Name: Scott Franklund

Real Estate Market: Denver and Boulder, Colorado

Where are you from originally? I was born and raised in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. Though I’ve traveled the world and lived in other U.S. cities, I returned to Boulder to raise my family and build my real estate business. Boulder offers an incredible quality of life and economic climate that allows me to successfully balance family commitments with professional pursuits.

How long have you been working in this market? 20 years

What makes this market so special? Colorado’s Front Range, which encompasses both the Boulder and Denver real estate markets, is a hotbed of opportunity for a multitude of reasons. The area averages 300 days of sunshine per year, second only to Miami. But that’s just the beginning.

Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine recently ranked Boulder, Colorado, No. 4 on its list of "10 best cities for the next decade." Why? Because this thriving community is more than a town. It’s an experience. From the jagged rock formations known as the Flatirons that rise dramatically from Boulder’s western foothills to the Spanish-tile roofs crowning the timeless architecture of the University of Colorado campus, Boulder is a community that has masterfully merged natural beauty with institutional tradition, artistic expression and a zest for innovation.

Boulder’s physical splendor makes it a playground for cyclists, hikers, climbers and runners of every ability level. It was recently named the third best bike city in America by Bicycling magazine and last year was ranked fourth best running city by Runner’s World magazine.

As a college town, Boulder boasts a highly academic population that helps feed the entrepreneurial spirit that largely defines much of the area’s business environment. Boulder is home to more than 6,600 small businesses and corporations and the city was just named America’s best city for tech start-ups in a Bloomberg Businessweek report.

Boulder is a unique market because its inherently appealing characteristics— recreation, fine dining, the arts, business, technology, academics, family life and many more —make it highly desirable to so many walks of life. But the common denominator is that people are happy in Boulder and it shows.

As a native, I have watched Boulder’s superb quality of life earn the city countless top rankings on national “best of” lists. Consider these recent media accolades: 

    Happiest and Healthiest City, Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index

Top 25 Destinations in the US, TripAdvisor

Top Ten Best Places to Live in America, RelocateAmerica

America’s Smartest City, Forbes magazine

The West’s 20 Best Small Towns, Sunset magazine, 2009

Top Ten Best Midsize Metropolitan Areas, bizjournals.com

America’s Top Town to Live Well, Forbes.com

Ten Top Wine Destinations, Food & Wine

No. 1 City to Raise an Outdoor Kid, Backpacker magazine

Best Cities for Gen Ys, BusinessWeek.com

America’s ‘Greenest City’ (multiple awards)

Adding to Boulder’s allure is its close proximity to Colorado’s state capital, Denver, which is just 35 minutes southeast of Boulder. Nicknamed the “Mile High City” (its altitude is 5,280 feet … one mile above sea level), Denver is a vibrant metropolis with the professional sports teams, major music venues, extensive park system, great restaurants, shopping districts, a thriving arts community, night life and the overall ‘hip factor’ expected of a major American city. And it’s located just an hour from the world-class ski resorts that draw millions of snow-seeking tourists from around the globe.

Denver has become a major hub for business due to its equidistant location between the west and east coasts as well as easy access from Denver International Airport to Canada and Mexico.

Like Boulder, Denver’s diverse attributes and superior quality of life have helped it weather the economic storm better than many cities its size. In May 2009, Denver was featured on the Today Show/MSNBC as the No. 1 city in the nation where the housing market is most likely to recover, calling Denver “the perfect real estate success story.” The rating was based on eight recovery potential characteristics: job growth, growing population, good weather, first-time buyers, no overbuilding, vital downtown, educated populations and foreclosures that occurred earlier in the recession time frame.

What will be your yearly sales for 2009? Forecast for 2010? My 2009 sales were $25 million. Based on current sales volume and market activity, I project my 2010 sales to reach or exceed $40 million.

What is your formula for keeping your high-end and/or high profile clients happy? My success in Boulder and Denver’s luxury real estate sector is a direct reflection of my tireless commitment to superior property marketing and a white-glove approach to client service.

