Greg Howard with Metro Real Estate Group specializes in residential real estate in the Colorado Springs area. He can offer the right, expert guidance to help you sell your home quickly or find the right home to buy.

Interviewer:  Hi I am Kathy Soltero with metrobrokerstv.com, and today we have in the studio with us Greg Howard, he is with Metro Real Estate Group.  Greg, thank you so much for coming in and talking with us today.

Greg:  Thank you for having me. 

Interviewer:  Tell me a little bit about your business and where your real estate offices are?  

Greg:  Our real estate office is kind of in the downtown portion of Colorado Springs, we're off North Tejon.  It's a small office; there are about eight different brokers there.  And I am with Matt Tolooee at Metro Real Estate Group. 

Interviewer:  Okay and what areas are you specializing in? 

Greg:  I specialize in pretty much anything, I hate to say that it's that broad, but the only thing that I don't do is commercial work and the primary reason for that is, I work by referral.  And by referral, I don't like turning things away that I don't have control of, hence so I try to do whatever I can, whenever somebody is referred to me. 

Interviewer:  Have you dealt with many short sales or bank owns?

Greg:  Unfortunately, we have to deal with all those things.  In the past 10 years, I've done everything from lots, short sales, manufactured homes, multimillion dollar homes, ranches, everything, when I first got started up I primarily focused on HUD foreclosures and investment properties. 

Interviewer:  Okay and how do you feel that Colorado Springs market is doing now?  

Greg:  I think it's doing pretty well.  I don't know that there's a market in the US that's doing wonderfully but, if, if somebody wants to sell their home and they have the right kind of information, I think they can do pretty well.  It's the factor of selling homes is all about, how you bought the home and how long you had the home.  And then have an agent that actually can provide you with the right guidance to keep you either out of deep water or to actually skim some off. 

Interviewer:  Right, do you feel like the market down there is stabilizing a little bit, do you think that you're starting to pick up a little, are you still seeing a lot of foreclosures? 

Greg:  Well I, I actually watch the foreclosure list and I still see a lot of foreclosures.  I think it's a tricky market for sellers to actually sell properties but it's a wonderful time to buy, and even if you had to sell and then buy, it's really still a good time.  I don't think there is a bad time here. If somebody said, "When is the best time to buy a piece of property?"  The answer would be... five years ago...10 years ago.  So today will be that "ten years ago" or "five years ago".

Interviewer:  Exactly, do it when you can right now. 

Greg:  Absolutely.  Get on the merry-go-round when you can. 

Interviewer:  Exactly, so what do you enjoy most about real estate?

Greg:  If I had to pick something that I enjoyed, it was probably the clientele of the buyers.  They are happy to be there as long as you get them in the right direction, make sure the financing is working well they are just a pleasure to be with all the time.  There's nobody more gracious than a buyer when you hand them a key at closing. 

Interviewer:  Well how can customers reach you?  

Greg:  Customers can reach me via the web at greghowardrealtor.com.  You can also find me at Metro Brokers on their website at Greg Howard.  You can also reach me on my cell phone which is 719-445-9515.

Interviewer:  All right, Greg thank you so much for coming in and sharing all that with us today. 

Greg:  Very good, it was a pleasure, thank you. 

Interviewer:  All right, and for more real estate related videos like this one be sure to tune into Metro Brokers TV online. 

Posted in Buyer Resources, Seller Resources, Metro Brokers Agents

Starting a New Chapter in Life?  Mary Ellis of the New Century Group can help smooth the way and meet your goals.  Whether it's a new marriage, divorce, retirement or expanding your family, Mary can help you with all your real estate needs.

Interviewer:  Hi I am Kathy Soltero with metrobrokerstv.com, and today we're in the studio with Mary Ellis, she is with the New Century Group.  Mary, thank you so much for coming in today. 

Mary:  Thanks for having me. 

Interviewer:  Tell me a little bit about your business, how did you get started?  

Mary:  Well, you know I started doing property management when my children were babies as a more flexible career and then it was just kind of an organic transition into real estate sales. 

Interviewer:  What do you enjoy most about it?

Mary:  Well you know real estate involves me and the most intimate details of people's lives, their homes, their money, their families and being involved with people while they are trying to make, meet some goals and make a new chapter their lives is very fulfilling. 

Interviewer:  Now you have told me about some recent transaction that you had or experience you've had...

Mary:  Yeah.

Interviewer:  How much that impacted you?  

Mary:  You know I really love to help people move on, for example I was just working with this lady and she was moving down to a smaller house, retiring after losing her husband and so she had told me her and her son's goal was to maximize profits while having an easy transaction.  So they listened to my advice, they priced the home competitively, they cleaned it, they staged it, they went under contract in two weeks. 

Interviewer:  Wow!

Mary:  It closed within six, without any issues.

Interviewer:  It still can happen, can't it?  

Mary:  Right.  Indeed. 

Interviewer:  What do you see are the trends in the business right now, what do you think is happening?  

