About Us
At Ahead of the Curve Homes, we move to the heartbeat of our community. We’re longtime residents of the communities we serve, parents with exhaustive knowledge of the local schools, and ardent supporters of the region’s exceptional cultural significance and artistic allure. Our experience strongly positions us to share a wealth of knowledge, but it’s our enthusiasm—the heart and soul of our service—that we’re most thrilled to impart to you.
We specialize in Baldwin Hills, View Park, Culver City, Mar Vista, Santa Monica, and the greater Westside. However, our main focus is on you. You can rely on our 39+ years of combined experience to help you assess and prioritize your needs and achieve your goals. The result is that we build lasting and rewarding relationships. We’re professional but humble, efficient but relaxed, consistent but vibrant. For the trusted advisory and fundamental resources you seek, you need only look Ahead of the Curve.
— Meet Our Team —
Erica Lockhart
Partner
erica@aotchomes.com | 310.350.4528
DRE 01763313
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Erica Lockhart is a true California girl through and through. After earning her real estate license in 2006, Erica’s expert negotiation skills, detailed mindset, and strong work ethic — not to mention her positivity and approachability — quickly elevated her prominence within the competitive LA real estate market. During her tenure as a Realtor, she has sold more than 1,000 properties and closed over $500,000,000 in sales. She is recognized as one of the top 1.5% of Realtors in the United States.
After graduating from the University of Southern California, Erica acquired vast marketing experience during her nine years working in the media and advertising industry. That strong marketing background provides a distinct advantage for her clients, and Erica prides herself on exceeding client expectations while delivering an effortless buying and selling process. In addition, her talents have earned her numerous awards for sales and service in and around the Los Angeles area. She was also featured as one of Angeleno Magazine’s Dynamic Women of 2017 and most recently recognized by Los Angeles Magazine as a 2026 Real Estate All-Star.
Married and a proud mom to three mini adults, she's on an exhilarating journey of spiritual growth, style, fitness, and wellness. Whether she's traveling with friends, discovering the latest fashion trends or finding joy in a good workout, Erica is all about embracing life to the fullest. She treasures every moment spent with her friends and family, and firmly believes that every day is an opportunity to live, laugh, and celebrate the beauty of life.
Lorin Ruttenberg
Partner
lorin@aotchomes.com | 310.780.0214
DRE 01309588
Lorin Ruttenberg is a dynamic force in the real estate industry, thriving on the constant movement and growth that defines Los Angeles. With 25 years of experience, Lorin has immersed herself in every facet of property transactions, working with hundreds of buyers and sellers throughout the Westside of Los Angeles. Having sold single-family homes, condos, raw land, tear-downs, pre-fabs and ground-up, custom-built construction, Lorin's deep well of experience allows her to anticipate potential issues and position her clients Ahead Of The Curve.
Known for her steady demeanor and generous sense of humor, Lorin is a trusted advisor who navigates her clients through industry ups and downs with grace. She takes her negotiating skills seriously, continually honing her expertise through teaching and course work. She is negotiation coach with Performance Coachings and teaches real estate industry professionals from around the county. Her dedication to excellence has been recognized. She was featured as one of Angeleno Magazine's Dynamic Women in 2017 and in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 Lorin and the team were ranked in the top 1.5% nationwide in REALTrends America's Best Real Estate Professionals and in LA Magazines All Star Real Estate List.
Originally from the New York area, Lorin has called Los Angeles home since 1988. While she has fully embraced the vibrant West Coast lifestyle, her East Coast vibe still shines through. Lorin resides in Baldwin Vista and is actively involved in her community. She is a Board Member of the National Council for Jewish Women, Los Angeles, an organization whose mission - creating economic justice for underserved women to break the cycle of poverty - is one Lorin believes in deeply.
In her free time, Lorin enjoys Pilates, pickleball, hiking the hills of Los Angeles and cooking. One of her favorite things to do over the weekend is to cook a big dinner for friends and family and spend time with loved ones in a relaxed and comfortable setting.
