Arn Rasker Reprint

“I have childhood memories of my dad driving up the narrow and winding road, up towards the top of the Irazu volcano, in Costa Rica, when the villagers were all desperately traveling in the opposite direction because my dad wanted to see the lava flow firsthand and close-up.”

Arn Rasker recollects his childhood as a series of adventures. From exploring Mexico and its many small historic villages through timed road rallies with his parents to climbing some of the tallest mountains and volcanoes in Europe and Mexico, to bicycle trips through Mexico, the US, and Europe. “I didn’t grow up in a financially wealthy family, but I was lucky enough to be living a life of exploration and adventures, with a focus on experiences.”

Arn Rasker, a dynamic real estate professional, has a diverse background of cultures and adventures. He speaks three languages with native proficiency.

Originally from Holland but born in Canada to parents who immigrated there after World War II, he moved frequently during his childhood, residing in Holland, Costa Rica, and Mexico

City before the family settled in Madrid, Spain. Now, armed with these rich experiences, he brings an unparalleled perspective to the world of property dealings with Sotheby’s.

With a father deeply involved in scuba and shipwreck diving and exploration, as well as being a member of an underwater museum in Mexico City, Arn developed a passion for the ocean. He initially planned to pursue ocean engineering and applied to universities along the coast. He initially chose Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida. With one week until moving day, he discovered the University of Colorado had also accepted him. So, he unpacked the scuba gear and wet suits and packed his climbing, camping, and cycling gear for his new life in Boulder, Colorado where he pursued a major in mechanical engineering and a minor in business.

After graduating from CU, Arn quickly secured a job with Pepsi in Mexico City amid a significant peso devaluation. Facing financial challenges due to inflation and high living costs, he transitioned to a position in New York with IFF, International Flavors and Fragrances, but declined a subsequent opportunity in Brazil. Returning to Boulder,

he realized that he was meant to live in Boulder and hasn’t left since. He secured a job in engineering through several days of personal delivery resume distribution.

Arn says, “When I returned to Boulder, I literally had just enough money for the first and last month’s rent on an apartment. I only had a hundred bucks left which I spent on printing resumes. I went into industrial parks and walked door to door. On day three I received a job with a company that did a lot

of business in Europe, in the field of fluid flow. I became an applications engineer and my territory was Europe and Mexico, and they had me traveling quite a bit, which was perfect for me at that time.”

After two years with this firm, Arn ventured into entrepreneurship, which included co-founding a luxury and performance car dealership in Boulder, which sold specialty cars such as Alpina BMW’s, Ruff Porsche’s, AMG Mercedes’, vintage German cars, and

other collectibles. From there he started a fifteenyear-long venture with a software company that he founded, specializing in automotive service business integration. Parallel to the software company, Arn ran a computer hardware company that specialized in ruggedized servers and workstations for use in hostile environments such as industrial applications. Over time, his company grew to employ 56 individuals, serving clients across all 50 states and in several European countries.

After fifteen years in the computer world, Arn took a year off to design, engineer, and build a home for his family in the mountains. He enjoyed the process so much that he started a construction company, which encompassed architecture and home design, custom luxury home construction, energy-conscious design, and commercial construction.

“Real Estate marketing was always a plan for me, in the long run. I just wasn’t ready for it earlier in my life. This is work that I can do until I’m in my 90s, and I love doing it.”

The accumulated knowledge from designing, engineering, and building high-end custom homes, along with his broad business background,

IS WORK THAT

CAN DO UNTIL I’M IN MY 90S, AND I LOVE DOING IT.

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allows Arn to relate to his clients and to the homes that his clients are buying or selling. Initially, Arn began his real estate career with a small boutique brokerage in Boulder that specialized in unique and luxury properties.

“My decision to join them was largely influenced by my prior interactions with Tom Kahn, the managing broker at the time, and his customer-centric business style. I learned quite a bit from Tom and appreciate the opportunity of working with him. However, in 2020, that business model, and the industry in general, faced some disruptions due to Covid.”

