Colorado Springs Real Producers

21/01/2025

Please welcome Ryan Warrum, founder of Freedom Real Estate Photography, aboard Colorado Springs Real Producers as one of our preferred vendors!

Ryan's goal is to create an experience for their real estate clients and make everything as easy as possible. They will do what it takes to get the home ready to photograph, such as move furniture or offer a helping hand. Plus, they have no cancellation or reschedule fees!

Outside work, the team at Freedom Real Estate Photography enjoys volunteering with local food pantries and pouring into community!

Real Estate Professionals, please add Freedom Real Estate Photography to your vendor list! - (719) 675-5115 - www.freedomrephoto.com

20/01/2025

Tommy Kenney -Realtor never intended to follow his family’s footsteps into real estate. Although his grandfather, his parents, and his brother were all in the industry, Tommy chose to pursue a counseling and social work degree instead and to follow his own dream: to work with kids. While in college, he worked with Young Life in Chicago, a Christian nonprofit, to build positive mentoring relationships with children. When he finished college, he was presented with two choices to work full-time in schools. As he prayed about which choice to make, he received an unexpected answer: to move back to Colorado instead. Tommy felt uncertain about leaving a city he had grown to love and the community he had built in Chicago.

He followed the guidance, however, and returned home. Soon after, when praying about his next steps, he received the answer: to jump onto his family’s path and pursue a career in real estate. He went to work for the family’s small mom-and-pop brokerage, serving as the Office Manager while he worked toward his own license. His brother Mike had just taken over the 40-year-old company’s leadership, and Tommy helped put more infrastructure in place to support the growing business.

Written By @
Photography By CasaBay Photography

Tommy's full article here: https://www.realproducersmagazine.com/issue/colorado-springs-january-2025

17/01/2025

Meet Jennifer 'JZ' Wood! Originally from Idaho, JZ has dual-citizenship and spent 13 years in Australia before landing in Denver. With a background in property management and a passion for real estate, JZ made the leap into the industry after returning to the U.S. in 2010. She built her business from the ground up, despite knowing no one in Denver, and soon found success.

After relocating to Colorado Springs in 2019, JZ rebuilt her business with the help of relationships from Denver, and within six months, she was back in action.
JZ enjoys giving back to causes like Tri-Lakes Cares, Habitat for Humanity, and the Pikes Peak YMCA. She loves traveling with her husband, Dr. David Feuer, and exploring new places, the most recent being Bhutan, Asia! New Zealand and Australia are on the horizon this year to visit her two daughters who have returned downunder.

Stay tuned for more from JZ in an upcoming edition of Colorado Springs Real Producers!

15/01/2025

Oscar Murillo first entered the real estate industry as a Listing Manager with Keller Williams in North Carolina. Less than a year later, when COVID hit, Oscar was laid off and moved to Colorado, securing another Listing Manager job with a Keller Williams office here. Oscar got his real estate license in 2021 but continued in his Listing Manager role for a while before deciding to take the leap and become a full-time agent.

Oscar’s first full year of production was in 2023. He shared that it was challenging to get clients at first, but he quickly learned the importance of follow-ups. He recalled that his first client was a “For Sale By Owner” seller that he converted. This client had multiple homes, which led to Oscar’s interest in helping investors and flippers. Now, as “The Sober Realtor,” Oscar supports Hispanic and Spanish-speaking flippers and investors. Soon, he will begin exploring the investing world for himself.

Written By Tabby Halsrud
Photography By CasaBay Photography

Oscar's full story here: https://www.realproducersmagazine.com/issue/colorado-springs-january-2025

14/01/2025

Originally from Gunnison, Colorado, Sumer Liebold and her husband enjoyed the island life for about a year before returning to Colorado Springs. Sumer joined her brother doing rentals at a corporate housing company before earning her real estate license in 2009. Now, she works with 8z specializing in the Old North End. She has built an expansive network of people she truly cares about. Sumer and her husband were involved in launching an organization called Couples Who Care, which raises $10,000 per quarter for local charities. Sumer is proud to share that they have given $225,000 so far!

