Palo Alto girl! Nicole attended Hoover Elementary, Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School, and graduated from Palo Alto High School. She continued her education at Santa Barbara City College and Foothill College.

In her college years Nicole found her passion for flowers and design. Then in 2004, after many tiresome hours she took over the business. Her floral and event coordinating business was built upon Nicole’s integrity, knowledge, dedication, and her ability to listen, to feel her client’s visions, and to put their needs into reality. Nicole’s experience as a successful business owner has shown her the value of hard work, and strong ethics, and she carries these values over in her work as a Realtor and in everything she does.

As a Realtor, Nicole’s knowledge of the area, the housing market, and local schools, along with her strong work ethic and dedication to clients are what creates her success.

Nicole believes contributing to the community means giving time as well as financial donations. She works closely with Palo Alto based organizations. She believes giving back is a large portion of a meaningful life.

In the down time, Hitchcock enjoys attending her sons’ local sports events including track meets, entertaining friends and long walks with her chocolate lab, Zoe.

• Worked in escrow coordination at CB Palo Alto since 1998.
• Licensed CA Real Estate salesperson (from 1996)
• Scientist, COR Therapeutics, So.SF, (1989-1997)
• Assistant Research Professor of Medicine in Howard Hughes
• Medical Institute at Duke University and at UCSF (1974-1989)
• PhD Biophysics, UCLA 1972