About Us
Family owned and operated, we have been serving the North San Diego County area since 1970.
We are a full service real estate office, offering professional property management and leasing services, as well as effective supervision of your real estate assets.
We offer comprehensive sales services, including listings, exchanges and buyer representation.
Allow us the opportunity to discuss with you your individual investment goals and how to achieve them.
Leslie Dopirak – Owner / Broker / Accounts Manager
Leslie Dopirak is a longtime Carlsbad local and began working for Golden Key Properties in 2008 under her uncle Ned Paterson, who recently retired in 2022. Leslie is a licensed Real Estate Broker and Salesperson and has been licensed for over 15 years. She became a 3rd generation owner of Golden Key Properties when she acquired the company in 2023 upon Ned’s retirement. Leslie has taken in a wealth of knowledge both from her own experiences in the field and through guidance from her uncle and late grandmother. She continues to build a portfolio of residential rental income properties for clients, as well as assists her clients with purchases, sales, and exchanges of their investment properties.
Leslie lives in Carlsbad with her husband Shaun and two boys Carter and Ryder. They are faithful Padres fans and are active in many different sports including baseball, softball, soccer and pickleball!
Dana Pruitt
Management Operations Director, Realtor Associate
Summer Paterson
Operations Manager, Realtor Associate
Christine Moore
Property Inspections, Maintenance Coordinator, Security Deposit Disposition, Licensed Agent
Mary Riley
Accounting / Bookkeeper
William Franco
Leasing / Property Manager, Licensed Agent
Leo Newsom
Maintenance Coordinator
Anthony Howard
Leasing / Property Manager Assistant
Moises Sandoval
Leasing / Property Manager, Licensed Agent
Curtis Cox
Field Maintenance Technician
A History of Golden Key
Golden Key Properties was founded in 1970 by Dorothy Paterson. Dorothy was a local trail blazer in her field and was voted Realtor of the Year in 1971. She holds the prestigious honor of being the first female President of the Oceanside Board or Realtors in 1973; as well as the first female President of the Oceanside-Pacific Kiwanis Club. She was also a Certified Property Manager and Certified Commercial Investment Member.
Dorothy and husband Ed resided in Carlsbad until their passing and were survived by their four children, three of which worked in various roles for Golden Key for many years.
Ned Paterson, the youngest of Dorothy and Ed’s four children, began working for Golden Key in 1983 after graduating from Cal Poly Pomona where he obtained a Bachelors of Science and graduated with Cum Laude Honors. After several years of working under the guidance of his mother, he acquired Golden Key Properties becoming it’s new Owner and Broker in 1985.
Over his career Ned was active in the Kiwanis Club of Carlsbad, President of the North County Association of Realtors, a contributing member to the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce and much more!
Over his 40 year career with Golden Key, Ned met with countless residential and commercial property owners, managed hundreds of properties and successfully closed several hundred real estate sales and purchases for his clients.
In 2008 Ned’s niece Leslie Dopirak (Paterson at the time) began working under Ned’s experienced guidance; and in 2023 Leslie became the 3rd generation family Owner and Broker of Golden Key Properties. Ned, a lifetime Carlsbad local, is now enjoying his retirement.