Sumer and her husband have three children, ages 14, 12, and 7. The family loves skiing and are eagerly awaiting a trip to Europe.

Watch for more on Sumer in a future edition of Colorado Springs Real Producers.

10/01/2025

Born in El Salvador, Celina Ortiz’s family relocated to the United States when she was seven and moved to Colorado Springs when she was in high school. After school, Celina worked as a CNA. As a former military spouse, Celina experienced relocations, which shaped her resilience and adaptability. During this time, a tough decision had to be made to stay home to care for her newborn daughter, who faced health challenges. She worked in the beauty industry for a while, but after two car crashes, long hours standing on her feet started to take a toll on her body. A few of Celina’s clients were real estate agents, which piqued her curiosity and ultimately led to a career change in 2021.

Celina’s first deal was a Zillow lead in Genoa, Colorado but now most of her leads come from personal connections. Now, Celina loves working with the Latino community and is proud that she has helped one of her clients purchase three homes in three years. She views real estate as an opportunity to build wealth and create legacy. Celina has always been committed to giving back. She served as a founding director of the Southern Colorado NAHREP chapter, which recently closed. When she’s not working, Celina loves spending time with her children, ages 21, 16, and 14.

Watch for more on Celina in a future edition of Colorado Springs Real Producers!

Celina Ortiz

09/01/2025

Partner Shoutout: Please welcome That 1 Painter Colorado Springs aboard Colorado Springs Real Producers as one of our preferred vendors!

Real estate agents: please add That 1 Painter - (719) 602-5636 - to your vendor list so they can help get your listings ready to sell! They also help with handyman work around the house too!

08/01/2025

Ann Kidd True North Realty’s real estate journey has been pretty typical - learning more about the business models and systems each time she switched brokerages. She shared that her twenty years in real estate has humbled her.

“I don’t think you ever really master this career. Every single transaction provides an opportunity to continue on a trajectory of growth. As soon as I start feeling cocky about my abilities, I am slapped by the real estate Gods into servitude.

This industry is ever-changing, and it requires a diligence that I’d never experienced before. To say I’m proud to be part of this profession is an understatement.”

Written By: Tabby Halsrud
Photography Courtesy:

Read Ann's full article here:
https://www.realproducersmagazine.com/issue/colorado-springs-january-2025

06/01/2025

The Real Producers Dodgeball Tournament for Charity is back!

Showcase your team spirit by entering a team of 6 Real Estate Professionals into our bracket-style, single-elimination tournament. The winning team will receive $2,000 to donate to a charity of their choice!

Spectators are welcome!

Sign your team up via Eventbrite link below before we run out of entry slots! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/real-producers-dodgeball-tournament-for-charity-tickets-1127087552209?aff=oddtdtcreator

Headline sponsor: Chicago Title of Colorado Springs

Join your industry peers in a friendly dodgeball tournament. Winning team will receive $2,000 to donate to a charity of their choice.

20/12/2024

From his time in the Air Force to his current role in real estate, Rob Thompson has kept service for others at the forefront of everything he does. Having grown up in New Jersey, Rob Thompson first arrived in Colorado as a cadet at the Air Force Academy. During his nine years of active duty, he and his wife moved four times with two young children. When they decided they wanted to settle down, Rob went to work as a network engineer and later manager for MCI, now Verizon. After 18 years in corporate America, Rob was ready for a new opportunity.

Rob started investing in real estate in 2002 and soon grew his portfolio to 12 properties. The agent who helped with his investments was determined to recruit Rob to join his team. Eventually, Rob decided to make the career shift and joined Mark McWilliams at RE/MAX. Rob recalled, “Mark was an amazing mentor and taught me how to really do real estate right.” During his three years at RE/MAX, Rob started as a buyer’s agent before adding listings and ultimately becoming a lead buyer’s agent, training new agents who joined the team.

