From High School Teacher to Denver Real Estate Advisor

Brock Walker welcomed Rob Tait to the Colorado Real Estate Spotlight podcast for a candid conversation about the Denver market, why pricing and condition matter more than ever, and what it takes to build a real estate career today. Rob is a Denver native, real estate leader, entrepreneur, and advisor who has helped clients navigate the Colorado market for years. He has built and led successful teams and mentored countless agents along the way.

Rob came into real estate almost by accident. He was a high school history teacher in June of 2008, and with few teaching jobs available in Colorado and no desire to leave the state, a mentor suggested he try real estate while figuring out his next step. Rob jokes that he is bad at quitting, and he never left.

Why He Loves the Work

Rob says many people enter the industry expecting freedom, flexibility, and easy money, but success takes significant work. What keeps him in it is the people. He helps clients through a difficult process financially and emotionally, becomes friends with most of them, and gets to spend work and off hours with people he would spend time with anyway. As an Eagle Scout, he has always wanted to be of service, and an industry that changes constantly keeps the work fresh. How agents behaved in 2008, 2011, and 2020 looks very different from today.

Lessons From the 2008 Market

Rob learned two big lessons early. The first is that when markets are difficult, clients need you more. In 2021, he says, you could accidentally make money by being average, but surviving 2008 required being good, putting the client first, and delivering hard truths. The second is that every market creates opportunity and risk. Even in a hot market there is bad real estate, and even in a tough market there are diamonds in the rough. Knowing your market is what separates the two.

Advising Clients Through Scarcity Mindset

During the frenzy, Rob told sellers with problem properties, such as homes on busy roads or in weaker areas, that now was their time to sell. For buyers, he asked a simple question: when you call me to sell this house in a few years, will this neighborhood, layout, and asset class still be as popular? He points to Ruby Hill as an example of an area where buyers overpaid and popularity later faded, and he steered clients toward areas like Englewood where demographics were moving.

He calls himself an advisor rather than an agent. His philosophy is to give clients every available option and the honest truth, then respect their choice. He is not the “I told you so” guy, but he wants every client to understand all the factors before making a major decision.

Lifestyle Intake and the Soaker Tub

Rob’s team does a detailed lifestyle intake instead of starting with price, beds, and baths. They want to know whether a client’s dreams are outpacing the market. The soaker tub is his favorite example: many buyers insist on one, but nine times out of ten it becomes a laundry holder. If the real goal is relaxing and unwinding, a great backyard patio may deliver more. At the end of the intake, Rob describes the type of home and area he thinks fits, and he is often spot on.

What He Sees in the Market Today

Rob says affordability is the biggest issue. He points to pressure from global events and energy supply, high rates, and the possibility that the Fed could raise rates again. He believes policymakers are trying to make the American dream achievable again without crashing prices or reigniting inflation, and that is not a simple fix.

He sees Colorado as slightly depopulating and the market as buyer leaning. Even though inventory numbers may not match the textbook definition of a buyer’s market, buyers have more choice and more negotiating power than sellers. He describes it as a needs-based market, where people transact because they must, for family or job reasons, rather than because they want to. He believes the luxury market remains more want-based.

The Biggest Buyer Misconception

Rob uses a blindfolded roller coaster analogy. You do not know the ride is climbing again until most of the cars feel it, so buyers worried about buying at the start of a recession cannot know where the market really is. Colorado may have started its downward trend a year and a half ago, and it could be anywhere in the cycle. The smart move is to work with a skilled agent, stay actively engaged, and be ready to act when the right property appears.

What Sellers Need to Know Now

Condition is widely misunderstood. If two comparable million dollar homes are on the market and one looks fresh and shiny, it will capture the available buyer first, leaving the other to wait for the next one. In a market with fewer transactions, that matters a lot.

Rob also sees sellers cutting prices too quickly. For homes over $700,000, buyers are often taking two to three showings before making an offer, so patience matters. Price drops should be based on data such as online views, favorites, and showing activity compared with other listings, not on a calendar. He criticizes agents who write automatic price reductions into listing agreements. If a well-priced home is not getting offers, the question is whether the right buyer pool is being reached or whether the marketing is turning buyers away.

Concierge Service That Fits Each Client

Rob says concierge service means choosing your own adventure. One seller who had lived hard in his home was told it needed $150,000 to $200,000 in work to get the price he wanted. The seller handed over the keys and the team coordinated the work from start to finish. An investor client in Germany has them inspect and prepare properties from afar. Other clients want to manage every detail, down to MLS photo selection.

He emphasizes the fiduciary role. If a client insists on an aggressive price, Rob will say so honestly and still work hard. His belief about a price does not affect his negotiation, but he will not pretend the market says something it does not.

Mentoring and Leadership

Rob began as a teacher and has always loved mentoring. He started a team because having people to show up for makes him show up better for his clients. Staying ahead of the market for his agents keeps his own edge sharp, and watching someone grow is rewarding. His leadership lesson is blunt: people have the ability to change, but the effort has to come from them.

Advice for Someone Starting in Real Estate

Rob’s advice is to go in full time. Keep your job only long enough to save six to nine months of expenses, then commit. Part-time agents risk doing a disservice to clients, and roughly nine out of ten fail. He also argues part-timers undermine the profession and feed the narrative that agents are interchangeable salespeople. He would like to see the industry adopt more apprenticeship and standards, similar to electricians and plumbers.

Giving Back to the Community

Rob’s team has hosted a free street festival on Gaylord Street, and he started a charity that has provided a couple hundred thousand meals in Colorado through events like the Denver winter ball. His father taught him that small businesses and communities are a circle, and that businesses need to help the communities that support them.

Who He Serves and How to Reach Him

Rob’s team does not niche by property type. They niche by people, typically professionals and entrepreneurs between roughly 35 and 55 who appreciate their depth of expertise. He notes that a transaction in which someone buys and sells at once can be more stressful than a first purchase. For anyone who wants expertise above all, he invites them to call or text him at 303-888-0194.

Rob also closes by noting how important a network of experts is, since a typical transaction involves at least nine different professionals.

Brock Walker works with buyers across Colorado on mortgage financing and is happy to connect you with the right team. Reach out to Brock to talk through your plan.

Sources

ColoradoAssociationofRealtors.com
NAR.realtor
FreddieMac.com
Redfin.com
ConsumerFinancialProtectionBureau.gov