Founded on a feeling, built into a legacy.
Chase International began with one broker's decision to stay in Incline Village instead of leaving it. Thirty-eight years later, that decision runs fourteen offices deep.
She came for a project. She stayed for the lake.
In the mid-1980s, Shari Chase was wrapping up a development project in the Bay Area, weighing whether to relocate to British Columbia next. A work trip to Lake Tahoe changed the plan — she found it, in her words, "one of the most beautiful spots in the world."
She relocated to Incline Village, on Tahoe's north shore, and in June 1986 stopped selling the lake to other people's clients and started selling it as her own company: Chase International Distinctive Properties.
What began as one broker's belief that real estate could be practiced with more humanity has grown into a firm spanning fourteen offices and 300-plus agents across Nevada, California, and London.
A brief history of Chase.
A few of the moments that shaped the firm — from its founding to its most recent chapter.
Chase International is founded
Shari Chase establishes Chase International Distinctive Properties in Incline Village, on Lake Tahoe's north shore.
The Thunderbird Lodge sale
Shari Chase brokers the $50 million sale of the historic Thunderbird Lodge — a Lake Tahoe lakefront record that stood for years afterward.
The Luxury Estates Tour begins
What grows into the annual Lake Tahoe Luxury Estates Tour holds its first showcase of the region's most exceptional properties — now in its third decade.
Joining Luxury Portfolio International
Chase becomes part of Luxury Portfolio International at its founding — extending every listing's reach to a global network of qualified buyers.
The Hela Bima Rice Project
Chase begins supporting traditional rice farmers in Sri Lanka — a giving program that continues today.
A record year
Chase posts top-five sales rankings across Lake Tahoe, Reno, and Carson Valley, including a record-breaking sale in Reno.
A new chapter in leadership
Founder Shari Chase passes the company to longtime leaders Susan Lowe and Georgia Chase, stepping into the role of founder and chair emeritus.
Nearly forty years of continuity.
Chase remains independently owned — now led by the people who helped build it.
Founded the company in June 1986 and led it for nearly four decades before passing leadership to her longtime team in 2026. Remains active as a strategic advisor.
A longtime member of the Chase leadership team, now co-leading the firm she helped build.
"Known for integrity, market leadership, and a heart-centered culture."
Has helped lead Chase International since its earliest years, now sharing the CEO role with Susan Lowe.
A heart-centered philosophy, extended beyond real estate.
Since 2011, Chase has supported the Hela Bima Rice Project, helping traditional rice farmers in Sri Lanka keep growing rare, centuries-old varieties using sustainable, ancestral methods — funding schools and eco-friendly processing facilities along the way.