Welcome

Ellen Jaffe is a powerhouse Realtor® who’s made a name for herself in the San Diego area — a stellar reputation she began cultivating from the moment she entered the real estate industry in 1997. Very soon after earning her license and GRI® designation (Graduate, Realtor® Institute), she became the Poway branch manager at a national firm.

Driven by a passion for helping others, Ellen is honored to use her skills to guide her clients through the most important financial decision of their lives. That genuine enthusiasm informs Ellen’s approach. Leading with client-centric services that often lead to lifelong friendships, she works with anyone who needs her, including first-time homebuyers and retirees. But clients aren’t the only ones she assists. Known as the “queen of open houses” for her exceptional people instincts, Ellen has trained her peers on how to host open houses that garner over-asking offers. She has also taught classes to new agents about working with buyers for a well-known national real estate firm.

Ellen attracts success. In one instance, what started as a meeting with a homebuilder on behalf of a client turned into her becoming the onsite representative of that homebuilder’s estate properties. She went on to sell Southern Hills Estates, a 13-home subdivision project in Poway that boasted homes starting at $1.5 million. For the following decade, Ellen oversaw the architectural committee in an 810-home subdivision in Rancho Arbolitos, another neighborhood in Poway.

But Ellen’s people-oriented skill set didn’t come from nowhere. Prior to working in real estate, she was an English teacher at an all-boys high school. After that, she stole the show at a marketing company for Broadway shows. It was a glamorous chapter of her life, where she met with producers, backers, and writers alike. She was fortunate to view Broadway from the front row, be it in the theater or behind the scenes at backers auditions, opening nights, parties — and even one evening in the living room of Charles Strouse, the brilliant mind behind the music of “Annie” and “Bye Bye Birdie.”

Originally from New York City, Ellen and her husband moved to San Diego for the California sunshine. She volunteered to help a family whose daughter was being treated for leukemia at Rady Children’s Hospital and has also participated in fundraising events with a previous company. In her free time, Ellen loves to cook, travel, and spend time with her family. She is always striving to do better, and she has plenty of real estate and life experience that make her an excellent guide for anyone.