Mary:  Well I really see that we're seeing problems in the higher-priced homes with short sales and foreclosures, so that has kind of moved up to a greater than $500,000 market.  And also because of the issues with tight credit, we're not seeing as much new construction.  So there is really is more resale business going on. 

Interviewer:  What are the types of customers that you kind of focus on in your business? 

Mary:  Well I like to say that I'm in the business of change.  So typically I'm working with people who are starting a new chapter perhaps they're getting married or they're getting a divorce.  They're having babies or their children are grown and moving out.  Perhaps they have gotten a promotion or they are being transferred, they might be having financial difficulties or a windfall.  So you know it's a fun time to work with people while they're in transition.

Interviewer:  There are all kinds out there. 

Mary:  Yes.

Interviewer:  And every reason to sell or buy a home.

Mary:  That's right. 

Interviewer:  How can people contact you now Mary, most importantly?  

Mary:  Well my website is www.maryellis.com, that's M-A-R-Y-E-L-L-I-S or my phone number is 303-661-9999.

Interviewer:  Mary, it's such a pleasure talking with you today, thank you so much for coming in. 

Mary:  You bet. 

Interviewer:  And for more real estate related videos like this one be sure to tune into Metro Brokers TV online. 

Posted in Buyer Resources, Seller Resources, Metro Brokers Agents

Mary Barela-Cordova is a Seniors Real Estate Specialist who specializes in downsizing.  She is the managing broker of Metro Brokers Bear Creek office and handles all types of residential real estate and is an expert working with banks and bank-owned properties, relocations and first time home buyers.

Interviewer:  Hi, I am Kathy Soltero with Metro Brokers TV and today we have in the studio with us Mary Barela Cordova and she is with BC Realty.  Thank you so much for coming in Mary. 

Mary:  Hi Kathy. 

Interviewer:  Tell me a little bit about yourself and your business. 

Mary:  Well I'm pretty excited because my husband Mike and I just opened up our own Metro Broker office.  It's the most recent Metro Broker office opened in the state of Colorado, last July we opened it and we now have 23 agents. 

Interviewer:  Wow! That's awesome. 

Mary:  We are very excited, it's a fabulous location, we're in Lakewood and we are right next to Bear Creek, which is great because our name is Metro Brokers Bear Creek. 

Interviewer:  Very good. 

Mary:  And then my office is BC Realty because of my last name Barela Cordova but I grew up in the BC, in the Bear Creek area.

Interviewer:  Okay, so a lot of identification there. 

Mary:  Yes, yes so we are very excited. 

Interviewer:  How long have you been in the business?  

Mary:  I have been in the business 10 years, and I've been with Metro Brokers for seven and at about year six, no I'm sorry at about year five, I started looking into opening my own office, so we took a little bit of time.  And a lot of thought, and lot of planning and it was all set perfect last year. 

Interviewer:  What about your experience in real estate, what sort of designations do you have in the 10 years you have been in the business, I'm sure you have probably done a lot. 

Mary:  I have done a lot, I'm a certified residential specialist, I'm an REO certified, which means I work with banks and bank owned properties.  And I'm also an SRES, which is a Seniors Real Estate Specialist working with people that are downsizing and that kind of thing.  So I also have that designation and I'm a managing broker.  So I have eight associates that I manage personally.  And  one of the big things when we were opening our office is we wanted to make sure that we had people that were positive, energetic, caring people come to our office and that's what I'm looking for with my new brokers and actually I'm looking for more brokers now.  So I'm on my way.

Interviewer:  That's excellent, you are involved in your community, tell me about some of the programs that you are involved with? 

Mary:  My husband and I have always been supporters of Colorado Cerebral Palsy.  So that's an organization that's very dear to our heart because we have some personal experience there with Cerebral Palsy.  And we've always supported them and then once a year, they have an annual car show at the Arapahoe Community College right there in campus.  We have a booth there, and we get our name out there, and we get to meet a lot of nice people and it's just for great cause. 

Interviewer:  So for real estate how is anybody going to get a hold of you?  

Mary:  Oh wait! We missed one more thing, The Seniors' Resource Center, I am a big supporter there, as well, I'm so sorry. 

Interviewer:  We know with your designation that's important because you have that kind of connection there.

Mary:  Absolutely and I am, have been very involved there, my mother was a social worker there for 20 years and worked with people that have Alzheimer's and stroke victims and I volunteer there and I also helped them, they're building a new building.  So I helped to raise money and give money and that kind of thing as well. 

Interviewer:  How can clients get a hold of you?  

Mary:  You can always reach me on my cell phone at 303-931-5871.  And of course if you Google me, because this is, you know I'm way up there, you are going to see all my information, but certainly you can e-mail me as well at mary.bcrealty@comcast.net.  Just like my name of my business.

Interviewer:  Okay, well thank you very much for coming in and sharing all that with us. 

