After months of talks and planning, the Summit and Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors Associations announced Friday that the two groups have merged to form Altitude Realtors.

The newly combined association, which became effective Feb. 2, will serve more than 1,000 primary Realtor members and a total membership of some 1,700.

The merger also will bring Steamboat Springs Realtors into the Summit MLS, or Multiple Listing Service. The new association jurisdiction will encompass Steamboat Springs and Summit, Routt, Lake and Jackson counties as well as Park County up to Kenosha Pass and the Colorado Trail.

A Friday news release said the decision to merge “comes after extensive discussions between the leadership of both associations, recognizing the potential synergies that will arise from this strategic collaboration.”

“With this coming (together) of minds, we are able to have a stronger voice, reduce costs to our members through stronger vendor negotiations, partner with like-minded realtors from other counties and position ourselves better in an ever-changing environment,” said James Howser, Altitude Realtors new president and a real estate professional in Steamboat.

Among the reasons behind the merger is the Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors was seeking a customized MLS system that addressed the community’s unique resort real estate. At the same time, Steamboat association CEO Ulrich Salzgeber will retire Feb. 29 after eight years in the position and 19 previous years as a real estate professional in Steamboat. Salzgeber’s wife, Janet, recently retired after 45 years working at Steamboat Resort.

In addition, the two associations already shared a number of staff members.

Sarah Thorsteinson, CEO of Summit Realtors that offices in Dillon, worked for the Steamboat association as the contract government affairs director.

“We knew Sarah, her work ethic, extensive industry knowledge and ability to motivate the people around her,” said Niffy Bube, SSBR past-president.  

Elisabeth Salzgeber, the longtime office manager for the Steamboat association, also works as membership manager for the Summit association.

“The Summit Realtors board of directors had focused for several years on partnerships and collaboration with other mountain resort Realtor associations because of similar markets and community issues,” according to the news release.

With Ulrich Salzgeber retiring, Thorsteinson will lead the newly merged association as the CEO. She previously served as the CEO of Summit Realtors for nine years. Before that, she served as shared government affairs director for six resort real estate associations in Colorado through a span of seven years.

Since 1972, Summit Realtors has served as an advocate for the local real estate industry, providing members with professional development and business tools, technology resources, market data and political advocacy. The group includes 1,000 primary, secondary and affiliate members.

Since 1981, the Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors supported the real estate industry and its current membership of almost 450. The strategic priorities of the Steamboat association include community service, education, networking, advocacy and financial solvency and responsibility.