Selling The Mountains

Andrew Ernemann is the #1 broker in Aspen and the top performing agent for Sotheby’s International in the world. The Real Trends annual rankings list - The Thousand - recently named Andrew the #4 broker in the United States out of 1.4 million licensed realtors. Accolades aside, Andrew’s unique position that sets him apart is about having great data and the ability to provide information to his clients and colleagues that cannot be found anywhere else, or in a format they haven’t seen before. He is a trusted advisor to his clients and friends, and in the season finale of Selling The Mountains, Andrew’s point of view and super successful approach to the business of real estate comes through with precision and clarity.

In our conversation we discussed current trends heard from guests during Season 01 driving the mountain real estate economy. We dove into topics like the sustained demand and continued decline in inventory to the psychological permission sellers now have to list their properties of intrinsically high value given a new high-water mark has been set. We covered the pocket listing phenomena and public IPO’s of local brokerage firms. Lastly, we talked about marketing trends, mentorship, partnerships, and the keys to long term success that any broker should adhere to when entering the business, or sustaining a presence, in a market like Aspen.

Andy Gunion is the managing partner of East West in the Roaring Fork Valley. East West Partners has developed some of the world’s top resort and urban communities, hotels, and office buildings. They’ve earned a reputation for innovation and design, from the famed escalators of Beaver Creek to the iconic train canopy at Denver’s Union Station. Andy has been with the company for 17 years and took over the Snowmass Base Village development 4.5 years ago.

During that time, the Limelight Hotel and residences was completed anchoring an entirely reimagined village core and community gathering place. Under Andy’s leadership, the team at East West and Slifer Smith & Frampton sold-out the Viceroy residences, Lumin condos, The Havens, One Snowmass East and West, launched a new residence club, and most recently broke ground on Electric Pass Lodge.

In our conversation we covered the vision, partnership, and opportunity it took to resurrect the unfinished Base Village development. While not every resort warrants a village, those that do, should carefully heed lessons from the past combined with the right lifestyle components, residential units, and local operators focused on the true user experience. Finally, we talked about what it took to engineer and launch Electric Pass Lodge – a groundbreaking all-electric, ski-in/ski-out condo residence 100% powered by renewable energy.

Ep. 22 takes a deep-dive on the affordable housing crisis exacerbated by the pandemic-fueled mountain town housing boom. The issue is currently playing out in towns across the west and is on the minds of workers, longtime locals, elected officials, and regional housing authorities. The lack of affordable housing is more acute than ever and has transitioned into a labor crisis. Guests Jason Blevins and Skippy Mesirow offer their deep understanding of the topic coupled with first-hand knowledge. We honed in on the problem and offered potential solutions to this volatile issue that is truly an existential threat to the character that makes our mountain communities so special.

Jason Blevins is an award-winning writer at The Colorado Sun, a digital media outlet focused on local journalism directed by readers and owned by journalists. Jason has been covering Colorado business – sports, tourism, mountain culture, and the resort industry – for decades and recently penned several in-depth stories on the affordable mountain town housing crisis currently impacting Colorado.

Skippy Mesirow is serving his first term as Aspen’s youngest City Councilperson and has served as a political intern, staffer, campaign manager, activist, and organizer at the national, state, and now hyper-local levels. To subsidize his public service habit, he is the general manager of SkyRun Aspen, a vacation rental and property management business. Skippy is an outspoken advocate for affordable housing in Aspen and chairman of the board for the Aspen Pitkin County Housing Authority.

Tim Belinski is president of IND Ventures, one of the most successful developers in the Roaring Fork Valley. Prior to moving into residential and commercial real estate, Tim was CFO at Sport Obermeyer, a storied Aspen company started by Klaus Obermeyer. Tim’s financial acumen, communication, vision, and community relations led to the resurrection, and eventual build-out, of Willits Town Center in Basalt. Now he has his sights set on old town with multiple projects in the works including Basalt River Park and a new mixed-use building and neighborhood grocery story with a residential component to create vibrancy in the downtown core.

In our conversation we talked about the importance of timing with every real estate project, especially as it relates to community acceptance. We also discussed the need for workforce housing in mixed-use developments representing a component of the project that not only has demand, but makes for great year-round neighbors. Lastly, we dove into the maturation of the mid-valley around Basalt driven by residential housing first and now being followed by commercial and business — ultimately creating vitality and less need for commuting.