“The entire 2020 period led me to transition to Sotheby’s International Realty, where I’ve been for the past

four years. Sotheby’s brings together so many elements of a business that are important to me: The International scope of business is a significant factor. We have offices in 80 different countries and a very tight referral network. Most importantly, our client’s welfare is always the highest priority. Education and knowledge are valued and are of utmost importance, as our role is primarily that of a trusted advisor. I don’t feel like I’m “selling” a home. I simply provide a maximum amount of knowledge, research, and information so that my clients can make informed decisions. It’s refreshing and very rewarding to be in that position. It’s also important to me to know that when my clients need assistance buying a home in another state

or country, I have a network of the best brokers in the business to help me with my client’s needs.”

Arn anticipates that the real estate industry will undergo some changes in the future. However, he feels that most of the changes will affect primarily the “commodity” type transactions. He believes that the luxury and unique home business, in which he is significantly involved, is somewhat different.

“In marketing and buying luxury homes, we’re delivering lifestyle. We’re delivering art. We’re delivering architecture. We’re delivering sunshine. We’re delivering views. We’re delivering proximity to the things that our clients like to do, whether it’s the

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I HAVE A NETWORK OF THE BEST BROKERS IN THE BUSINESS TO HELP ME WITH MY CLIENT’S NEEDS.

church they want to go to, the coffee shops they’d like to hang out in, or the things and activities they want to be close to. All those elements are usually much more important to the client than the commodity and investment aspects of the house alone.”

Arn’s daughter, Kasia, aged 31, is also a licensed Realtor and collaborates with him as a member of the team. In addition to her real estate endeavors, she works in sales and operations management for a national fiber optics and telecom company. Kasia’s expertise lies in process control, systems analysis, analytics, and contract review, skills she has honed over the past eight years, making her an invaluable asset to the team.

Arn’s son, Anders, aged 29, has recently shown interest in the real estate industry, particularly on the commercial side.

Drawing from his extensive experience gained from assisting Arn with all aspects of construction, he possesses a diverse skill set, ranging from design, electrical, and plumbing work, to carpentry and welding, to cabinet work and tile installation. Arn is currently guiding his son through the process of entering the real estate business, with hopes of leaving both his daughter and son in a position where they can continue his legacy in the field.

Arn and his wife, Roseann, who is originally from Minnesota, have been married for 33 years. In the past, she played a crucial role in their computer and construction business, managing tasks like bookkeeping, invoicing, and other administrative duties. However, as time has passed, she has transitioned into focusing on managing their household affairs as the CEO of their home.

When discussing travel, Arn says, “I love exploring new places, but especially Mexico; my heart lives in Mexico, so we frequently visit.” He mentions visiting Mexico five times just last year. He is also expanding his real estate business into various Mexico locations. Additionally, last November they also traveled to Holland to visit Arn’s few relatives who still live there. Most of his relatives have moved to overseas locations, such as Brunei, Abu Dhabi, France, and Spain, and one cousin lives on a large ship and is almost always at sea.

When it comes to organizations that Arn supports, he is passionate about Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Sea Shepherd’s sole mission is to protect and conserve the world’s oceans and marine wildlife. “I love the ocean and I also think the ocean is a key ingredient to our future success.

If we keep screwing it up at the rate we’re doing in many places, it won’t be sustainable. We need the ocean for food, for carbon cleanup, and for many other reasons. And we’re not doing it well. Sea Shepherd demonstrates significant effectiveness in shutting down certain operations, particularly large food and fishing factories. These measures help prevent the over-exploitation of entire bays and marine resources by these ships.”

In Mexico, particularly in Baja, Arn was involved in organized efforts to protect a large underwater national park, Cabo Pulmo, where he volunteered for several years. He and others fought against destructive developments that

threatened the Cabo Pulmo National Park’s extensive reef system. In the local Boulder community, he often engages with members of the Latin American community, supporting and advocating for them in various ways. Among other things, he assists them with employment by connecting them with individuals from the real estate and construction communities.

As Arn continues his career in real estate, he is enormously grateful to be living and working in Boulder since 1975. “Living here for almost fifty years has been fantastic. I love this place. Living in Boulder has all the obvious benefits, such as beautiful natural surroundings, a health-oriented

lifestyle, and very interesting and educated people everywhere. However, working in the real estate industry in Boulder has the added benefit of working in a culture of professionalism and mutual respect among the members of the real estate community. Boulder is a great place to work for those reasons. The work that the real estate community does here is very important, and we, as realtors, should continue to strive to keep this work at a professional level. Most importantly, I hope we can keep striving to make our work fun.”