Charlotte Leadership Team
Leah Parker
Designated Managing Broker for EXP Commercial in North and South Carolina
Leah Parker heads the NC and SC branch offices of eXp Commercial. She brings years of experience in the business brokerage industry, and when combined with her passion for commercial real estate, she brings a creative and direct approach to advising and guiding her agents and clients.
In her experience, she has worked on many difficult and long-term transactions, including creative commercial financing, business dispositions, tenant representation, and commercial real estate sales. Her transparent, informative, and straightforward approach gives her clients and colleagues answers and options, and her desire to protect and represent her client’s and agents’ best interests drives her in her personal and professional goals.
She is experienced in investment property management with a solid history of success, including oversight of multimillion-dollar properties. She has an exceptional track record of steering improvement projects, building and guiding top-performing investment properties, and optimizing internal operations. Leah is a dynamic, energetic person as well as a steadfast leader. She cultivates a supportive communication style while working with colleagues and fellow real estate professionals, property managers, company leaders, employees, vendors, and clients.
Leah is also the CEO of Trifecta Commercial Services LLC. Her dedication to her client’s investment goals inspired her to create a company that assists through the identification process, analyzing their investment strategies, creating solutions for financing, and advising her clients through the exit process for their small to middle-market businesses. Her business goals have aligned with EXP Commercial where she is a proud manager and agent and she encourages others to be part of a company where you can maintain your autonomy, have integrity, and have unlimited potential for agent success. EXP Commercial has given her company the power to excel and sustain through its ongoing support and resources so that she and her team members are successful.
Leah enjoys working with her fellow agents as an Advisor, Co-broker, and State Managing Broker. In her personal time, she is a full-time single mother of her two children, and enjoys soaking up the sun next to Lake Norman, traveling, cooking, education, and art. She is passionate about helping other women achieve their goals in their commercial real estate businesses and participating in the many organizations of which she is a member.
Charlotte Leadership AMBASSADORS
BENNIE GRAY
EXP Realty
As one of North Carolina’s top producing real estate agents, partnered with eXp Realty, Bennie finds pleasure in fulfilling dreams and empowering success in every contact made. His experience as a commercial and residential real estate agent makes him a hybrid of an agent, termed ‘Resimercial.’ He has multiple years of experience in the real estate industry, ranging from buying to selling to listing and leasing. Bennie has a plethora of contacts with other brokers, vendors, contractors, and many more. He is known to be “The Go-To.” He is a Certified North Carolina Mentor & Coach, where he hosts weekly coaching training.
Bennie brings over 15 years of experience in marketing, promotions, and event planning. A 2-time recipient of The Queen City Awards Promoter Of The Year, Bennie knows every aspect of marketing and event productions. He has held events hosting anywhere from 100 to 15,000 people in attendance. Just like his connections as a REALTOR®, Bennie adds on with his contact list consisting of entertainment, photographers/ videographers, bar staff, certified security, and much more. As a promoter, he is affiliated with much of the marketing associated with events at Ovens Auditorium, Bojangles Coliseum, and Spectrum Center.
Bennie is an experienced business owner. Not only does he own his real estate business, Bennie runs a fitness/ martial arts facility, known as Checkmat NC. Checkmat is highly respected around the world as 1 of the top Jiu Jitsu teams, and Bennie’s Checkmat NC is highly respected & loved in the Charlotte- Mint Hill community. In the past, Bennie has owned several bars, nightclubs, restaurants, and warehouse facilities for multiple uses. With this experience, Bennie is no stranger to leading and executing any and all goals set and planned in order to guarantee success.
Prior to real estate and business ownership, Bennie graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Management & Marketing from Winston Salem State University, located in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Immediately following school, Bennie found much success with Liberty Mutual in managing accounts for Wells Fargo employee benefits. He is also a Certified North Carolina Notary Public, where he takes pride in his duty to serve the public.
With knowledge, experience and a rarely seen drive, Bennie inspires others to conquer level after level. In his freetime, Bennie enjoys training & coaching martial arts, gaming, and swimming. He is a proud dad of an amazing daughter, and he also considers himself a master on the grill and in the kitchen. Bennie finds much joy in inspiring others to do more than they could imagine and never remain content while you still have goals and purpose.
