Meet Portola

Portola Real Estate Partners is a boutique real estate investment firm that acquires and operates neighborhood retail properties on the West Coast, with a primary focus on smaller strip centers in infill coastal California locations.

Founded by two real estate professionals with more than 25 years of combined experience at leading private equity and real estate development firms, Portola applies an institutional approach to a fragmented and often overlooked sector.

The firm’s principals bring deep expertise across the investment lifecycle – including acquisitions, leasing, development, and asset management – along with established relationships with brokers, tenants, and capital partners throughout California. This combination of experience and network provides Portola a distinct advantage in sourcing opportunities, executing value-add strategies, and delivering strong risk-adjusted returns.

Portola was established with the intention of pairing disciplined, data-driven investment practices with an entrepreneurial mindset to deliver long-term value for both investors and the communities we invest in. With local offices in Newport Beach and San Francisco, the firm is actively pursuing acquisition opportunities in West Coast markets with strong demographic fundamentals.

The Team

  • Will Geier

    Co-Founder & Managing Partner

    Will Geier is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Portola Real Estate Partners.

    Prior to starting Portola, Will was a Vice President at Prospect Ridge, a real estate private equity firm, where he was responsible for sourcing, underwriting, structuring, and managing investments across asset classes, and led the firm’s retail investing strategies. Prior to Prospect Ridge, Will was a Vice President at Merlone Geier Partners, where he focused on the entitlement and redevelopment of retail assets on the West Coast. He previously spent five years at AllianceBernstein in the Real Estate Investments group and began his career as an Analyst at Eastdil Secured in San Francisco.

    Will holds a BA in International Relations from Stanford University with a political economy focus.

    He is originally from San Diego and currently lives in the Bay Area in Mill Valley with his wife and three young kids.

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  • James Staunton

    Co-Founder & Managing Partner

    James Staunton is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Portola Real Estate Partners.

    Prior to starting Portola, James was a Vice President at Hillwood, a Perot company, where he was responsible for capital deployment, development, leasing, and asset management of Hillwood’s industrial portfolio and land holdings across the Western United States. Prior to Hillwood, James was a Director at LBA Realty, a real estate private equity firm and fund manager, where he spent eight years. At LBA he led acquisitions and leasing efforts in Northern California and Nevada. He began his career as a shipbroker with Simpson, Spence & Young in Sydney, Australia.

    James holds a BS in Commerce from Santa Clara University with a finance focus.

    He is originally from San Diego and currently lives in Newport Beach with his wife and two young kids.

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