Martin & Associates Company Vision

John Martin

John Martin’s career is balanced with experience in Market Research, Community Planning, Neighborhood and Residential Product Design, Land Development, Homebuilding, Marketing, and Sales. He provided leadership in the Strategic Planning, Product Design, and Marketing of the Mission Viejo community in the 1960s and 1970s, Irvine Company communities on the Irvine Ranch in Central Orange County, California in the 1970s and 1980s, and the Valencia community in north Los Angeles County in the 1990s. He also spent 15 years as an entrepreneurial developer and builder.

In 1970, John was the first recipient of the Tipton award for Marketing Excellence in Southern California.  He was recognized as a Legend of Residential Marketing by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Builder Magazine, at the NAHB convention in Houston in 1997. In June 2008, he was inducted into the California Building Industry Association (CBIA) Hall of Fame at the Pacific Coast Builder’s Conference in San Francisco.  

 John is a frequent speaker at the Urban Land Institute, Pacific Coast Builders Conference, American Planning Association, and Building Industry Association meetings and conferences. He has lectured in Urban Planning and Real Estate Development courses at Cornell, UCLA, UCI, USC and Chapman on Market Driven Strategic Planning, Residential Real Estate, Trends and Concepts in Community Planning and Neighborhood Design, and 33 Guiding Principles and Strategies for Creating Future Communities. He was featured in Professional Builder Magazine on these Principles and Strategies and to provide inspiration and direction for creating future communities and projects, he published a Book entitled Hope, Vision & Value Creation based on Lessons Learned in Housing Cycles, Community Development and Residential Design which provides direction for Creating Future Communities and Projects.

 In 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, John teamed with the Urban Land Institute to present a 20-hour Leadership Programs on the Planning, Development, and Marketing of Planned Communities and Urban Infill Projects.  

Professional Builder Magazine featured John in the July 2012 issue that posed the question – “Can Design Innovation Jump Start the Housing Industry?” ULI Magazine featured John in their Fall 2017 story, “Orange County: Where Master-Planned Communities Reign”. In January 2018, John wrote an article featured in Builder & Developer Magazine focused on, “The Coming Change in Housing.”

Martin & Associates, LLC, a Consulting and Advisory Services Firm, specializes in Visionary and Strategic Planning, Market Positioning, and Residential Product Programming in communities and projects of all scales. The idea is to start with people's wants and needs and assist land owners, community developers, home builders and the public sector in creating desirable communities, neighborhoods and residential housing which enhance quality of life while optimizing land values and sales absorption.  John is a strategic thinker as well as a tactical implementer, and believes we can invent the future with Vision, Leadership, Creativity, Innovation, and Organizational Effectiveness.  Martin & Associates work in Northern, Central and Southern California, Colorado, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Florida, Hawaii, and Arizona.  

Experience Summary

Founder & Principal of Martin & Associates, Market Analyst, Residential Product Programming Specialist and Strategic Planning Consultant to Land Owners, Community Developers and Home Builders. (1996 to present)

Senior Vice President of Residential Real Estate and Strategic Planning for Newhall Land, Owners and Developers of the Valencia Community in North Los Angeles County. (1991-1996)

Corporate Vice President for Marketing at the Irvine Company, Owners and Developers of Multiple Communities and Villages on the Irvine Ranch. (1986-1990)

Land Developer and Homebuilder as Division President and Owner. (1972-1985)

Marketing and Sales Vice President for the Mission Viejo Company, Developer of the 30,000 home Mission Viejo Community. (1968-1972)

Marketing and Sales Vice President for Homebuilders John Lusk, William Lyon, Irvine Pacific and J.M. Peters, with Research, Product Design, Marketing & Sales Responsibilities.

Presentations, Speeches, & Lectures

Presentations at Community Development and Housing Industry Conferences/Meetings and University Real Estate and Urban Planning Courses including: Urban Land Institute (ULI), Building Industry Association (BIA), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Sales and Marketing Council (SMC), 50+ Housing Council, American Planning Associations (APA, CCAPA), Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC), UCLA, USC, UCI, Chapman, Cornell.