KRYSTYNA KEILBON
KK INTERIOR DESIGN GROUP
KK Interior Design Group is an international design firm with offices in both Charlotte and Raleigh, NC. It is led by the independent president of 15+ years, Krystyna Kielbon. Krystyna, aka “KK,” has a background in finance and interior design which contributes to her vast understanding of client budgets, wants, and needs. She works directly with business owners, architects, brokers, general contractors, and developers to manage the interior design process. She specializes in not only local, but global hospitality, and commercial projects. KK’s design style features a combination of modern sustainability and eye-catching luxury. Her consistent attention to detail and timeless, cutting-edge ideas, have led to years of satisfied clients and successful designs.
Her passion to connect with, and help others, is one of many key attributes that set her apart from other designers in the industry. Her positivity and uplifting attitude radiate through each and every encounter. KK is a passionate community servant with the ability to motivate and inspire individuals. She is empowered by compassion and has a gift identifying potential and abilities. With this ongoing quest to give back and educate, she has been able to promote a significant and positive change in both her community and individuals. Her dedication to excellence, knowledge of the industry, successful implementation skills and leadership roles, have led her to being nominated for positions of power in the clubs and committees she fluently engages in. She is a proud platinum sponsor for CCC CLT and is a member of Triangle CREW and serves on the membership committee. Her name and designs are known throughout the Charlotte region as well as nationally. Her mission is to give back to the community, while still creating unique and unmatched designs.
STEVE TUBEL
eXp Commercial
Steve is with EXP Commercial specializing in restaurants and retail. With a vast experience in franchising, restaurants, and commercial sites in and around the greater Charlotte area, he leverages his many decades of residing in the area to help his clients with their commercial needs.
He started working with his dad, Ed at the age of 14 in the Charlotte area Sonny’s BBQ restaurants and over the years was instrumental in helping the company develop the Charlotte market. With his passion growing for real estate, he earned his NC real estate license in 2008. From there, he gained continued knowledge of the Carolinas evolving commercial landscape. 2021 was the year Steve moved to full time brokerage joining a smaller boutique firm and realized quickly how important it was to be part of a firm connected heavily to the industry in markets where the growth continues to be exponential. April of 2022 commenced his affiliation with EXP Commercial. He holds a SC license.
Steve utilizes his real estate and business experiences to help entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes looking to enter, grow, or exit the field. By offering business brokerage as a service offered, Steve can help business owners with their strategies of growing or exiting the business side of their investments.
When not assisting clients, Steve enjoys his family time. He loves spending time with his wife Alicia, and children, Alex, Zack, and Emilee. He is a certified Pit Master who has has cooked on many levels, including judging and competing professionally in sanctioned or non sanctioned events. One of his biggest passions is hosting BBQ events at home for friends and family. He loves golf and attending all kinds of live sporting events. His charitable contributions to both local and national levels are also a huge passion.
CHRIS ERWIN
Crabapple Roofing
STEVE MELTON
Relation Insurance
Steve began his career in the Employee Benefits area with Travelers Insurance which was one of the nation’s leading firms. He then migrated into Long Term disability insurance professional programs with Paul Revere then self-funded programs with Lincoln National and BCBS of North Carolina. He also achieved his national Certified Employee Benefits designation during this period. After 20 years in employee benefits, he made a significant industry chance into the commercial property and casualty with Universal Underwriters, a division of Zurich where he focused on the Auto Aftermarket. Zurich was making major changes in its product mix and field force, thus he moved into the independent agency sector where he remained until he attained a position with a national insurance brokerage firm, Relation Insurance, in 2022. Steve has active national designations as a Certified Insurance Counselor, Chartered Life Underwriter, and a Trusted Risk Advisor.
Antonetta Marie
Pro2Vid
Steve Howard
First Reliance Bank
Steve Howard joined First Reliance Bank in September 2023 as Senior Vice President, Market President
of Lake Norman/Charlotte Metro and surrounding markets. He will be responsible for the strategic
market expansion of the bank's footprint and will oversee all lines of business, including personal
banking, business and commercial banking, investments, and treasury services. A Charlotte native with
over 36 years of banking experience, Steve resides in Cornelius NC and has two children. Steve earned a
B.S. in Business Administration from Western Carolina University.
Tyler Goldsmith
Ardor Commercial Advisors
