Fresh Perspective
Power duo John Faulkner and Joshua Ramirez of The Faulkner Group rethink the traditional real estate model with their modern approach.
Written by Jenn Thornton
Professionally, Realtors John Faulkner and Joshua Ramirez of The Faulkner Group—a successful, intergenerational real estate team under Compass—are creatives in real estate agent clothing. Rich in interests and engagement, and both extensively well-traveled (each has lived on several continents), they bring a thoughtful, whole world outlook to their clients in Santa Barbara and beyond.
That their clientele is heavy on architects, authors, producers and tech types is not surprising. They, too, are of a similar stripe. John is a foodie/cook and a photographer who paints and writes; Josh co-founded the creative agency Princeton North with his wife, a South African he met in Australia. Creatives have a way of finding one another, and so it is true of John and Josh. They met while working at another agency prior to joining forces as The Faulkner Group. If they have an edge—and there is a persuasive case to be made that they have many—it is creativity. Thinking originally, acting accordingly. “Usually it’s doing the things that everyone says not to do,” says John. “Our goal is to look at everything differently. We have a really nice synergy, where we’ve both been working in real estate for some time”—two decades apiece, to be exact—“but we're really opposites, which makes for a great partnership.” And an effective one.
“We bring this global perspective that really allows us to pull in way beyond what we see, and to tie it into our marketing,” says Josh, who describes The Faulkner Group alliance as a mindful merger of classic and modern, with digital meeting the touch-and-feel approach. “People want those touch points more than ever,” he adds, “but at the same time, they also need the digital more than ever. Pulling those two pieces together is essential, then elevating the marketing to the caliber of the people who are consistently moving here. It’s about creating something that’s never been before.” For this duo it’s not so much, there’s a door, let’s go through the back. More like, there’s a door but let’s build an entirely new one. The norm is simply not their style—and these are highly stylish men, and not just in the usual way. They know how to present. In intelligence, in conversation, in company.
They’re also great fun, and collaborate inside and out of the office. John, with his artistic bent, relies on Josh to help him get into his studio at least once a week. As for how Josh recharges: “Playing with Legos,” says the father of a 4-year-old son he calls “the pure joy of life” and credits for keeping him grounded. Both men have wives they cherish and vintage cars they love, and their congenial way—warm, personal, right there and the real deal—feels outside the usual these days. Having outside interests helps “bring oxygen to the room and to a deal,” says John.
Frankly they make it look easy, and that’s the point. Their barometer for a successful client relationship is how effortless the job—one that is anything but—looks to clients. Easy means they’ve shielded clients from the stress that the complexities of a transaction can cause. Trust is crucial to the equation, “probably no. 1,” says John. “I want to be able to trust clients as much as I want them to trust me, and I make that clear not only verbally, but in the way we interact. Right from the beginning. It’s not something you can conjure up. You can't just fake it. It has to be a genuine.”
No would could ever accuse The Faulkner Group of being anything other than completely authentic, even if they are making it look easy. That is, after all, the hardest work there is. “We just want to give our clients the best,” Josh notes. “We work to build trust and want our clients to enjoy the lifestyle that we experience in Santa Barbara.” Which is to say—and they do, almost at the same time—“quality of life.” faulknerramirez.com