Mary:  Well you're welcome and thank you for asking me to be here and I look forward to helping Metro Brokers grow and now it's a great time to join, it's a fabulous corporation and we're always looking for excited, energetic realtors that want to work with us.

Interviewer:  Good, Mary thank you very much for coming in today.  We really appreciate, you sharing all that with us. 

Mary:  You're welcome. 

Interviewer:  And for more real estate related videos like this be sure to tune in, online to Metro Brokers TV. 

Posted in Movers and Shakers, Metro Brokers Offices, Metro Brokers Agents

The Colorado Expansion Compensation Program at Metro Brokers is designed to reward Brokers with financial compensation for recruiting new brokers, and also allows the company to provide additional benefits and services by investing more resources toward technology, and increasing brand recognition. 

The program is open to all brokers of Metro Brokers, and expands your personal income with every broker you recruit. You will receive $80 within 30 days of the new recruit's first payment. After 12 months, your total compensation adds up to $480 for recruiting ONE new broker!

Metro Brokers, Inc. has the best business model for REALTORS® who want to work independently, while at the same time cultivate their careers under the umbrella of an established and recognizable brand name. Educate other REALTORS® on the benefits of working with the amazing structure of Metro Brokers, Inc. For more information contact:

Jill West - Membership Director

Metro Brokers, Inc.

Ph: 303.843.0100

Email: Jill.West@MetroBrokersCorp.com

Posted in MBI Advantages, Join Metro Brokers, Announcements, MBI FAQ, Metro Brokers Offices, Metro Brokers Agents, Metro Brokers Staff, Membership Info

Metro Broker, Brian Wess of Infinite Realty specializes in Military relocations, HUD, bank-owned properties and short sales.  His experience in Colorado Springs and El Paso County will help you find the home you are looking for.

Interviewer:  Hi, I am Kathy Soltero with metrobrokerstv.com and today we are joined in the studio with Brian Wess, he is with Infinite Horizons Realty in Colorado Springs, welcome.

Brian Wess:  Hi, how are you doing?

Interviewer:  Good, tell me a little bit about your business, where you are at and what you are doing?

Brian Wess:  Well I'm located down at Colorado Springs; I handle the entire Colorado Springs community and pretty much most of the, the western El Paso County area; deal mostly with relocations, military relocations, I'm also a specialist in, in HUD foreclosed bank owned properties and short sales as well, so.

Interviewer:  Right, well Brian how long have you been with Metro Brokers?

Brian Wess:  I've been with Metro Brokers since 2004, and just recently opened my own office down in Colorado Springs.

Interviewer:  And that is Infinite...

Brian Wess:  Infinite Horizons Realty, yeah.

Interviewer:  Okay, and what brought you to Metro Brokers?

Brian Wess:  The talented people that work with Metro! Tony Marietta, who is, just a great friend of mine and a couple of other people who I had tremendous respect for in the industry, I discovered one day that they were all Metro Brokers and so I did a little bit of research and I found that the most experienced and most talented brokers in Colorado were Metro Brokers.  So that's what caused me to come over and I joined up with, originally, with Pat Newell who is down in Colorado Springs.

Interviewer:  Do you find that there are certain areas of Metro Brokers that are really helping you in your business?

Brian Wess:  Yeah, the search tool is something that I use heavily for my clients, to attract business and to be quite honest just the name recognition, the signs, you know whenever somebody sees that stop sign on the yellow background, it catches their eye and they know right away that that's somebody that they can trust and know that they can deal with.

Interviewer:  Do you have any certifications other than your real estate license?

Brian Wess:  Actually, yeah it's funny you ask, I have a whole list of, as a matter of fact, a lot of people always go, what is all this alphabet soup after your name?   I'll go down the list for you, I'm a Certified Residential Specialist, CRS; I'm also an ABR, Accredited Buyer Representative; I also have my GRI, which is a Graduate Realtor Institute and then I have Short Sale Foreclosure Resource Certification from NAR, and Certified Sellers Representative, Accredited Seller Representative, Certified Neighborhood Specialist and e-PRO technology certified. 

Interviewer:  Wow! So really what all of that means is that you have had a lot of education.

Brian Wess:  Yeah I believe education is the key; it has always been the key to any job I've worked in.  The knowledge that you have to have nowadays to do real estate properly is extensive and you have to keep updating it.  I attend at least one class a month to do that and I feel it's important that I treat it as a profession, so that when people come to me they know that like when they go to their doctor or when they go to their accountant or their CPA, they are getting somebody who is knowledgeable and up to date on what is going on to advise them.

Interviewer:  Correct, absolutely.  Well Brian thank you very much for joining us today...

Brian Wess:  Thank you. 

Interviewer:  In the studio and congratulations and keep up the good work.

Brian Wess:  Thank you so much.

Interviewer:  And for more real estate related videos like this one, be sure to tune into metrobrokerstv.com.

Posted in Movers and Shakers, Ownership, Metro Brokers Agents