Rapidly growing Realty ONE Group moves to roomier office space on Main Street

Tim Harty, The Business Times

Broker/owner Tyler Harris started Realty ONE Group Western Slope in May 2024 with a staff of three people – himself, Landon Law and Cynthea Hurst – setting up shop at 441 Colorado Ave. in downtown Grand Junction.

In July and August this year, a little more than two years later, they moved a few blocks away to 734 Main St. This time they brought 37 other staffers with them.

Realty One Group now occupies half of the second floor of that four-story, commercial building, giving it about 4,000 square feet. Harris said the agency previously had about 2,500 square feet combined from two locations: its Colorado Avenue location and some space it rented in the Lowell School, 310 N. Seventh St.

The need for the move was obvious, and Harris called it “a good problem to have.”

“We ran out of space,” he said. “Back when we were on Colorado Avenue, I had to rent a separate space over at the Lowell School building for a classroom. … We grew so much that we outgrew both spaces.

“So, I started looking earlier this year for a space that could accommodate our needs under one roof, and that’s how I found this place here at 734 Main.”

And the new space has a nice-sized corner room serving as its classroom, although when the agency had a staff meeting on Aug. 25, several chairs were set up outside the glass-walled room for overflow seating.

The new office space addressed an immediate need and also stands to address future needs.

“I think it’s going to allow us to really grow, to be as big as we want to be here in this marketplace in Mesa County,” Harris said. “And I don’t know what that looks like number-wise, but I know that we have the capacity to probably double in size if we choose to do so. I don’t know that that’s something that we will do, but we’re certainly looking to continue to expand, to grow and make our presence felt in the marketplace here.”

Realty ONE Group’s ultimate goal is for that marketplace to extend beyond the Grand Valley.

“We want to be one of the staple choices for real estate brokerages, not only in Grand Junction, but across the entire Western Slope,” he said.

Harris said it already has a “big presence” in Garfield County, and the agency will put an office in Rifle, likely in early 2027, because “a lot of our agents that work in Garfield County are based in Rifle.”

But there’s more to be had, as Harris said, “We service Montrose County, Delta County, Garfield County. We do a little bit of work up in the Rangely area. We have one of our agents that lives in Meeker, so we’ll be able to work up in Craig. We’re gonna try to have our presence from all the way up at the Wyoming border down potentially all the way to Ouray.”

Harris said there are several reasons for the agency’s growth, but one clearly stands out: the commission structure.

“We have a model that is unlike any other here in the valley,” he said. “It allows real estate agents to keep more of their money.”

Beyond that, he said Realty ONE Group appeals to agents, because it uses innovative technology; some AI applications allow agents to work much more efficiently; and the agency has “really fresh branding.”

Harris added, “And I like to think that me being a top producer in the marketplace makes me one of the better managing brokers in the market. I think that helps us grow as well.”

Realty ONE Group had an impressive initial growth spurt that set the tone, too.

“We quickly grew to 15 people within a matter of, it felt like weeks, and then from there we’ve been steadily growing ever since,” he said.

Realty ONE Group is a newcomer to the Grand Valley market, but it has lured many veteran Realtors to its ranks, whom Harris classifies as “some of the best professionals in town.” So, when residential or commercial customers are looking for a real-estate agency, he thinks Realty ONE Group belongs in the conversation.

“I know we’re the new kids on the block, but we have a lot to offer,” Harris said, “and I would love to talk with anybody that’s curious about what we have to offer.”

Gotta pay your people

Without going into detail about what is different about the commission structure at Realty ONE Group, agency broker/owner Ryan Harris said it was necessary to retool commissions in order to be competitive as a new agency in what he says is “a tough time in real estate.”

“For me personally,” he said, “I saw that affordability was going to be a problem, which means that there was going to be pressure on commissions, which meant I had to do something different than where I was before. And I was at a local company for years and years here. I was at Bray. And I just knew for me running my business, I had to have a different model for compensation, because the consumers are gonna press us to get paid less.”

Still a need for real-estate agents

Harris said consumers are finding a lot of the value they’re looking for on different websites where Realtors provide the data, such as Zillow, Realtor.com and Homes.com. But there’s more the home buyer needs to know.

“Consumers think that they’re getting all the information they need from an awesome third party, but we own that data. We create that data, and we still have a lot of value to give,” he said. “And it’s our duty to tell the public what we do and what our service entails.

“It’s difficult to stay relevant in this industry more so than ever, and you really have to be innovative. You have to have a good personal brand, deliver great personal service and educate people. … We’re consultants for people to sell their greatest asset.”