About David M. Kim

David moved to Santa Barbara in 1998 and in his first week while riding his beach cruiser to the beach with a surfboard under his arm, he told himself he would never leave. He had no idea how, but he knew he wanted to stay in Santa Barbara. 

In 2007, after traveling the world for a few years, he decided it was time to focus on his career. His timing positioned him to enter the real estate profession during the worst housing and financial crisis since the Great Depression. David built his business and excelled through the Great Recession, and primarily focused on helping clients navigate the purchase and sale of distressed properties (when other agents weren’t interested in learning). As David’s business grew, he organically built a team (the David Kim Group) with the mission of delivering unparalleled service to his clients. 

To-date, his team has sold hundreds of homes throughout Santa Barbara, in tumultuous markets and in hot markets. Their experience spans across all property types - from single family homes and condos, to mixed-use, multi-family, and commercial properties. David’s team loves working directly with clients, but they work equally well with representatives of clients, including family offices, wealth managers, accountants, and legal teams.

Since the beginning, David has always embraced technology and understood the importance of leveraging tech to enhance the listing and sale experience for his clients. His team has worked tirelessly to develop strategies that position their sellers and buyers optimally. They offer a hyper-local approach, providing insight and explaining nuance to their clients. Local knowledge, deep roots, and strong relationships provide David and his team access to information and off-market opportunities. And their tech-savvy marketing strategies ensure their listings attain global reach.

David is consistently amongst the top producers at Village Properties, and of realtors in all of Santa Barbara County. He was voted Realtor of the Year in 2018 and Best Real Estate Agent in the 2022 Independent Reader’s Poll. He graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a double major in Business Economics and Law & Society. He previously served as President of the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors in 2017. During this time, he represented Santa Barbara on a local, state, and national level, advocating for Santa Barbara at the California Association of Realtors and National Association of Realtors. David prioritizes opportunities to give back to the local community that has alway supported him. He donates regularly to local education (Teacher’s Fund and more), Unity Shoppe, Santa Barbara Foodbank, and has worked as a mentor through CADA (Council of Alcohol and Drug Abuse). When he’s not selling real estate, David loves to surf, sharpen his Jiu Jitsu and boxing skills, and above all spend time with his wife and two daughters.