Locally Owned And Operated Since 1976
Four decades of commitment to the Bay Area landscape, crafting homes that stand the test of time.
- 7,024 HOMES And Counting
- 83 COMMUNITIES Crafted with Vision
- 26 CITIES Across the Bay Area
Our Story
Founded in 1976 by industry pioneer George Marcus, SummerHill Homes has been creating exceptional communities throughout Northern California for 50 years. As a leading residential homebuilder and land developer, we are committed to delivering thoughtfully designed homes in some of the region's most desirable locations.
Our team of dedicated professionals is driven by a commitment to quality, integrity, and innovation. We strive to create lasting value for our homeowners, business partners, employees, and the communities we serve. By focusing on exceptional design, customer satisfaction, and responsible development, SummerHill Homes has earned a reputation for building homes and neighborhoods that stand the test of time.
Why Choose Us
We have a long history of excellence and we pride ourselves in building quality homes, our relationship with our local community, and our exceptional customer service. Here are the reasons we stand out.
Offices in San Ramon and Palo Alto
We know the area. More responsive, flexible and reliable because we are within the neighborhoods in which we build.
A Reputation of Quality
We are respected by the cities where we build. We develop quality homes in distinctive residential communities, located within the most desirable settings throughout the California Bay Area.
Our Homeowners are Our Neighbors
We have the privilege of recurring homeowners, those who have purchased a SummerHill home for a second, third, and fourth time.
Committed to Smart & Environmentally Friendly Homebuilding
Building brand-new, green-friendly homes that offer smart technology and are upgraded with energy-efficient materials & products. We are committed in our efforts to uphold industry standard and to protect our precious environment, while delivering a quality home.
Local Support
We support our local economy with our financial strength. We give back to the community, and we donate to local charities.
Our Team
Our tenured and diversified management team is Bay Area local. We are not impacted by decisions made by out of state corporate executives. We have a team of loyal company employees with tenure averaging 15 years.
In-House Customer Service
We are dedicated to providing an easy and enjoyable experience for our homeowners.
Company Profile
SummerHill Homes was formed in 1976 and is a homebuilding division of Marcus & Millichap Company. Marcus & Millichap Company is the parent company of a diversified group of real estate companies in the commercial investment, service, and development business.
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Acquisition
There is no substitute for experienced and skillful land acquisition strategies. Of all the business disciplines, regardless of how well executed, success can only be achieved with the appropriate vision for the highest and best use of each individual site. SummerHill views disciplined land acquisition as the backbone of any successful development project and dedicates the resources, consultants, and staff needed to ensure that its site selection process is thorough. Thoughtful, inventive land acquisition and the appropriate entitlements, including rezoning of underutilized or obsolete properties, have always been at the core of SummerHill’s business philosophy and practices. Rigorous due diligence and the thoughtful integration of the correct product ensure entitlement, market, and financial success.
Design And Development Management
SummerHill Homes has built an indisputable reputation for seeking out and developing premier communities that by traditional standards are entitlement and development challenges. Sites like these are seriously considered given the valuable opportunities they provide. By maintaining a unique development focus complemented by one of the industry’s most intense and rigorous internal control programs, SummerHill consistently achieves uncommon results.
Through this process, SummerHill has demonstrated its strength and focus for achieving Communities of Distinction throughout the entitlement process by preserving and improving upon the existing neighborhood integrity, and creating positive neighborhood development partners.
Creative Site Selection
Armed with a disciplined and finely tuned approach to land acquisition or in support of development objectives, the company concentrates its efforts in areas where demand is supported by a well-planned existing infrastructure, or adjacent to existing housing stock with a strong resale history.
Develop Planning Partnership
SummerHill has earned a reputation for successfully working with city planning and zoning departments to achieve mutually beneficial results in rezoning vacant or underutilized office, retail, school and former industrial sites to accommodate appropriate residential development alternatives.
Cultivate Community Support
Neighborhood level consensus building is another element of SummerHill’s disciplined development strategy.
Working closely and proactively with city officials and neighborhood groups alike, SummerHill forges positive community support for its developments by demonstrating a genuine understanding of and responsiveness to local concerns.
SummerHill carefully balances floorplan space planning issues and energy efficiency of design with the architectural aesthetics of the surrounding neighborhood while maintaining market appeal for today’s sophisticated buyers.
Construction Management
SummerHill Construction Company is the general contractor for most of SummerHill’s communities. SummerHill Construction Company’s experienced construction and purchasing teams focus on cost controls and efficiency by obtaining bids from leading subcontractors, choosing the best for each specific development, scheduling and managing trades through completion, and evaluating their performance. The construction managers also meet with homebuyers throughout the construction and warranty periods to monitor progress and obtain important information on product reliability.
