The story behind Steamboat Sotheby’s International Realty’s tagline.
Here’s the thing: we know that when people think of Sotheby’s International Realty, they think of an international brand with global reach. Maybe they even think about the auction house, which is indeed affiliated with the realty division, but operated entirely separately (though our real estate company does have ties to the auction house that can be extremely beneficial to our clients).
You might know all about the “global” part of the equation, but let’s talk about the local part of our business, which is at the core of who we are. While “global” is a big word, the “local” part of our tagline should perhaps hold even more emphasis.
#1) Steamboat Sotheby’s International Realty is 100% locally owned and operated.
Our brokers, staff, and owners are locals with deep roots in Routt County and the Yampa Valley. “We are a locally based company and we are all very committed to and involved with the community on many levels, both as individuals and together as a group,” says Jill Limberg, Managing Broker for Steamboat Sotheby’s International Realty. “We are an individual affiliate of Sotheby’s International Realty and are independently owned. I think there might be a misconception that we are an office or branch of a larger corporation, but each Sotheby’s International Realty affiliate office in independently owned and operated. The Sotheby’s International Realty affiliation gives us broader reach and access to an incredibly powerful marketing platform. But who we are is 100 percent local.”
#2) Our ownership team are longtime Steamboat locals.
“We have three owners, and all have been in Steamboat 3-4 decades each,” Limberg says. “The shortest tenure of any of our owners is 27 years, and one was raised here from the age of 3.”
#3) Our brokers are longtime Steamboat locals.
Our team of brokers are also local Steamboat residents who have lived here for many years and in some cases, generations. “We have brokers who have grown up here, raised their children here, and seen Steamboat grow and change throughout the years. They know the history of Steamboat Springs and the Yampa Valley, and understand the importance of preserving the character of our town,” says Traci Moon, CFO. “These are people who love this town and have been active members of the local community their whole lives. That’s why we are so invested as a company—our roots run deep.”
#4) We know Steamboat.
Our brokers are experts on the history of Steamboat. They can tell you what business used to be in a certain building downtown, or where A&W fast food restaurant was located, back in the day. They reminisce about the days of The Tugboat and Dos Amigos, and share stories about the real estate market through the decades. The wealth of knowledge among our team is astounding, and at times can be the source of great entertainment. If you want to know about the Steamboat real estate market, including all of the ups and downs through the years – where it’s been and where they think it is going – there is no team with a greater depth and breadth of experience.
#5) Think globally, act locally is not a cliché; it’s our mission.
While our owners, brokers, and staff are local, we are bolstered by the Sotheby’s International Realty brand, with 22,500 brokers in 72 countries around the world. “The Sotheby’s International Realty brand is the larger platform upon which we get a lot of marketing support and global reach,” says Traci Smith, Director of Marketing. “What we get from that platform is the power and relationships that only a brand like Sotheby’s International Realty can deliver to its affiliates. We have access and leverage to very powerful tools that easily expand our reach beyond the borders of Steamboat Springs and the Yampa Valley. But what we do with that access and those tools, delivering on that promise to our clients locally, is what we do every day. We bring access to a global real estate clientele to our customers right here in the Yampa Valley, always keeping in mind who we are, what Steamboat Springs is all about, and tailoring our service to what our clients want and what they need.”
#6) We put our money where our mouth is.
We don’t just talk about our commitment to the Steamboat community, we are heavily invested in philanthropic efforts and community programs. With programs like our Community Fund, that was founded in 2017, our brokers, owners, and staff contribute funds that are collected and distributed back into the community to help non-profit organizations and to serve the needs of people living here. “In four grant cycles, we have donated over $38,000 to 26 organizations,” Moon says.
The company also sponsors many local events, from being the presenting sponsor of this year’s Farm to Barn Dinner to benefit STARS, to Rotary Club, Boys and Girls Club, and athletic events like the Tour de Steamboat. “In 2018 alone, we donated over $60,000 to local organizations,” Moon says. “On top of that, our team donates individually to those causes that matter to us personally. But as a company, there’s a lot of heart and soul that gets put into the community from us all as a collective group.”
#7) We invest heavily with our most precious resource – time.
Volunteerism is a big value for our company and we participate in many events throughout the year, both as a group and as individuals. We do Highway Trash cleanups, Routt County Untied Way Day of Caring, ringing the bell for Salvation Army at Christmas, Yampa Valley Gives Day and more. We even spearheaded a Carbon Monoxide Awareness campaign that has put hundreds of carbon monoxide detectors in homes throughout Routt County and implemented an education and awareness campaign.
We’ve also founded many of our own successful community programs like our coveted Winter Carnival poster program, a fundraiser for the Steamboat Winter Sports Club. “We are thrilled to have seen this program grow to become an iconic part of Steamboat’s Winter Carnival,” Smith says. “We give 100 percent of the proceeds back to the athletes and the SSWSC programs, and the program has generated over $60,000 to date.” We also do a School Supplies Drive for United Way every fall and a toy drive over Christmas for children and families undergoing treatment at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Snowpile, as it is called by the hospital, is affectionately called “Mickey’s Fund” locally since it was spearheaded by beloved local and Steamboat Sotheby’s International Realty broker Moose Barrows in memory of his son. “Last year was our must successful year to date for Mickey’s Fund. We sent three big truckloads of toys down to Denver and over $6,000 in cash donations,” Smith says. Giving back to our community is at the heart of who we are.
#8) Luxury as a lifestyle, not a price point.
This is another tag line that we use, and it ties in well with our company mission. “I think there’s a common misconception that Steamboat Sotheby’s International Realty is an elite brand only representing high-end luxury homes. While we are undisputedly the luxury real estate leader in our market, to everyone who lives in Steamboat Springs, luxury means lifestyle,” Limberg says. “We offer white glove service to our clients no matter what the price point. We are proud to serve our customers in everything from the sale of a multi-million dollar ranch estate to a small piece of vacant land in rural Routt County. Still, everything we do locally is at the highest level, and we deliver that global exposure to every single one of the properties that we represent.”
LOCAL ROOTS. GLOBAL REACH. It is the essence of who we are.
