By Helen Tomlin News Review Staff Writer–
Our local Coldwell Banker Best Realty is about to change proprietorship. In her recent Facebook post, current owner Deidre Patin writes, “After much consideration, I have made the difficult decision to end my ownership of Coldwell Banker in Ridgecrest. It is just too much of a burden to carry at this point in my life, and it’s time for me to refocus.” The new owner, David Knoeb, is a Bakersfield broker and owner of Frontier Real Estate Services, Inc. Besides Ridgecrest, Knoeb will also purchase Coldwell Banker Best Realty companies in Tehachapi and California City.
Five years ago, in 2018, Jason and Deidre Patin purchased this established realty company. This local couple began as sweethearts at Burrough’s High School and were married for 31 years with four children. Those five years brought different effects on the people of Ridgecrest: some good, some bad. For real estate in Ridgecrest, it was good. In a recent interview, Deidre said that even though they weathered two earthquakes and the Covid-19 lockdowns, they still managed to experience the “best years in real estate.” In fact, their team of realtors won Coldwell Banker’s “Presidential Award” three years in a row and, nationally, “were number two in 2019.” Deidre reminisces, “Those were crazy times.”
But shortly after those successes, in February 2022, Jason Patin passed away. In his obituary, he was referred to as “Ridgecrest’s Right-Hand Man.” He was very active in the community in many ways. As an engaged parent, he was involved in youth sports, serving as an umpire, a coach, and a member of the baseball board. As an entrepreneur, he bought and started several businesses, including Classic Pizza, Custom Maid, Sweet Stuff Candy Company, and ReMax Real Estate. As a city servant, he served as a Planning Commissioner and City Councilman and then spent seven years heading up Ridgecrest Parks and Recreation. Then, in October 2018, the couple bought the real estate company.
After Jason’s death, his oldest son, Christian, quit his job on base as a systems administrator for the F-18 warfighter program. He then took over the daily tasks of running the realty company. After five years of managing the business, however, Deidre felt the offer to sell was a “good opportunity to take a step back.” This will give both her son (and her) “time to re-group and re-focus.” She said, “Christian never had a chance to grieve for his dad.” In her Facebook post, she shares that she is “so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve this community…” For the future, Deidre and her son plan to stay on as realtors and believes the new owners will “breathe new life into [Coldwell Banker of Ridgecrest].”
The new owner will be David Knoeb, a Bakersfield broker and owner of Frontier Real Estate Services, Inc. Frontier is a family-owned business founded in 2007 by David and his wife, Joanna, along with their children, Misty and Scott. Over the years, the company has grown exponentially. In fact, on July 10, their property management division will be managing over 2600 properties, not only in Bakersfield but also in Tehachapi, California City, and Ridgecrest. They have also gone from four to over 50 experienced, professional agents ready to serve Kern County.
Last July, Knoeb opened a small satellite office in Ridgecrest at 118 Gemstone Street. Now, after his purchase of the Ridgecrest Coldwell Banker, he plans to merge the companies together and form two divisions. The first division will be for property management and will be called “Frontier Real Estate Services.” The second division will be for commercial and residential real estate sales and will be officially named within the next two weeks. After things are finalized, Knoeb plans to host a “Grand Opening” at the property located at 710 N. China Lake Boulevard, next to Marshall’s.
