Kim Hultgen

If you’ve spent any time at all in Santa Barbara, REALTOR Kim Hultgen has probably helped you or someone you know purchase or sell a home. An anchor of the Santa Barbara real estate community, Kim’s 32 years in the business have allowed her to cultivate a strong ability to listen to and intuit what her clients need, no matter how complex the undertaking. Her secret? ‘I listen to everything they say, I remember every little thing,’ says Kim, who exhibits the kind of calm, generous demeanor reminiscent of a favorite aunt. ‘Clients become friends,’ she says, and she’s had many repeat customers over these four decades. With her energetic ‘peacemaker’ personality and encyclopedic knowledge of Santa Barbara communities’she’s lived here since 1972’she aims for efficiency in all of her transactions, from the first inspection to after the sale. For Kim, success in real estate is all about ’empathy’ for her clients, creating warm relationships on all sides to ensure smooth transactions for those concerned. She has strong connections, as well, to tradespeople of all kinds, which help her clients address any need that might come up in a sale. And personal relationships says Kim, are what community is all about. ‘Santa Barbara is still so community oriented. People buy into what community they want to be in, what schools they want their kids to go to, where they work, where they like to spend their time.’ She has worked with every kind of buyer and seller, from first-timers to those who want to downsize after retirement. She particularly enjoys working with retirees to help them protect their legacy.

A California native who grew up in La Jolla, Kim has been involved in many aspects of community life in Santa Barbara. She attributes her nurturing patience and resourcefulness in her real estate career to the lessons she learnt as a Mom – two of her three children had special needs. Hultgen enjoys both the cultural and outdoor life of Santa Barbara, spending time in nature and enjoying the various festivals, such as the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and Old Spanish Days. She has lived ‘in every area of Santa Barbara,’ starting with Isla Vista, and can eloquently describe all the features and advantages of each.