Rob later moved to Coldwell Banker, where he has been growing his own team - . He now has a licensed assistant who shows properties and handles inspections and Rob’s son-in-law covers the Denver market. Rob has plans to organically grow his team in the future and is currently looking for the right agent to join the team in the Colorado Springs market. He is open to connecting with agents who are seeking new long-term opportunities.

For Rob's full article: https://www.realproducersmagazine.com/issue/colorado-springs-december-2024

Written by: Tabby Halsrud
Photography by: CasaBayPhotography

15/12/2024

Kayla and Jed Olson aimed to create a way for their home to pay for their travels. They ended up re-inventing what it means to be a management company for short-term rentals—and landed among the fastest-growing companies in the STR management market.

To understand the power of small-yet-bold decisions, consider the start of the Olsons’ business, Travel to Profit, where an iPhone camera and a margarita paved the way to short-term rental success.

She describes Travel to Profit as a “marketing first” management company that specializes in positioning client homes as luxury properties, emphasizing wow factors that produce phenomenal occupancy rates and nightly rates. Their mission is clear: keep homes fully booked and highly profitable. And their strategy is paying off.

Check out their full article here: https://www.realproducersmagazine.com/issue/colorado-springs-december-2024

Written by: Barbara Gart
Photography by: CasaBay Photography

13/12/2024

Real estate has been a dream career come true for Susan Koutantos. As a teen, she had a vision to sell homes but didn’t earn her license until 2004. Susan was a stay-at-home mom before separating from her husband, then operated a residential cleaning company for three years. She joined 6035 Real Estate Group in 2021. After a short break from real estate, she realized she missed the excitement of negotiation and has been getting back into sales and loves supporting military buyers.

Outside of work, Susan is passionate about animals and has another dream: to buy a 40-acre parcel of land to convert to a refuge for dogs. She has four dogs of her own and ten chickens! She enjoys gardening, wine tasting, and being grandmother to a 3-year-old.

Watch for more on Susan in a future edition of Colorado Springs Real Producers!

12/12/2024

After launching her real estate career in 2021, Ashley Cerasuolo experienced early success. She had been a stay-at-home mom for 11 years, and launched her real estate business in Arizona.

She had 21 homes under contract within her first two months, and closed 72 homes her first year. When she returned to Colorado 18 months later, she had to start over but her success followed her. She was on a team for a short while but eventually transitioned to be on her own. Driven by an insatiable desire to help more people, Ashley wanted to teach new agents how to succeed in the business. “It’s an expensive career to get into,” said Ashley. “I wanted to build camaraderie among new agents and help them create strong foundations to support their success.”

Ashley can talk to just about anyone and is very present in social media, activities that help build her business. She has a soft spot for buyers and a passion for VA - she loves the constant change and the fact that doors are always opening. Ashley also finds the thrill of negotiation riveting. For example, when she’s working with buyers who have less income or smaller down payments and think they won’t be able to get into a house, Ashley is inspired to help theCapture Life Photography

Ashley's full article here: https://www.realproducersmagazine.com/issue/colorado-springs-december-2024

Written by:
Photography by:

10/12/2024

Welcome Dave Wright, owner of ExperTech Environmental as a new advertising vendor in Colorado Springs Real Producers! Please consider them for all your Radon Testing and Mitigation needs! 719-568-9142

Check out their ad on page 9 of our December edition. Thank you to all our advertising vendors for supporting our platform!

06/12/2024

Marti Bourn had always been interested in real estate, but pursued a different career path first. She started as a part-time receptionist for Super Cuts but was promoted to a management role within her first month! She worked her way up through roles such as Assistant Manager, Store Manager, District Manager, and ultimately, Regional Manager over five states. After the company reorganized, Marti decided it was time to make a career shift and she earned her license in 2013.

