Building Long-Term Client Relationships in a Changing Santa Clarita Market

Written by:

Steve Marcinuk

Date:

10 Mar 2026

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Santa Clarita, California’s real estate market is undergoing changes that mirror national trends, but with distinct local factors shaping both buyer decisions and agent strategies. After 36 years in the business, Tami Cicerello, The Cicerello Team at RE/MAX of Santa Clara, has seen multiple market cycles and built her practice around one core principle: real estate is first and foremost a relationship business.

A Relationship-First Approach

Cicerello’s business relies heavily on repeat clients and referrals, supported by consistent outreach and regular events. “Most of my business is from past clients and referrals,” she says. Her team organizes several annual gatherings, such as “Taco Tuesday” events with margaritas and children’s activities, and a Christmas ice-skating party at a rented rink.

Beyond social events, Cicerello’s team delivers ongoing value through annual comparative market analyses and financial check-ins. Every client receives yearly updates on their home’s value and market conditions. “All of our clients are getting annual comps. It’s really important that you keep in contact with what’s going on with your market and what’s happening with your home’s value if you’re a homeowner,” she explains.

Her team also monitors clients’ mortgage situations, especially those who bought with less than 20% down and are paying private mortgage insurance (PMI). By tracking equity growth, they advise when clients may be eligible to remove PMI, saving some homeowners $100 to $500 per month. “You now have about 25% equity. You can probably apply to have your PMI removed so you don’t have that mortgage insurance payment,” she notes.

Systematic Client Communication

The Cicerello Team uses detailed checklists and task plans that evolve with each transaction. “Every time something happens, we make sure that our checklist gets changed. Every transaction we go through and say, ‘What could we have done to make this better?’”

For sellers, the team sends weekly Friday updates outlining all marketing efforts, so clients are never left wondering about activity on their listing. “They’re getting a contact every Friday with a list of everything we’ve done that week to market their home,” Cicerello says.

Feedback from showings is gathered and shared promptly. “It’s really important for the sellers to know what people are saying. ‘The house smells,’ or ‘It shows great, but the price isn’t quite right because it’s backed up to that busy street.’”

Market Dynamics

Santa Clarita’s market has seen buyer activity fluctuate with mortgage rates. When rates rose above 7% last year, many buyers paused their searches. “Buyers were really hesitant because rates were so high. A lot of buyers were on standby, waiting for rates to come down,” Cicerello says.

As rates have eased closer to 6%, demand has increased. “In the last few months, we’ve really seen an increase in the number of buyers calling and the number of buyers going through open houses and really being active in the market.”

Despite higher activity, competition remains strong for well-priced homes. Cicerello recently listed a house and received multiple offers within hours. The buyers who secured the property were under a tight deadline and paid above asking to ensure a quick closing. “They were willing to pay over asking and wanted us to cancel all open houses,” she recalls.

Demographic Trends

Santa Clarita’s market is shaped by broader demographic changes, especially among baby boomers. Many longtime clients are downsizing as their families grow up. “They don’t need 4,200 square feet. Their three kids are already grown and gone,” Cicerello says, describing clients moving from large family homes to smaller, more manageable properties.

California’s high cost of living is also prompting some to retire out of state. “We also have a lot of people who are retiring and deciding to make a move out of state. I have a lot of clients who, in the last three years, keep telling me, ‘You guys are leaving me. You’ve been with me for all these years, and now I’m selling for the last time.’”

At the same time, the market continues to serve first-time buyers, who are entering despite rising prices and higher rates. “This afternoon, I’m meeting with a first-time buyer, and they’re buying their very first property. So we have both.”

Land Constraints

Santa Clarita’s geography limits the availability of buildable land. Most new homes are built by large developers on tracts they acquired years ago. “We are very tract-driven. Lennar, Tri Pointe Homes, KB — all of those builders have huge pieces of land here that they’re still building on,” Cicerello explains.

Opportunities for individuals to purchase land and build custom homes are rare, mostly limited to a few canyon areas outside the city limits. Builders have adjusted their approach since the overbuilding of the late 2000s, slowing the pace of new construction to avoid excess inventory. “They don’t want to flood the market with new construction that they can’t sell,” she notes.

Technology Integration

Cicerello uses AI tools for efficiency but insists on local expertise and accuracy. She uses AI to draft property descriptions and social media content, but always reviews and customizes the results. “Sometimes the information you read is like, ‘That’s not even true for here. That’s maybe in Kentucky, but here it doesn’t happen.’ You really have to be careful when you’re putting that stuff out there.”

Her team’s CRM relies on detailed task plans rather than automated messaging. “We have task plans for everything that happens. If a house goes on the market, here’s the task plan for all the paperwork. Here’s the task plan for putting all of the marketing together. If the house has solar, here’s a task plan for that.”

Pricing Trends

Prices in Santa Clarita have remained stable overall, with some variation by segment. “We haven’t really had a huge decrease in pricing in our area of California, but we’re not seeing a big increase either. We’re just seeing things kind of leveling off.”

Higher-priced homes, especially those above $1.5 million, have seen slight declines, while mid-range properties between $700,000 and $850,000 are holding steady or increasing due to limited supply. “There aren’t as many homes available in that price point,” Cicerello says.

Buyer Education and Market Timing

Cicerello advises buyers to focus on long-term needs rather than trying to time the market based on interest rates. “If you think you’re going to move in the next two years, maybe even two and a half years, you probably shouldn’t buy anything. You really should just rent. But if you think you’re going to be here for a long period of time, you should buy now.”

She cautions against waiting for rates to drop, as any significant decrease is likely to bring more buyers into the market and push prices higher. “You need to buy the house based on what the rates are now and be comfortable with that payment.”

Professional Advice and Industry Perspective

For new agents, Cicerello emphasizes treating real estate as a serious business, not a social activity. “Do not go into real estate thinking, ‘It’s going to be so much fun, and I’m just going to go have lunch with everybody and look at houses.’ It’s a business.”

She prioritizes client advocacy, even when it means pointing out drawbacks that could affect resale value, such as street noise or location challenges. “When you call me to sell this house in five, seven, ten years, I’m going to tell you we got to price it a little lower than the neighbor two blocks over because you have the street noise.”

Looking Forward

Cicerello is focusing on refining her services rather than expanding, choosing to do fewer things at a higher standard. “I’ve actually decided this year to cut some things out and try to get more focused and do things better. I’d rather do fewer things and be really good at them.”

As Santa Clarita’s market adapts to changing demographics, interest rates, and buyer expectations, agents who invest in long-term client relationships and systematic, high-quality service are best positioned for success. The market now rewards those who deliver consistent value and guidance in a landscape where both buyers and sellers seek reliability and expertise.