“As a kid I had learned so much about business and being an entrepreneur from working with my dad,” says Louise. “My dad taught me that a successful business is created by long-time personal relationships, by always giving a customized experience and by providing a better service to your clients than they can get anywhere else. I think these values have always been at the core of our family’s businesses from my grandfather’s first Italian Store in the 1920s to my real estate business and my children’s businesses” – Montecito real estate agent Louise McKaig interview with The Montecito Magazine
My family has lived in Santa Barbara since 1915 and we have owned many well known local businesses over the generations. Before getting into real estate I had run various businesses and am happy to have been able to pass that down to my children. My husband and I were high school sweethearts but have known each other since attending La Colina Jr. High. Over the generations my family has been involved in the formation of many successful Santa Barbara businesses such as Casa Flores Tortillas, Pan American Markets, Enrico’s Italian Deli, The Italian Store, and many local real estate deals.
Before starting my own businesses I had the opportunity to work alongside my family at our grocery store chains, “The Pan American Markets”. We had 5 locations in Santa Barbara and Carpinteria with a large number of employees and managers so it helped me understand how to run a large operation at an early age. I also helped my parents run our delis called Enrico’s Delicatessen as well as our tortilla company, Casa Flores Tortillas, which at the time was named one of the fastest growing companies in the Western United States. We had a couple hundred employees, trucking routes, and many distributors. This is where I really learned to love working with people and problem solving while I was running a lot of the internal aspects of the business including administration and human resources. You really get to know the employees and understand what their needs are and how to help them become happier, better workers. During this time I learned all about the operations that go into making a large company run. Later I started an international learning program that hosted all types of international professionals of major companies, professional basketball players from Italy, one of the first female bullet-train conductors in Japan, executives at Johnson & Johnson, and more.
I love my business and my clients. A big part of what I enjoy are the letters or phone calls telling me that I helped their family during a difficult time or I changed their lives for the better. I also love my family very much, spending time with them, mentoring my kids with their own ventures and just enjoying moments with all of my friends, clients, and family.
Santa Barbara real estate has been at the center of my family’s life and business since the early 1900s but it wasn’t until my husband and I decided to sell our first home that I witnessed a real need in our community. I know first hand how it feels to lose sleep wondering if my home is being represented properly and I didn’t like that feeling. My goal is that my clients know that I am representing their interests. I keep them informed of possible offers, strategies, and choices on how to respond. I listen to what my clients are saying and work hard to help them be heard and get to where they want to go.
Farming, an ancient practice that predates recorded history, stands as the foundation of human civilization. From the dawn of sedentary life to the complexities of the modern global economy, agriculture has been the primary engine driving our development, feeding billions and shaping cultures, landscapes, and societies. Its significance extends far beyond the production of food;…
Voted Santa Barbara’s Best Real Estate Agent by the 2017 Independent Best Of SB Awards Article from the Independent: “I love our community, and I am very grateful for the generations of support my family has received since my great-grandfather arrived in the early 1900s,” said Louise McKaig. Considering she has been voted best real…
The Santa Barbara News Press announces winner for 2016 reader’s choice awards, Louise McKaig named Santa Barbara’s Best Realtor in Santa Barbara for 2nd year in a row. The following is the article about Louise McKaig in the Santa Barbara News Press Reader’s Choice Awards 2016 issue. Longtime Santa Barbara real estate agent Louise McKaig…