By Anthony Welch

Brent Demos, real estate broker and co-founder of The Platinum Group, isn’t cut out for a job that requires him to punch in and out.

That’s part of why he’s enjoyed his 31 years working as a realtor. Demos was brought into the business by his mother Dot Demos, who worked as a realtor for 40 years. After attending Western State College and playing football there (he played defensive back), Demos jumped into the real estate business on a part-time basis at first.

“I came back and got my license,” he said. “It was a tough time to get into real estate, so I started a landscaping company.”

What started out as a smaller landscape and home improvement company quickly grew and expanded. Demos eventually had to rent a larger warehouse space in downtown Colorado Springs to operate the business. He did landscaping in the summer and sold real estate in the winter. He then sold the landscaping business in 1998 and focused on real estate full-time.

“My mom was twice Colorado Springs’ Realtor of the Year,” he said. “She was a great realtor, so that’s how I got involved.”

Demos went to work at the realtor group his mom was working at – The Patterson Group.

“It was a very elite company, and they only had 21 agents. They normally didn’t take new agents but they took me,” Demos said. “They showed me my ‘office.’ They pulled me into the maintenance room and said, ‘What do you think?” I said, ‘It looks great.” They put in a desk and a phone. They were really great people.”

In January of 2005, Demos was one of eight realtors who started The Platinum Group. The business now includes 72 agents, he mentioned.

“Everyone in our office has seven to eight years of experience,” Demos said. “They all know what they’re doing.”

Four years ago, Demos’ wife Kimber transitioned into real estate. She had worked the previous 20 years in the mortgage industry and in banking prior to that. Now the couple works together. It’s part of the freedom of the job Demos enjoys.

“I like making our own schedules. Our Mondays are really relaxed, and we get our week in order and make our appointments,” he said. “Not having to be at a certain place at a certain time, not clocking in/clocking out. I’ve been self-employed since I was 18 years old. I like that life.”

There are many benefits to having Kimber work alongside of him, Demos mentioned. She’s great at working with people and handling technology, something that’s not necessarily in Demos’ wheelhouse. He also thinks homebuyers prefer working with a couple.

“We do make a good team. When we go to listing appointments, it’s good to have both of us there. We have four eyes looking at each property,” Demos said. “People that list their homes like to have us as a team as opposed to one person. I think it makes them feel more comfortable. Basically, they’re getting two realtors.”

Brent and Kimber attended Wasson High School, though Brent was a few years ahead of Kimber.

“He played football with my brother,” she said. “I always had my eye on him, but we didn’t start dating until later in life.”

A major change Demos has noticed in the real estate business is the number of people becoming realtors. There are more agents, but they’re not all knowledgeable on the workings of real estate according to Demos.

“We’re seeing these new agents come in and they don’t really know what they’re doing,” he said. “If we do a transaction with a new agent, it seems like we have to do their job for them. ‘Did you get the appraisal ordered? Why didn’t you send over the inspection yesterday? Oh, we forgot about it.’”

“A lot of people go into real estate thinking it’s quick, easy money, but they don’t realize how much work goes into being a realtor,” Kimber added. “Once you’re under contract, getting it to the closing table is where the real work begins.”

For more on Brent and Kimber Demos, visit www.BrentDemos.com.