Above: Doug and Paige McLaughlin.
Paige McLaughlin was a college graduate working in the financial services industry when she met and married her husband, Doug, another Colorado native and a second-generation REALTOR®. It took 11 years of seeing how much Doug loved his work, she says, before she had her ‘Aha moment.’
“I realized,” says McLaughlin, “that real estate was as much about lifestyle in the splendid state of Colorado as it is about buying and selling.”
Newly licensed, she joined him in the industry six years ago, and the two became a team under the RE/MAX Alliance banner, serving the greater Denver area (Milehighliving.com) and specializing in resales as well as newly developing subdivisions.
Today, supported by a project manager and a marketing administrator, the McLaughlin Team rates in the top one percent of Denver-area teams, posting more than $65 million in sales last year and projecting that the 2023 real estate market will continue to thrive in their state despite rising interest rates and inflation.
Barbara Pronin: Paige, what gives you confidence about the strength of the Colorado market?
Paige McLaughlin: For one thing, people will always need to buy and sell houses, and today there is great demand, especially among younger buyers. Some 81 percent of younger millennials purchased their first homes in 2022, according to NAR, and Gen-Z buyers are coming up right behind them. For another, Colorado, with its good economy, continuing job growth, and amazing year-round recreation, is truly a destination state – and we represent homes listed for well over $2 million, but also entry level homes within the state’s median sale price, which last year was $545,000.
BP: How do you and Doug split your responsibilities?
PM: With 25 years in the business, Doug is a negotiation expert and a member of the RE/MAX Platinum Club. He is knowledgeable and passionate about Colorado real estate, and he’s fantastic working with buyers and sellers at all price points – so much so, that most of his business these days is referral-based. He’s also a short sale and foreclosure expert. I mostly head up our business development efforts. I work a lot with real estate developers, from raw land purchases through the subdividing process, and then exclusively market and sell the land and any custom speculative homes that are built. Right now, for example, I’m really proud to say, I’m the exclusive listing agent for Colorado’s first professionally managed farm-to-table custom home community, Fox Hill.
BP: And you work with a support team of two.
PM: Yes, Doug and I are the only licensed agents, but we are able to do what we do thanks to the assistance of our wonderful project manager/sales assistant, Chelsea, and Alix, our marketing and sales coordinator and amazing social media expert. We also have part-time help available when we need it, for networking purposes and hosting open houses.
BP: How do you operate and communicate as a unified team?
PM: It’s a very collaborative process. We work out of a wonderful old 1912 farmhouse, and we’re at the conference table almost every day, brainstorming and briefing each other on our various projects. Real estate is a very trust-driven business, and so is working as a team. We trust in one another’s passions and capabilities, but we know how important it is to stay informed and bounce ideas around together.
BP: What do you think are the differentiators that make your team successful?
PM: We very much believe in quality over quantity. We don’t buy leads. We don’t have to. We have a long-standing reputation in our service areas for custom, white glove service, for ensuring that every client receives the very best of care whether it’s a luxury estate or a first-time condo transaction. We pride ourselves on doing just a little bit more–assisting our clients through the moving process itself, helping them to find just the right decorator, home stager–whatever they need to make their relocation as comfortable and worry-free as possible.
BP: Any plans for expanding your team?
PM: We are not actively exploring adding to our team, but we would be open to the opportunity if it presented itself and the right fit came along.
BP: Any advice for teams just getting started?
PM: Be authentic. Know the strengths of every member of the team, capitalize on those strengths, and concern yourselves with providing excellent service. That’s what will earn you the trust and confidence of buyers and sellers in your community.
McLaughlin Team Listing
List Price: $2,900,000
Location: 2404 Fox View Trail, Franktown, Colorado // Fox Hill Farm to Table Custom Home Community
Features: The Ce’zanne, where elegant contemporary architecture meets the rolling hills of Colorado–move in ready Fall 2023. Crafted and built by Picasso Homes, the Ce’zanne is an inviting contemporary design that is poised on 1.5 acres that is purposefully positioned to take in the views of the Rocky Mountains. Custom features and details include: An impressive courtyard entrance flooded with natural light that allows for an immediate grand view corridor of the Front Range, private primary suite with a fireplace, 5-piece spa bathroom with modern “wet room” bath and shower combination, a coveted attached yoga studio and an expansive walk-in closet.
Opposite the primary suite is an exceptionally designed open-concept great room with expansive vaulted ceilings that has access to the covered deck, with unique architectural features including iron posts to frame the landscape. Boasting contemporary yet inviting interior selections, the open-concept kitchen with custom tongue-and-groove wall details provides a hidden pantry, Dacor appliances, island with custom wood details, all steps away to the dining area–an entertainer’s dream.
Completing the main floor, a main floor office/guest ensuite with 3/4 bath, laundry room, and a spacious mudroom connects to the expansive 3-car garage with sky high ceilings for car lifts. Descending to the lower level with the floating staircase, a spacious rec room, 24×24 altered state tile fireplace, a modern wet bar, and a split plan that provides private bedroom spaces, secondary laundry option and full walkout access to the gently sloping yard. Three bedrooms in the lower level, two of which are connected by a Jack and Jill bath with private exterior entrance, the other found behind a secret door to a private fifth bedroom suite. This home features every contemporary amenity, with the 1G of pre-wired fiber optic technology and the sustainable, farm-to-table lifestyle of Fox Hill.
For more information, and to see a slideshow of the property visit https://matrix.recolorado.com/matrix/shared/yLBLSwxYnvc/2404FoxViewTrail.