Asset Management
SummerHill Asset Management teams focus on early participation in development and design to stay on top of market trends/competition- forward thinking. Our team understands each market we are building to maximize value through thoughtful design and operating efficiency. The team is responsible for maximizing operating efficiency to create maximum value.
Sales & Marketing
SummerHill’s Sales and Marketing team is dedicated to understanding and anticipating the evolving needs of today’s homebuyers. By conducting thorough market research, analyzing emerging trends, and maintaining close attention to local real estate conditions, the team ensures that each community offers the right mix of products, features, and services that resonate with buyers.
Beyond strategy, the team is focused on execution, driving sales and meeting revenue targets for every community while cultivating a strong and recognizable SummerHill brand. Their efforts reinforce the company’s reputation within the homebuilding industry, highlighting its commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction. Through thoughtful marketing initiatives, engaging communications, and personalized buyer experiences, the team upholds SummerHill’s core mission: to create Communities of Distinction, where each home and neighborhood reflects careful planning, superior design, and enduring value.
Warranty & Quality Assurance
The company’s Warranty & Quality Assurance Program provides follow-up communication with homeowners throughout the warranty period, ensuring product fulfillment, which maintains SummerHill’s reputation as a quality builder with unparalleled customer service support. SummerHill evaluates all communities at set intervals through the use of a leading consulting firm that specializes in national homebuyer surveying. The program provides SummerHill with important customer feedback on sales and construction processes, typical use patterns, and product satisfaction over time, which is an invaluable resource in planning future developments.
SummerHill Homes is a privately owned homebuilder dedicated to the distinct character and needs of the San Francisco Bay Area. What makes the region remarkable, its drive for innovation, pursuit of excellence, pride of place, and enduring sense of style, also defines who we are.
Since 1976, we’ve focused on creating exceptional single-family and multi-family communities in some of the Bay Area’s most established neighborhoods. Our mission has remained constant: to deliver quality homes for our buyers and Communities of Distinction™ for the cities in which we build.
Over the past 48 years, SummerHill has completed more than 83 communities, representing over 7,024 homes, including single-family residences, condominiums, townhomes, and apartments. Our success is built on a team of top development and construction professionals who share our commitment to thoughtful design and uncompromising quality.
We take a highly selective approach to land acquisition, supported by in-depth market analysis to identify local housing needs. Each community is then tailored, from the architecture to the urban plan, to create a seamless fit with its surroundings. Our expertise in collaborating with cities and neighborhood groups ensures that every project enhances the fabric of its location.
Sustainability has long been woven into our philosophy. We are committed to green building practices and work closely with industry partners to advance more efficient, durable, and environmentally conscious homes. Building smarter, long-lasting homes in infill locations has been part of our core approach from the very beginning.
Our work has been recognized with numerous industry honors, including the Best in American Living Award for the Pacific Coast Region from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), multiple Gold Nugget Awards, and several architectural awards from the Building Industry Association (BIA) of the Bay Area.
Summerhill Affiliations
SummerHill Homes is one of eight companies founded by Marcus & Millichap Company: mmcrealestate.com.
Other MMC companies are listed below:
Marcus & Millichap Company (MMC)
Explore a selection of our most distinguished communities, reflecting timeless design and enduring quality.
Past CommunitiesExecutive Team
Meet the leaders guiding SummerHill Homes across Northern California.
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President and Chief Executive Officer
Robert Freed draws from a dynamic background in real estate, corporate finance, and accounting to oversee SummerHill Homes’ critical areas of development, including land acquisition, architecture, purchasing, construction, sales and marketing, and customer service. In this capacity, he is charged with maximizing company profitability while ensuring the highest quality of development.
From 1993 to 2007, Mr. Freed held a variety of executive positions for KB Home. Most recently, he was the senior vice president of investment strategy. In this capacity, Mr. Freed was responsible for land acquisitions, joint ventures and off balance sheet financing for all of KB Home’s U.S. operations.
In addition, Mr. Freed was president and regional general manager of KB Home’s four Northern California homebuilding divisions. In this capacity, Freed was responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations, including land acquisition and development, construction, purchasing, customer service, sales and marketing. He was also a member of the company's operating executive committee. He began his career with KB Home in 1993 at the company’s corporate headquarters where he served as vice president of western land development.
Prior to joining KB Home, Freed was the chief financial officer for Davidon Homes, a division president of Bedford Properties, and CFO of Blackhawk Corporation. Freed earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he graduated summa cum laude. He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. Freed is a former certified public accountant, and was a commissioner for the Santa Clara County Housing Authority. Active in nonprofit giving, he served on the board of directors of the Bay Area Council, St. Mary’s College, and the regional board of the BIA Bay Area. He is also a member of the Policy Advisory Board for the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics and serves on the Bridge Housing Board of Directors.