As a listing broker, I operate on the belief that every estate or luxury home is unique and deserves a customized approach when preparing it for presentation to a global audience of qualified prospects. When I take on a new listing, I first deploy the talents of highly skilled photographers, writers, graphic designers and multi-media specialists to ensure the property’s presentation, both online and in print, is of the highest caliber for a worldwide audience. Then I use a diverse, multi-tiered marketing strategy that “leaves no stone unturned” when exposing the property to targeted buyers on a local, national and international level. Print publications that regularly feature my listings include Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Country Living and Haute Living. Online exposure is generated through a creative and aggressive mix of email marketing as well as SEO, social media and public relations tactics.

It is imperative that from the time I take on a new listing until the transaction is complete that the marketing and sales process delivers high-quality service while having minimal impact on the sellers’ daily lives. Luxury home owners and investors are busy people. They turn to me to get a job done professionally and efficiently. I have a systematic process and a highly trained team in place to ensure all aspects of the marketing and sales process happen seamlessly without depleting a seller’s valuable time.

What type of individual/family does your market appeal to? The incredible thing about both Denver and Boulder is that each market has so much to offer so many types of people who long for a healthy, well-balanced life. I have helped countless young families establish roots in these cities. The active lifestyle, diverse educational opportunities and thriving business sectors offer the ideal work-life balance for families seeking to commit to an area where they can do it all: raise happy kids, enjoy a busy social life and have a prosperous, stable career. With a sophisticated shopping and dining scene, a thriving arts community and the great outdoors right in the back yards of Boulder and Denver, those nearing or in retirement find the area equally alluring.

Many high net-worth individuals and families with whom I work can afford to live anywhere in the world, but, after comparing cities and towns across the United States and beyond, discover that Boulder, Denver and Colorado in general offer an incomparable all-around quality of life. And it’s a quality of life that is here to stay. With 67 percent of Boulder County’s land dedicated to parks and open space in perpetuity, the Boulder area’s natural beauty and recreation won’t be trampled by growth and development. It is an irreplaceable gift for future generations.

What is it about the area that is attractive to those seeking a luxury lifestyle? For those seeking a luxury lifestyle, money doesn’t typically dictate one’s decision to live in a particular city. Rather, factors that dominate the decision-making process include climate, job opportunity, educational options, recreation, easy access to travel hubs, an innovative spirit and an area’s natural beauty. When compared to cities of its same size across the country, Boulder is off the charts in these categories. It’s a university town with an average 300 days of sunshine per year and some of the world’s most spectacular outdoor terrain in the world is literally just steps from people’s front doors. This same combination of mild climate, endless recreation and educational opportunity has laid a foundation for individuals and companies seeking a home-base for their innovations. Boulder was ‘green’ long before green was an eco-conscious buzz word. In fact today Boulder is a major hub of green innovations, leading the United States in capital infusion and grants from the Obama administration for green start-up companies and incubators.

Conoco Phillips conducted a national search to relocate its green alternative fuels plant. After applying a computer filter application with selections including days of sunshine, quality of life, housing market metrics, education ratings and logistics, was computer’s clean choice Colorado as the state of choice. Upon choosing Colorado, Conoco Phillips then did the same computer analysis for cities within the state. Boulder was tops. The new Conoco Phillips campus is under construction, and the billion-dollar endeavor will ultimately employ 7,500 people. This is just another feather in Boulder’s highly celebrated cap.

In your opinion, what are the best, most exclusive neighborhoods in your market? In the Boulder market, the most exclusive residential pockets include the Newlands, Mapleton Hill, Niwot (a bedroom community of Boulder infused with high-end residential neighborhoods like Somerset Estates), Chautauqua and Waterstone.

Among the most lauded neighborhoods in Denver’s luxury housing market include Cherry Hills, Cherry Creek, Polo Club, Cherry Hills Village, The Preserve, Bonnie Brea and Hilltop.

