There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes in the burgeoning real estate industry, especially in a small community like Steamboat where personal service and connection is an essential part of doing business. In order to prevent local needs from getting lost to outside corporate interests, the Summit and Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors Associations recently merged to form Altitude Realtors.
“The real estate industry is changing so rapidly right in front of our eyes,” says James Howser, President, Altitude Realtors and Global Real Estate Advisor for Steamboat Sotheby’s International Realty. “We believe in small town community and making sure we focus our attention on our local homeowners and clients. By merging, we were able to keep that small town real estate feel, and not get consumed by big corporations who are consolidating multiple real estate markets.”
The new combined association will serve more than 1,000 primary Realtor members and a total membership of 1,700. It will bring the Steamboat Springs Realtors into the Summit Multiple Listing Service with a jurisdiction that will encompass Steamboat Springs, and Summit, Routt, Lake, Jackson and part of Park County.
“When we merged, Summit Area Realtors had their own MLS, with their own board that runs that MLS and other member services,” Howser says. “In Steamboat, as a small board, we chose to outsource our MLS and struggled to negotiate affordable member services—everything from lockbox companies to all the apps that help realtors do their jobs.”
Prior to the merger, Steamboat Sotheby’s International Realty used services provided by RE Colorado, a Denver-based MLS, but their territory expanded beyond the reaches suitable for mountain town communities. “They changed their platform and were expanding and changing in ways that no longer allowed us to serve our Realtors and clients,” Howser says.
To put the fast pace of change in perspective, Howser says he attended a National Association of Realtors conference last May where he learned that three years ago there were over 14,000 Multiple Listing Services and today there are only 5,000. “As mountain towns, we have like interests with Summit County. The merger helps us serve people who want to buy or live here. It allows us to do our jobs better and for the community to understand our real estate market more effectively.”
The merger continues to give the Steamboat area Realtors a customized MLS specifically built for the unique resort real estate that is governed by a board of brokers who know and understand Steamboat and Summit County’s similar mountain town communities. “When someone wants to buy property in Routt County, they should have a broker that understands our community and the uniqueness of the real estate.”
Summit County’s board was much bigger, with more resources, but not so big that the quality of service it offered would be compromised. “Together, we are able to have a stronger voice, reduce cost to our members with stronger vendor negotiations, and partner with like-minded realtors from other counties,” Howser says. “It took a lot of work to get here, but it was worth it. The future is bright.”