Marti did 25 transactions her first year and loves guiding her clients to find their best-fit house. Marti is an independent agent but is on a team with other independent agents such as Katy Ely and Catherine Adkins.

Watch for more on Marti in a future edition of Colorado Springs Real Producers!

05/12/2024

Born and raised in Dalhart, Texas, Mercie Presley-Curbow’s roots are grounded in hard work and integrity. Growing up on a farm and ranch, she learned the value of grit and perseverance early on. She carried that determination with her into college, paying her way through Texas Tech University, a tribute to her parents’ tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit. She was eager for a new adventure and moved to Colorado Springs, ready to make her mark.

Mercie spent 23 successful years co-owning and operating a Century 21 franchise and an independent brokerage before transitioning into sole ownership of a more intimate, boutique real estate agency. This move allowed her to offer a personalized, high-touch approach to her clients, building on her rich experience in both the franchise and independent real estate worlds. Throughout her career, Mercie has mentored and trained numerous agents, helping many discover their potential in the industry—a passion that continues to drive her today as she manages her team of agents.

Full article here: https://www.realproducersmagazine.com/issue/colorado-springs-december-2024

Written By: Vivian Downing
Photography By:

28/11/2024

🎄✨ Join Us for a Tour of the Festival of Trees at Meridian Ranch! ✨🎄

🙌We’re so excited to be a sponsor of the Festival of Trees 7th Annual Meridian Ranch!

This heartwarming community event brings together beautifully decorated trees & wreaths to benefit local nonprofits via silent auction. Each tree or wreath is donated and decorated by a local business, non profit, or individual.

🗓️ Event Details:
📍 Meridian Ranch Recreation Center
📅 November 23rd–November 30th
📌 10301 Angeles Rd, Peyton, CO 80831

💥 Bid in person during these hours:

Saturday, 11/23: 8 AM–6 PM

Sunday, 11/24: 9 AM–5 PM

Monday–Wednesday (11/25–11/27): 5 AM–8:30 PM

Black Friday, 11/29: 8 AM–4 PM

Saturday, 11/30: 8 AM–6 PM (during the Hearth and Holly Holiday Market!)

🌟 Why You Should Attend:
This festival is more than a celebration of the holiday spirit—it's an opportunity to support our community. Each tree, wreath, and crafted piece at the festival has been lovingly donated and decorated by local businesses, organizations, and individuals; with proceeds going directly to their chosen nonprofit.

By attending and bidding, you’re making a tangible difference in the lives of others and helping local organizations continue their incredible work.

💓 Let’s show the power of our community by coming together to support these important local causes. Your bid could mean a brighter holiday season for those in need!

25/11/2024

In 2014, Jerome Hanson with Hanson Realty returned to the States from Germany and was stationed in Arizona. When he and his family decided to purchase a home, Jerome quickly realized what a good investment it was. He was still in the military, but turned himself into a real estate investor almost immediately with no plans to ever become an agent. He developed a good sized portfolio of investment properties, which helped him learn the ins and outs of purchasing, selling, and renting. His final duty station was at Ft Carson and Jerome and his family moved to Colorado Springs during a great market. When Jerome retired from the military, he got his license and launched his real estate career in November 2021, then started Hanson Realty 2 years later.

Jerome’s transition to real estate was made easier by his prior experience with investing; he understood the process and the contracts and already had a good idea about how to find leads. The biggest challenge he faced was learning how to better understand his clients to help them through the emotional ups and downs they experience through the process. Jerome elaborated, “I’m still learning how to navigate the emotional aspect of two people trying to get the best deal and not always remembering there is another human on the other side. I work to create a win-win and help my clients see when they are getting a good deal.”

Written by: Tabby Halsrud
Photography by: Capture Life Photography

Full article here: https://www.realproducersmagazine.com/issue/colorado-springs-november-2024