Leah Moriarty brings over 35 years of experience representing buyers and sellers in the Roaring Fork Valley. She loves sharing her community with clients and has been voted the #1 broker and served as president of the Aspen Board of Realtors. Walker Moriarty was born and raised in Aspen and moved to New York City after college and worked at a privately backed software company. With an innate desire to get back to the mountains, Walker recently made the move home and partnered with his mom to create Team Moriarty.

In our conversation we discussed the trust and ground rules necessary to forge a successful broker partnership, perhaps even more so when it’s family. We also talked about revamping and modernizing the Team Moriarty brand utilizing lessons from Walker’s digital marketing and sales experience working in New York City. Lastly, we covered the importance of giving back, showing up, volunteering, and supporting the local community — but most importantly, the notion of a successful realtor ultimately becoming part of their clients lives.

Tom Sherlock has been building and remodeling homes in the Roaring Fork Valley for over 20 years and is the founder and principal of SH Building Group. As a boutique firm, SH Built limits the number of projects they take on each year, allowing them to stay focused on their clients’ needs to ensure every project is held to a rigorous standard. Tom is involved in daily operations and oversees the successful completion of every project. Together with his team, SH Built has remodeled over 400,000 square feet of commercial and residential spaces in Aspen, Snowmass Village, and the Roaring Fork Valley.

In our conversation we discussed the challenges of the pandemic-fueled construction boom and what it takes to transition from a start-up to a successful firm that can compete with established builders. We also talked about how planning ahead for a major project, before permits are issued, can make a huge difference when it comes to organization, preparation, timelines, and creativity of the finished product.

Ali Phillips is an executive vice president and partner at Obermeyer Wood Investment Council, an independent registered investment advisor and financial planning firm based in Aspen and Denver, Colorado. Ali manages client relationships, working closely with individuals and multigenerational families, as well as advises on asset allocation and investment strategy. Prior to joining Obermeyer Wood in 2005, Ali was a vice president at Goldman Sachs and worked at Salomon Brothers in the US and London.

In our conversation we discussed the concept of human capital and how our best savings and investment is taking our profession and leveraging it. We also talked about the challenge of finding a fulfilling non-traditional career in the mountains, but that it may take flexibility, patience, and focus to find the right fit. Lastly, we dove into investment strategy and the importance of a slow and steady approach versus taking a big gamble with your hard earned wealth.

Dan Dockray has been sharing Telluride with his clients for almost 20 years and finds no greater pleasure than helping others immerse themselves in both the local culture, and community. In addition to being a broker associate for LIV Sotheby’s International Realty, Dan has been an active member of Search and Rescue since 2002. That level of commitment demonstrates his extraordinary level of service and ability to deliver for each and every client. Combined with his unparalleled knowledge of the area, countless connections and long-lasting relationships, he is the ideal broker to introduce Telluride to the Selling The Mountains audience.

In our conversation we discussed Dan's philosophy of bringing the entire community behind him for support and how tremendously important your reputation is in a small town like Telluride. We also talked about the pace of high-net-worth people moving to town and how it’s accelerating the housing problem for locals. Lastly, we talked about listing Tom Cruise’s ranch and the property itself — one of the most unique and beautiful in all of Colorado, and maybe the United States.

This episode flips the script with Andrew Travers, editor of the Aspen Times Weekly, in a conversation about lessons learned from the first three months of the podcast. We discuss current trends impacting the brokerage community, revisit the pandemic-fueled mountain real estate boom, and look ahead to the busy summer selling season. Ep. 15 is a companion piece to a feature story in the May 6 issue of the Aspen Times Weekly written by the host Christian Knapp.

Pete Deininger has lived in Breckenridge since 1994 and it’s safe to say he has truly found his home. Since starting his real estate career in 2008, he has been following his passion for helping others realize their dreams of home ownership in the mountains. He feels fortunate to have combined elements from previous careers — custom home building, web development, digital marketing, and customer service — into his daily real estate life. By applying these learnings, he has quickly risen to the top 1% of brokers in Summit County, Colorado. Pete is the proud owner and Team Lead of the Breck Life Group at eXp Realty.

In our conversation we discussed Pete’s path to success by being truly a good listener and asking really good questions. His focus on lifestyle and creating memories afforded by owning in the mountains versus thinking of the property as an investment. Lastly, we talked about leveraging platforms like Zillow as a wealth of misinformation, often leading to new business.