“The important thing is not to stop questioning.”

                            — Albert Einstein

We love it when you ask us, “How’s the market?”

Every Monday for the past five years, we share what we are seeing and hearing in the luxury Santa Barbara Market. Last week as I was leaving a holiday party, a friend asked me, “Do you ever get tired of people asking you about real estate?” And my answer was, "I love talking about real estate!"

Curiosity is at the heart of how we approach real estate. Asking why a home is priced the way it is, how buyers are behaving this week (not last quarter), and what truly matters to the people on both sides of a transaction is what allows us to see patterns before they show up in the data.

This year, three strong themes emerged:

• Off market sales continue to surprise and astound — with nearly 15% of Montecito transactions happening off market.
• Luxury deals are driven by preparation and alignment, where expectations and temperament play key roles.
• Pricing for today, not yesterday, remains the single biggest factor in successful outcomes.

What Happened in Montecito Last Week?

December 21st – December 27th

weekly spotlight

New Year's Eve in Santa Barbara & Montecito🎉

Santa Barbara brings the energy: downtown bars, live music, DJ dance parties, and late-night celebrations across the Funk Zone and State Street. Montecito keeps it polished and intimate, with elegant prix-fixe dinners and black-tie galas at Rosewood Miramar Beach and San Ysidro Ranch. Whether you’re ringing it in with champagne and dancing or a candlelit dinner by the coast, there’s no wrong way to welcome the New Year here.

That sums it up for last week!

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