Coldwell Banker Mountain Properties sees a bright future ahead in Taos, AF
Her smile began at the Texas border and grew bigger the closer she got to Northern New Mexico. Having grown up in Houston, Lisa Sutton knew in her late teens that the rugged beauty of the area was where she wanted to live. At the end of her Philmont Scout Ranch summer seasonal job, the year she graduated from Southwest Texas State college, she never went back.
Sutton is the new owner-broker of Coldwell Banker Mountain Properties (formerly Lota Realty), the oldest real estate firm in Northern New Mexico. Sutton was the owner of the branch office in Angel Fire for the last 15 years. The branch offices in Taos and Angel Fire were owned by David Buck until Sutton purchased the Angel Fire office. She has lived in the area for more than 28 years.
“This is where I’m supposed to be,” Sutton said.
Buck was a mentor to Sutton, who now brings the business full circle, with both the Angel Fire and Taos offices again under one ownerbroker.
The firm includes 19 agents, 10 in Taos and 9 in Angel Fire. Sutton sees positive growth for the agency in the near future.
“I think we’ll grow pretty rapidly once agents see what opportunities there are and some of the things we’re going to do.” Sutton said. “It is exciting.”
There will be changes, but much will stay the same, especially the community support. The agency supports, through volunteers and donations, many nonprofits in Taos, such as the Paseo Project, Habitat for Humanity, Stray Hearts, Community Against Violence and many others.
The real estate business has improved in the last two years. This year has seen better numbers in the first six months and projected sales are looking up, according to industry figures.
Sales through June for Angel Fire are up 21.6 percent over last year. Taos County sales are up more than 4 percent. Even though single-family home sales were slightly lower than in
2017, land purchases were up
33 percent. Days on the market have dropped more than 22 percent, according to the Taos County Association of Realtors and Coldwell Banker Mountain Properties websites.
“This year has been fantastic for us, both in Angel Fire and in Taos,” Sutton said.
Lota Realty was founded in
1976 and sold to Buck in 1984. The office became affiliated with Coldwell Banker in 1986. Buck will remain in Taos entering semi-retirement enjoying volunteer opportunities, skiing, golfing and traveling while maintaining his real estate license.
Sutton attributes the agency’s performance to agents who work together for the customer’s success and the success of the agency as a whole.
Brainstorming helps to sell properties.
“One agent may give an idea on a property that’s not moving and we discuss it during meetings,” Sutton says. “It may help the listing agent that may have not thought of that idea yet. It’s a common goal where everybody helps each other instead of being out there on your own.”
“We’re really going to come in with an energy to serve our clients well and we’ll be bringing in new ideas and exciting packages. People who are wanting to list their homes will know we will do our best to get them sold as quickly as possible,” she said.