SENNECA PETERS

Both women moved to the Boulder area for their husbands’ work and fell in love with Colorado. Melissa came first in the early 2000s. She had lived in Colorado when her dad was stationed here in the 80s, so she already knew she would like it. She loves being outside, snowshoeing, biking and hiking or doing ropes courses with her teenage boys. She also enjoys reading, baking and cooking.

Senneca came a few years later in 2010 and brought her passion for real estate with her. Always with her children, she is a bit of a True Crime podcast addict, in two book clubs and listens to the audiobooks. She hates reading and watching tv shows more than once. She’d rather experience something new. This goes for food too. She and her family are adventurous eaters who enjoy anything that has to do with food, sports or spending time together.

Senneca loved looking at Zillow for fun and watching all of the HGTV house hunting and renovating shows even though she and her husband already owned their home. While she took a break from teaching to have her third child, she helped friends find housing both to buy and rent, so when she was ready to get back to work, she decided to shift careers and give real estate a try. It was Senneca who convinced Melissa to dive into real estate as well. At the time, Melissa was working in the outdoor industry in Boulder, but she had worked for a brokerage in Arizona during the housing boom and didn’t take much convincing.

Right away the duo started working together. They attend each other’s open houses, exchange ideas and support each other any way they can. While Senneca and Melissa have their own listings and clients, they keep each other updated on what’s going on with their individual businesses, so they can step in for the other when necessary. They have every entrepreneur’s dream partnership: someone who’s fun to work with and able to help when needed, while still providing the autonomy entrepreneurs love. “We knew that’s what we wanted, so we created it,” Melissa says, “We are lucky to be able to pivot, laugh and get along together.”

Melissa and Senneca specialize in all types of residential real estate from high-end homes to custom builds to grandma’s old condo at Compass real estate’s Broomfield satellite office. They enjoy working with different kinds of people and make sure to treat all of their clients to the highest level of service possible. Moving is a big life change that both Senneca and Melissa have a lot of personal experience with, and they love being able to guide both buyers and sellers throughout the process. “Sometimes change is fun and sometimes it’s not,” says Senneca, “We’ve had clients dealing with grief and been able to help them sell, buy or downsize to start their next chapter. . . . we help make it bittersweet.”

When asked what trends they see in Boulder County real estate today

(March 2023), Senneca said, “The homes that have a good Realtor® with listing advice are obvious and still selling really fast. Having a knowledgeable, caring real estate agent makes a difference.” Melissa said, “The trend is quality and professionalism. . . . smart phone photos won’t cut it.”

One way Senneca and Melissa provide that professional quality is through staging. “Most clients already have nice stuff. They just need to stage it,” says Senneca. Something as simple as putting out wine glasses like someone’s hosting a Friday night dinner and putting away family-specific and outdated décor can make all the difference.

Another way Melissa and Senneca standout is by offering smart solutions and being meticulous. This means being very responsive to clients and other industry professionals. Melissa says, “We use numbers, stats and spreadsheets to empower our clients with data. Homeownership fulfills more than a basic need for shelter.” Both women advise their clients that finding the right fit is better than a sale. You can reach Senneca Peters at (720) 383-8833 or senneca.peters@compass.com and Melissa Wills at (303) 618-3436 or melissa.wills@compass.com.