Brandon Walls
Realtor
brandon@aotchomes.com | 310.630.9657
DRE 01806256
Brandon discovered his passion for real estate while attending California State University, Dominguez Hills, where he earned his degree in Business Administration. He launched his real estate career at just 22 years old and has since built a reputation for guiding clients through every stage of the process—from helping first-time homebuyers navigate one of the most important purchases of their lives to developing strategic plans that allow sellers to successfully sell and purchase their next home simultaneously.
Over the years, Brandon has continued to expand his expertise. He is a Certified Probate Specialist through the California Association of Realtors and, in June 2026, graduated from the Greater Los Angeles Realtors Association's Leadership Academy.
Brandon exemplifies the core values of Ahead of the Curve Homes: integrity, hard work, dedication, and persistence. These principles drive his ability to consistently create win-win outcomes for all parties involved, making him a trusted and valuable asset to both his clients and team. His well-rounded approach has also allowed him to cultivate strong professional relationships with private investors, home builders, bankers, accountants, and community leaders.
With 19 years of experience, Brandon remains committed to delivering exceptional, personalized service to every client he serves.
Outside of real estate, Brandon is a devoted husband and proud father of two daughters. He is a classic car enthusiast, a passionate foodie, and an avid traveler. He looks forward to leveraging both his professional expertise and personal interests to help clients achieve their real estate goals.
Chanel Westbrooks
Realtor
chanel@aotchomes.com | 310.654.8480
Lic # 02148409
Chanel was born in Los Angeles and raised in Inglewood, California. Her real estate journey began over 16 years ago when she entered into the property management industry as a leasing consultant. Quickly climbing the ladder, it would take less than two years for her to be promoted to Property Manager, managing luxury apartment communities throughout West Los Angeles. Here, is where she developed a strong passion to serve and assist others. Known by her resident clients as a property manager they can trust, Chanel prides herself on taking care of her clients by ensuring that all of their needs are met. “I strive for excellence in everything I do!”
Chanel fell in love with the west side when she moved into the West Los Angeles area 13 years ago. Married with kids and two pups, she enjoys watching her three sons play youth and high school football, lacrosse and track and field. She is grateful to be a part of the Santa Monica’s youth athletic programs where her boy’s athletic careers began. Still to this day, she and her family are heavily involved in Santa Monica’s youth sports programs.
Chanel’s faith, honesty, integrity, patience, and passion allows her to smoothly guide her clients to finding their “happy place.” Her sincerity and enthusiasm are contagious, creating an amazing experience for clients and everyone involved. Leaving nothing behind, she’s bringing her marketing and negotiating skills from Property Management into Real Estate residential sales.
Lara Apilado
Director of Operations
lara@aotchomes.com | 424.353.6851
With over 15 years of entrepreneurial experience and a decade of dedicated operational leadership, Lara brings a deep, multi-faceted understanding of business scaling to the real estate industry. Specializing in systems, administrative oversight, and high-level client service, she has mastered the art of navigating fast-paced environments where precision and adaptability are the keys to market success.
She thrives on the challenge of transforming complex real estate transactions into streamlined, repeatable workflows. By managing calendars, documents, and operational systems with a proactive, solutions-first mindset, Lara ensures that agents can focus on closing deals while the infrastructure remains flawless and efficient.
Known for a formidable work ethic and a "business owner" mentality, Lara takes full ownership of the operational health of the team. She is a master of time management and strategic communication, keeping projects on track and stakeholders informed with total transparency. Whether it is implementing new CRM best practices or navigating the intricacies of a high-volume closing season, Lara focuses on what is possible, solving problems before they can impact the bottom line.
Above all, Lara values the long-term relationships that define the real estate community. Built on a foundation of trust, integrity, and consistent excellence, she is committed to serving the operational needs of the team and the community alike.