The Group Real Estate Expands Mobile Broker Model; Plans to Close Horsetooth Office 

In the almost 48 years since The Group Inc. Real Estate was founded on February 14, 1976, it has always looked to lead the way in Northern Colorado real estate. That includes being the first company to list both the price and the address of listings in newspaper advertising. Now, as it adapts to 21st-century  technology, The Group is making another strategic move to prepare for the future. 

The Group recently launched a mobile broker model, accommodating the 29 sales professionals who choose to work remotely. Consequently, with the need for less office space, The Group plans to close its 40-year-old office on Horsetooth Road. 

When The Group built its second office at 375 E. Horsetooth Road in Fort Collins in 1983 and served 18  sales partners, “This location was on the south edge of Fort Collins, which is obviously not the case anymore,” explained The Group President/CEO Brandon Wells.  

“With our mobile agent model, we can consolidate our Fort Collins office space,” Wells continued. “We  will be reinvesting to expand our presence in Weld County and in other growing communities to the east  and south of our traditional service area.”  

The Group’s presence on the south side of Fort Collins will continue to be anchored by the Harmony  Road office, which opened in 1999. A new Timnath office, which opened in 2022, is well-situated to serve the fast-growing communities of eastern Larimer and western Weld counties.  

Larry Kendall, a co-founder of The Group, said the latest move adheres to an ongoing philosophy at The  Group, “Success comes to those who get in front of the inevitable.” That was the motivation to open the  Horsetooth office in the first place as we knew housing was being developed south of Horsetooth Road.  In fact, he said, “We had trouble getting financing for the building because the banks thought it was too  far out of town.” 

The Group heard the same skepticism when it decided to build on Harmony Road, Kendall recalled. “At the time, there was nothing on Harmony Road except for Hewlett-Packard. We were in a cornfield.” Even the Fort Collins Post Office initially declined to deliver mail to the new building, he said. Now, Horsetooth Road is considered “Midtown” Fort Collins, and some 40,000 cars a day drive past The  Group’s Harmony Road office while only 26,000 drive by the Horsetooth location.  

“The Group always wants to be a leader and get in front of the inevitable. The trend towards sales  associates being more mobile and working remotely has caused us to realize that we don’t need as many  bricks and sticks,” Kendall explained. “The Timnath office was built with the modern, more mobile  Realtor in mind and will be a model The Group uses as it expands.” 

The Group has not waivered on its commitment to those customers and communities where it has roots and will maintain two offices in Fort Collins, two in Loveland, one in Timnath, and one in Steamboat  Springs. It is closing the Horsetooth office from a position of strength. In fact, its strategic vision for growth is reflected in an increasing market share, which for 2023 was up 5.4 percent in Windsor, 5.5  percent in Fort Collins, and 8.8 percent in Timnath.  

The Group will put the 12,750 sq. ft. office building on the market this spring.  

About The Group: 

The Group is a Northern Colorado real estate company founded on a strong history of leadership, values  and a philosophy of empowering both people and organiza=ons to build las=ng rela=onships, prosperous  lives and create a meaningful impact in our community and beyond.