Some home buyers and sellers want to work with a bulldog negotiator, the type of hard-line REALTOR® that will fight for them and their family, but most prefer to have a more grounded consultant on their side. REALTORS® who can be a calming force in the face of an often-stressful real estate transaction offer tremendous value. 

Ryan Main’s approach to real estate is rooted in care. His goal has never been to be the highest-producing agent with the most clients to show for his efforts. Rather, he enjoys serving those who trust him, offering an honest, down-to-earth approach to real estate sales. Ryan’s approach is a reflection of his values — loyalty, honesty, and trust. His goal is simple: to do right by those who hire him.

“I’m more of an understanding, listening, trustworthy agent. I want you to know whatever we do, it's in my clients’ best interests,” he says.

Ryan’s journey begins three thousand miles away in South Portland, Maine, where he was born and raised. After completing his undergraduate degree in kinesiology at the University of New Hampshire, he headed across the country with a friend to explore a different lifestyle.

Understandably, he fell in love with the San Diego culture and weather, and he’s been in California since.

Over the next ten years, Ryan bounced around professionally. He managed a cafe, did personal training, and worked in the wine industry (including several harvests in Sonoma and one in Australia). His last job before selling real estate was for a friend's nutrition bar startup.

“I jumped on board as her first employee, where I did sales for three years,” Ryan reflects. “In the end, it didn’t go so well, and I knew I had to pivot.”

In 2015, Ryan turned his attention toward real estate. 

“My first son was born in 2014, so that was another triggering factor. It lit a fire… it's not just me now. I needed to create a future.”

The early years of Ryan’s career were slow, but he survived the hard times to grow what has become one of San Diego’s top businesses. His career-best year topped $22 million, and in 2022, he closed a still impressive $12 million while balancing his role as a single dad.

Ryan’s grounded approach resonates with many buyers, sellers, and investors.

“I have a calming demeanor. I'm not an aggressive, in-your-face agent. It is a stressful situation. I’m mellow, not super animated, high, or low. I keep an even keel, which is calming and helpful for people. Sometimes emotion can fog the goals. That’s one of my strengths — being level-headed and able to give good advice in any situation.

Ryan has two kids, Phoenix (8) and Ivy (4). He's a single dad and has alternated between having 50% and 100% custody of his kids. While the need to balance business and family has created some stress in his life, it’s, ultimately, the greatest gift. Nothing is more important to Ryan than his kids.

“The plus side of being in real estate is the flexibility. I'm able to go to baseball games and different events. Real estate offers that flexibility. It's also really demanding on nights and weekends, and with kids, it's hard to balance nights and weekends when I'm doing bath time routines, making dinner, getting them ready for school, or running around with them on the weekends.”

So how does Ryan do it all? His approach is to stay in his lane and not try to compete with agents with different goals.

“There are so many distractions in real estate and life in general — people doing more, doing better, crazier things, better success stories. But focus on you, what you want, and what your goals are. That's helped me achieve what I want. I know some agents do more business, are on TV shows, or sell higher-priced properties. I focus on me — my goals, providing for my family, doing what I want to do, and helping my clients.”

Ryan is a successful REALTOR®, but he’s more proud of who he is and where he comes from than what he’s accomplished. His father, Reggie, and his older brother, Matt, are his two biggest role models. 

“My father, who is a hard worker, taught me a lot about the grind and strong work ethic. My dad was a laborer, fixed electronics and power tools, and had side hustles, like officiating sporting events. He never made a lot of money, but he worked his butt off. I got a lot of my dedication and work ethic from him. My dad sacrificed so much for our family,” Ryan says, his emotion evident. “And my brother always was a good role model with strong morals. I always respected him for that.”

Being a REALTOR® isn’t easy. Neither is being a single dad. Ryan is excelling at both, albeit not without his fair share of struggles — just like everyone else.

“I know how hard it is for me, and I make a lot more money than my dad ever did. He struggled, but he did everything he could to provide for us. My goal is to do right by people and do right by my family.”