Where is the first place you would take a visitor from out-of-town and why? The most impressive perspective of Boulder and the entire Front Range is from Flagstaff Mountain located west of downtown Boulder. To look down on the city and be able to see from the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park to the north and Pikes Peak to the south is a rare and breathtaking experience. It allows me to give a bird’s-eye tour of the area while giving visitors a lasting impression of Colorado’s Front Range.

Where are the best luxury shopping venues in your city? Boulder’s main luxury shopping venues are the Pearl Street Mall and the Twenty Ninth Street retail district. Pearl Street Mall comprises four historic blocks in downtown Boulder. Exclusive to pedestrians, this area is the cultural pulse of Boulder. It is home to dozens of art galleries, boutiques and sidewalk cafes, and 85 percent of its stores or eateries are independently owned. The new Twenty Ninth Street retail district in east/central Boulder is an outdoor lifestyle mall with dozens of the nation’s leading retailers.
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->
<!--[endif]-->

Cherry Creek Shopping District is not only Denver’s premier luxury shopping district but is the most upscale retail experience in the entire region. Cherry Creek North has 320 independently owned shops, boutiques, galleries, restaurants, and spas, while Cherry Creek Shopping Center offers an additional 160 brand name stores like Neiman Marcus, Tiffany & Co., Burberry and Louis Vuitton. The Cherry Creek Shopping District is one major stop along the 22-mile Cherry Creek Bike Path that connects the area to downtown Denver, where other shopping options include the 16^th Street Mall, Larimer Square and Denver Pavilions.

What are some of the notable spots in and around the area for outdoor recreation?

It is often said that Colorado has everything but the ocean. It’s true. While we can’t market ocean-front property, some of the country’s most incredible terrain is right in our backyard. Boulder and Denver are just 90 to 120 minutes from world-class ski resorts like Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Winter Park and just a ways more to the more remote resort towns of Steamboat Springs, Aspen and Telluride. Denver and Boulder’s central location offers easy access to any one of Colorado’s 10 national parks and monuments, 13 national forest and grasslands and 42 state parks. Our Rocky Mountain paradise is home to veins of hiking and mountain biking trails, some of the world’s best whitewater rafting and kayaking, world-renowned fly fishing, dozens of horseback riding stables and equestrian trails for every level, incredible ascents for rock and ice climbing, high-country lakes and reservoirs for boating, and award-winning golf courses with stunning mountain backdrops. It’s truly a year-round haven for adventure seekers and outdoor lovers of every age.

Favorite restaurant: Frasca Food & Wine (Boulder)

Best steakhouse: Flagstaff House (Boulder)

Best sushi: Sushi Zanmai (Boulder)

Best pizza: Abo’s Pizza (Boulder)

Best dessert: The Kitchen (Boulder)

Best place for a romantic date: Flagstaff House (Boulder)

Best Sunday brunch: Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse (Boulder)

Best place for a power business meeting: St. Julien Hotel (Boulder)

Describe your city in three words: Sophisticated. Youthful. Majestic.

If you weren’t in real estate sales, you would be… It would fulfill a personal dream to own and operate a safari company in Tanzania or on the Okavango Delta in Botswana. The wildlife, people and landscape of these regions have been a lifelong passion and interest of mine.

When not selling properties, what is your favorite pastime? I enjoy mountain biking and fishing in Colorado’s great outdoors and spending time with my wife, Jill, and two daughters, Savannah and Skye.

If you could live anywhere and money was not an object, where would you live and why? My choice cities would be Vancouver, British Columbia, or Cape Town, South Africa. Both of these cities are clean, friendly and multicultural, and each provides a relatively safe environment for raising my daughters. They also compare to Boulder in that they boast a plethora of educational and recreational opportunities. Vancouver provides a great international business climate and offers both the beauty and enjoyment of the ocean and the mountains. It is an all-around incredible destination as one can travel by boat or float plane to many sanctuaries in the island chain … all just minutes from what I regard as the best city in the world.