From left, Scotta Larsen, Wendy Bowen and Jill Weisswasser
The Denver Trio Team began almost 10 years ago with three women who share the same passion for real estate. Hailing from Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota, they possess what they like to call “that Midwest work ethic and kindness,” believing strongly in building relationships and doing what is best for their clients. The team has expanded to eight women who pride themselves on providing clients with a comprehensive home-buying or -selling experience.
The three team leaders include Wendy Bowen, Jill Weisswasser and Scotta Larsen.
Bowen, from Iowa, has always had a passion for real estate. She gained a broad knowledge of Denver living, residing in Colorado for more than 15 years. Having lived downtown, as well as in the Denver Tech Center, Lone Tree, Castle Rock and currently in Highlands Ranch makes her a good choice to help people unfamiliar with the area. She has also moved across the country several times over the past 20 years and understands the challenges that her relocation clients might face.
Weisswasser was born and raised in Michigan. She and her husband moved to Colorado in 2001. After a successful career in procurement and project management in the high tech industry, she decided to pursue her passion for real estate. Her strong business background has furnished her with excellent negotiation skills, meticulous attention to detail and a firm understanding of the importance of carefully written contracts.
Larsen grew up in Minnesota and moved to Colorado in 2006. She purchased her first investment property in 2014 and found her passion for real estate. She has since purchased additional investment properties in Colorado, Florida and Arizona. As a mom of three kids, all now in college, she has valuable information about school districts, schools, neighborhoods and amenities to help clients choose the neighborhood and house that best fits.
The three women collaborated in answering questions from RISMedia about their business, which is aligned with Realty ONE Group.
How long have you been in real estate?
We started our real estate career in December 2015 as a team of three. Our team is unique in that we split everything evenly: work responsibilities, marketing, expenses and commissions.
Why do you prefer working on a team over working alone?
Working in real estate can be a 24/7 job, and finding that work/life balance can be a challenge. As working moms, we need to juggle running our business, family and kids, all while maintaining our mental and physical health. We decided from day one that working as a team would be the absolute best way to have it all (most days)! We lean on the “Power of Three” to provide the absolute best service to our clients, but also provide balance to each other’s lives.
How do you navigate individual personalities and skill sets when working on a real estate team?
We are similar in mind, yet we each possess different strengths. While we share the same priorities and goals in life, our varied experiences and personalities give us the ability to work with anyone, in any situation.
As a team, what are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
As a team of women, we approach every transaction with the utmost dedication and care. We do it all and have chosen not to use transaction coordinators (TC) or assistants. The three of us manage every transaction through beginning to end. We are the point of contact for our clients, no one else. Our desire to do it all might also be our weakness. We could have more business and be more efficient with our time if we used a TC and assistants, but the personal service for our clients is important to us.
How do you operate as a team to ensure you’re all on the same page?
We collaborate and communicate constantly. Since health and wellness are a big priority for us, we tend to do a lot of daily planning and strategizing while working out, walking, hiking or biking. We also try to meet in person at least once a week to make sure we are all up to speed on every transaction and any upcoming events.
How is the market influencing your team when it comes to decision-making, strategy and sales?
We keep an eye on the market by utilizing all the amazing tools available to us and listening to several different experts in the financial industry to help guide our clients, whether buying or selling. This year is different from 2021 and 2022, but no matter what kind of market we experience, we continue to stay true to who we are and build our client relationships.
What can you share for managing a real estate team?
While the team aspect can present some challenges, we feel fortunate to have created such a successful one—and we feel that our clients are better served. Make sure to find people that share similar goals and have the same work ethic.
What is the secret to the success of your team?
We are like-minded, and we identified who we wanted to be from day one in 2015. We had a lot of brokerages tell us who they thought we should be when we started in real estate, but we stayed true to who we are: a team of three. We organically build business relationships and make sure our clients feel that they are our main focus in helping them through one of the most important experiences in their life.
How do you divide workload and responsibilities amongst the team to keep everyone on track and on the same page?
We always have a lead or point person for every transaction based on the amount of business we have going. Because we are constantly communicating, we all continue to know the ins and outs of every transaction, even if not the lead, to make sure that one of us can take over if needed.
What advice do you have for real estate professionals looking to join a team?
Do it, don’t wait, and find your people. The number of times we’ve said that we couldn’t do this on our own is plentiful. As a team, we always have someone to bounce ideas off of and even absorb some of the stress that happens in this business. Several years ago, we decided to add to our team in a more traditional team approach. We have added Kristen Issel, Deanna Hass, Heidi Massey, Heather Caras and Kelly Campbell. The Denver Trio has evolved into The Denver Trio Team.
What advice do you have for new team leaders?
Communication and collaboration are key.
What is the single most important factor that makes your team work so well?
We share the same goals. As we mentioned previously, we are very like-minded, and the three of us were born and raised in the Midwest. We believe there is something about that Midwest work ethic.
Talk a little bit about the culture within your team, and the goals and core values you rely on.
We wholeheartedly believe that finding balance between work and life is essential for long-term success. We have found that we are better together and encourage each other in all that we do at work and outside of work.
A Denver Trio Team property
10696 Flowerburst Court, Highlands Ranch, ColoradoÂ
$2,495,000
5 BR; 6 BTH; 6,189 sq. ft. living area; 0.4 acre lot
