Riskin Partners’ Record Breaking Year

For the small but mighty team at Riskin Partners Estate Group, a luxury sector of Village Properties, success depends not on sales but on their clients’ happiness. If a home isn’t the right fit, the Riskin Partners team prioritizes finding the perfect match rather than pushing the sale. “It’s funny because it’s called a salesperson role,” mused partner Robert Riskin. “But I never feel that I’m a salesperson. I would be a terrible salesperson.” 

Perhaps their candidness is what propelled them to unprecedented success in 2024. For starters, they had 8 sales of over $20 million, more than quadruple the previous year – bringing them to a total of $620 million in sales. What’s more, their team was also named the top-producing team by volume for 2024 by the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors.

Their biggest sale of the year, a 96-million-dollar transaction wherein comedian Ellen DeGeneres swapped homes with American Canadian billionaire Robert Friedland, was the highest residential sale in Santa Barbara South County history. According to The Real Deal, a real estate news site, DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi sold their mansion on Padaro Lane to Friedland for $96 million. In exchange, the couple purchased a home on San Ysidro Road for $32 million, which they reportedly sold to Friedland less than a year ago – it was the 5th largest residential transaction in the U.S. in 2024. 

Renee Grubb, the owner and founder of Village Properties, was especially impressed with the group’s successful year. “We are so proud to support the #1 team year after year,” she said. “Over the past 28 years, I have watched them carve out and dominate a niche in the high-end market. They are such a well-oiled machine, their dedication to excellence is truly remarkable and why they consistently earn their clients’ trust.” 

If a home isn’t the right fit,
the Riskin Partners team prioritizes finding the perfect match rather than pushing the sale.

Trust is paramount for the team, which sometimes necessitates being forthright with clients. Riskin acknowledges that this may involve discouraging them from pursuing homes he deems unsuitable. “I’m just always going to be super honest with clients about that,” shared Riskin. If one home’s location is off and another’s floor plan isn’t right, the Riskin team will find a home that checks off every box. It can be time-consuming and exhausting at times, but it’s worth the wait. “It’s not buying a stock,” Riskin pondered. “Or investing in a company. You’re investing in your life and where you live; where you spend all of your most important moments.” 

The Riskin Partners team often shows homes as a group rather than individually. While this strays from the traditional real estate model, they believe that it is their biggest strength. “We feel four brains are better than one,” Riskin joked. Each of them has expertise to offer, and they believe that the client receives the best service if all four are instrumental in the sale. “With the four of us, you can plug any one of us in, and we’re knowledgeable on the listing,” said Riskin. 

Riskin Partners prioritizes building long-term relationships with their clients, which they believe is a key factor in their high client retention rate. Riskin shared a personal anecdote: he sold a property to a family last year, and his 10-year-old son subsequently became friends with the client’s son. “They’re just over the moon about the community and everyone they’ve met here,” shared Riskin about his client’s move to Montecito. “To me, that’s by far the most rewarding part of my job and when I feel most successful.”

Robert’s late mother and founding partner, Rebecca Riskin, instilled this philosophy in him. Robert shared that she’s somewhat of a real estate legend in Montecito. She started her career selling property in prestigious neighborhoods in Los Angeles before moving to Montecito in 1990. In 2004, she founded Riskin Partners and later brought on managing partner Dina Landi and partner Sarah Hanacek. “We were able to carry on what she had started,” he said of his mother’s legacy. “It’s been the four of us ever since.” Growing up watching his mom sell homes, it’s no surprise Robert became interested in real estate. And in 2014, he joined the Riskin team alongside Jasmine Tennis.

Riskin noted that some of his clients hail from cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco and are searching for a more relaxed and laid-back lifestyle. They feel they’ve found that in Montecito. “The secret is out,” joked Riskin on Montecito’s recent popularity. “Some truly remarkable individuals are joining our community, bringing new energy and enriching what makes it so special.”

“My hope is that the people moving here and establishing new businesses also deeply appreciate what it means to be part of this community,” he shared. “They’re choosing to live here for the same reasons we cherish this place—and that choice speaks volumes. With so many options around the world, they’re drawn to Montecito because they recognize its unique charm, its natural beauty, and the unparalleled quality of life it offers.” 

Robert and his team work diligently to ensure that his mother’s legacy endures, and hopes the group’s recent successes reflect her vision for the company. “I think she taught us so much,” reflected Riskin. “But she also just instilled this way of actively following the golden rule: doing right upon others and living a life full of integrity and gratitude. And also working really hard.”