Business Profile —
You might say that sparks flew when Jay Conner first visited the Santa Ynez Valley. A former senior engineer and project manager for Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Conner spent 12 years doing project management and design in residential areas in the Valley. Retired after 42 years of service with the utility company, he will be making the Valley his home.
“I fell in love with the area and with the people,” he said. “It’s an eclectic group of people who like to be treated as people, and I appreciate that.”
Now a Realtor© with Century 21 Hometown Realty and the owner of Conner Coast & Country, Conner devotes himself to helping others make themselves at home here. He has two offices — one in Santa Ynez, and one in Santa Maria — but he intends to settle in the Valley.
“The people here are very approachable, and I’ve gained a lot of friendships working with people over the years,” Conner continued. “And I love the ambience and the uniqueness of the area.”
Born and raised in Sacramento, Conner began spending time in the Valley in 1981. For much of his last 15 years with PG&E, he worked with people in the development of residential projects.
“I was involved in the projects from the ground up,” he explained. “Whether you had a quarter-acre, a full acre, or 1,000 acres, if you were working on a residential project, I’d be involved in the electrical construction design. I’d come up with a concept, and watch the job get done.”
As a project manager for PG&E, Conner enjoyed the challenge of problem solving and meeting the customer’s needs. He envisioned real estate work as a continuation of that. “This gives me the chance to interact with a lot of people directly. I think of real estate as a way to continue helping people solve problems.”
It seemed a logical progression also because he knew the Valley so well, having been involved in most — of not all — of the residential projects in the area.
Recently, Conner completed the coursework required to earn the Graduate Realtors Institute (GRI) designation. GRI is an educational program developed for the National Association of Realtors, and the GRI designation indicates a level of expertise that extends beyond that provided by general real estate license training.
“I’ve done foreclosures and short sales,” Conner noted, “and I’m starting to look into some commercial business. I want to be able to meet my clients’ needs, whatever they are.” Still, Conner’s main focus is on single-family residences.
Sometimes meeting those needs requires that he assume the role of educator. “People are wondering whether or not now is a good time to sell,” he said.
“They’re concerned that their houses have lost so much of their value. But I tell them that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
He refers to this new perspective as a paradigm shift.
“It’s true that if you sell your house now, you won’t get as much as you would have in 2006, but the house you want to buy now costs less, too,” he explained. “And the property taxes on that house are lower than what they would have been if you’d sold your house and bought another in 2006, when both were worth more. Everyone’s situation is different, though, and it’s a continual education in real estate.”
When he is not working, Conner devotes himself to what he considers his favorite hobby—volunteering. He is active in scores of nonprofit organizations between the Valley and Arroyo Grande, many of which focus on law enforcement and public safety.
Since 1993, for example, he has helped organize the annual Cops ’N Kids Field Day, which gives children an opportunity to interact with various law enforcement agencies in a very positive way. “We land a helicopter on the field,” Conner noted. “The kids love that.”
He is also a founding member and graduate of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Citizens Academy, Los Angeles Division and a graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy, Los Angeles Field Office.
“In between everything else I do, I work,” Conner quipped, adding that he treasures the experiences that his volunteering has provided. “You only have one opportunity to pass through,” he said. “You have to make the most of life . You have to take the opportunity to help when you can.”
INFORMATION: To reach Jay Conner of Century 21 Hometown Realty—Conner Coast & Country Century 21 Real Estate, call 805.550.6305. Jay Conner’s office in downtown Santa Ynez is located at 1095 Meadowvale, Suite G-1. www.ConnerCoastandCountry.com
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