About Me
It’s about the people.
I arrived in Fort Collins 1978 when I followed my future husband to this northern Colorado town
with a population of about 65,000. Neither of us had ever been here before but my future
father-in-law had found Fort Collins to offer everything he was looking for as a place to start his
foundry business.
I had left the small Kansas town where I grew up six years earlier, following a path that led me
to Sarasota, Florida, back to the Kansas City area, then to Grinnell, Iowa, where I completed
my Art degree with teaching certification in 1977.
The art teaching opportunities for a recent graduate were hard to land in Fort Collins, and
substitute teaching was recommended to secure a place in line. At the end of a year as a
substitute teacher, I was encouraged to “stay with it for another year”. Instead, I chose a
course correction into the world of banking.
My short term expectation for this career path turned into the long term, as I moved from the
teller line to the new accounts desk, then into the lending department where I also processed
collections. I eventually found my way into the arena of mortgage lending and stayed for 17
years.
At the time, the mortgage lending process typically required face to face client interactions and
applications were completed by hand and on typewriters. Closing documents were prepared in
triplicate with carbon paper, without errors.
When the mortgage world began to shift to an online process, and customers could complete
much of their application without meeting the loan officer in person, I recognized the need for
another course correction.
I was studying for my real estate licensing test on 9/11/01, and when I showed up at the
RE/MAX Advanced office a few weeks later, several seasoned agents strongly suggested I
return to mortgage lending while I still could.
I had worked with hundreds of clients in 20 years of banking and mortgage lending, but I
quickly discovered that my relationship with my real estate clients led to a deeper connection.
Whether it was an excited first time buyer, or an investor purchasing their next rental property, a
couple in the throes of divorce, or the widower moving into assisted living, their stories became
the reason for my work.
And that continues today, as the contract gets longer, the list of disclosures grows, and more
contingencies are added to the process. From the first interaction to talk about buying or
selling, and finally sitting at the closing table either handing over the keys or receiving them, the
process continues to become increasingly complicated.
The reason I do what I do is the people, some of whom have now been clients since the late
1980s. Some have moved away, some have passed away, some have had children who have
also become clients. In all cases, I’m grateful for the opportunity to hear their story and be part
of their journey.
How can I help you with the chapter of your life that involves real estate?
Contact Sarah Bennett