Creator, Coordinator, Moderator, and Speaker for an Urban Land Institute (ULI) OC/IE Industry Leaders Program on the Planning, Development, Marketing, and Management of Planned Communities, Urban Infill Projects and Residential Design, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Winter 2012, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, and Fall 2018.

Major Accomplishments and Career Highlights (1964-2019)

• 1964 - Conducted the market study for the Mission Viejo Community, and Mission Viejo Company President Donald Bren.  Provided the design criteria for La Paz Homes, the first company built housing program.  The community grew to 30,000 units and 90,000 people in 30 years.

• 1966 - Conducted research and coordinated product design for California Classics, an affordable housing program by the Lyon Company that sold over 4,000 units statewide.

• 1970 - First recipient of Tipton Award for Marketing Excellence in Southern California

• 1970 - Conducted research and coordinated product design for Madrid Homes, the best selling project in the 30-year history of the Mission Viejo Company (over 2700 units sold in 10 years).  Recommended the Mission Viejo Lake amenity in 1971 which was developed in 1976.

• 1971 - Recipient of the first annual Max C. Tipton Award for Marketing Excellence in So. California.

• 1972 - As Division President created a decentralized housing operation from inception and managed all functions including land acquisition, site development, home building, financing, marketing and sales.

• 1976 - Owner of land development and home building company.  Managed land acquisition, planning, entitlement, land development, product design, financing, production, marketing and sales for ten years.

• 1985 - Repositioned residential products, reoriented marketing and sales programs, improved profitability and increased sales absorption on 20 J.M. Peters Company projects in four Southern California counties.

• 1987 - Through market segmentation, product innovation and builder relationships during an improving market in the second half of the 1980’s, more than doubled Irvine Company land values

• 1987-1988 - Two trips to Europe sponsored by the Irvine Company and RGC to study Mediterranean Coastal Hillside Developments and Urban Places.

• 1997 - Legend of Residential Marketing, National Association of Home Builders

• 2008 - Inducted into the California Building Industry Association Hall of Fame

• 2009 - PCBC “Imagining the Future” Gold Nugget Award – Creating Multigenerational Living Environments

• 2010 - Legend Award, ULI Community Development Council Spring Meeting, Boston

• 2012 - Featured in Professional Builder Magazine, July 2012, Design Innovation Issue

• 2013 - Keynote Speaker at PCBC Design Trends Forum, 50 Years of Gold Nugget Awards

• 2014 - Created Webinar Series on Innovation in Community Planning and Residential Design

• 2015 - Multiple Presentations on “Looking Back to Look Forward” in order to Learn from the Past and

• 2016 - Invent Future Communities and Projects with Vision, Creativity and Innovation

• 2016 - SAGE (Shaping Advancements in Generational Environments) 2016 Person of the Year Award by Building Industry Association Southern California (BIASC) 55+ Housing Council

• 2017 & 2018 - Lead Off Speaker for new Graduate Course at University of California Irvine Center for Real Estate at Paul Merage School of Business entitled “Practicum in Mixed Use Community Development”

• 2019 - Distinguished Executive in Residence at the Center for Real Estate at the Paul Merage School of Business at UCI and Lecturer for 10-session Graduate Course, “Practicum in Planned Community and Mixed-Use Development.”

Books & Publications

Hope, Vision, and Value Creation, based on Lessons Learned in Housing Cycles, Community Development, and Residential Design.

Stories and Case Studies on Innovative Planned Communities and Residential Projects: 

• The First Dramatic Innovation: The Deane Homes Garden Kitchen Story

• Creative Imitation is Born: The La Paz Homes Story

• Inspiration from the Mediterranean—Doubling Land Values with an Attached Motor Court Product: The Corte Bella Story

• Diversified Residential Product Programs are Born: The Woodbridge Estates Story

• The Best Community for Families: The Harbor View Homes Story