It was 1994 when Gary Goldberg, a practicing lawyer, and his business partner, a bookkeeper, were drawn into an unforeseen venture.
A homeowner’s request to draft a contract for a celebrity’s summer vacation rental unveiled an untapped opportunity within a niche market that had few competitors and a burgeoning need. Long before the digital era of Airbnb and Vrbo, Goldberg stood as a pioneer of personalized vacation rentals.
“I obtained my real estate broker’s license,” Goldberg said. “It was really easy because I was already an attorney and I figured since I passed the bar on my first try then I better be able to pass a broker’s test just as easily, and I did.”
Together, Goldberg and his partner began a property management company called Coastal Getaway. They started managing rentals in a pre-internet time when information about vacation rentals passed by word of mouth, brochures, print ads, and phone calls.
“We were doing vacation rentals at a time when there was no company or entity that solely focused on vacation rentals,” Goldberg said. “Everybody just handled their own or it was by mail and pictures. We used to fax descriptions to people.” This did change when the internet came along.
The business expanded a few years later, when it entered the real estate sales market.
“By the second or third year of our business, we had our first client say, ‘Well look, you’re a real estate broker, you’re a lawyer — can’t you sell my house? I don’t need to hire someone different because we’re not going to rent it anymore; we’re going to sell it.’ I said ‘sure, I can,’” Goldberg said.
After that first transaction, the company’s business model changed. Coastal Getaways was evolving into Coastal Properties. As the real estate market turned around in 1997, in addition to managing rentals, Coastal Properties helped clients buy and sell properties too.
“Our big break came in 1999, when the top of the market might have been a $10 million sale,” Goldberg said. “There were very few sales over $5 million. And I had a guy who had stayed in a couple of our rentals and said, ‘yeah, maybe I will buy something.’ And I then sold him a $9 million house.”
This success propelled Coastal Properties into the Santa Barbara limelight. Goldberg took over the sales side of the company while his partner worked on the administrative and management side.
Today, the real estate company focuses on neighborhoods from Carpinteria to Goleta, from Montecito to Summerland, with an inventory that runs the gamut of properties for sale in the area.
“The company does everything from $500,000 condos to $20 million estates,” Goldberg explained. “The town lends itself to more properties over $2 million just because it’s a higher-end community. But regular tract homes are now $1.5 million.”
Over the last 30 years, Goldberg has molded Coastal Properties to offer a boutique buying and selling experience. Their team of local agents provides an intimate, personalized approach to every client.
“I prioritize cultivating lifelong clients over securing one large transaction,” Goldberg said. “It’s a mindset centered on enduring relationships, sustained referrals, and a continuous flow of long-term leads.”
Local expertise is the secret sauce that transforms transactions into seamless experiences. Clients benefit from having local agents who are not just deep rooted in the communities they serve, but acquire market insight and have a genuine passion for the place they call home.
“Whether born and raised or with decades of experience, our agents embody the heartbeat of these neighborhoods,” shared Goldberg. It’s not just about buying or selling; it’s about entrusting your journey to those who understand every nuance of the landscape.
Your dream home, or that perfect investment opportunity, awaits at coastalrealty.com. Explore our listings for homes, both for immediate purchase and long-term or vacation rentals. Choose more than a property; choose an experience shaped by the people who know your neighborhood best.
