Sara & Svein Groem Reprint

SARA & SVEIN GROEM SARA & SVEIN GROEM

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What do the Norwegian culture of community and a corporate background with attention to detail have to do with real estate? Meet Svein and Sara Groem. Both were recruited by a top Global Fortune 50 company in college, which is how they ended up in Colorado more than two decades ago. They met at IBM waiting in line for coffee at the sundry shop where Svein offered to pay for Sara’s coffee. “The rest is history,” Sara says.

As they climbed the corporate ladder and obtained their MBAs together, they realized that they were similar in their zest for life, attention to detail, drive, and focus. “We knew we wanted to do something really impactful in the community and in the business world. We wanted to build something together that was really special,” said Svein. They are often referred to by their friends and family as a “Power Couple.”

Originally from Norway, Svein always knew he wanted to come to America, so he jumped at the chance to be a foreign exchange student in New Mexico. There, he was recruited to

play NCAA Division 1 soccer at Oregon State and was first exposed to Colorado when he played against Colorado collegiate soccer teams. Svein has brought his Scandinavian culture to Boulder County by giving his traditional mulling spice drink mix during the holidays to friends and clients, participating in Sons of Norway, supporting local Scandinavian businesses in Boulder, and sharing his traditions with friends and family. He and his daughter both have dual US- Norwegian citizenship.

The Groems are a truly international family. Since their daughter was born, Sara and Svein have hosted Au Pairs from around the world, including Switzerland, Germany, Columbia, Italy, and soon they will be welcoming an Au Pair from Austria. They love encouraging these women to pursue their dreams. They even inspired one of their au pairs to start her own childcare business back home and they still video conference with them often.

Sara came to Boulder from Michigan. She has always appreciated the sunshine and outdoor activities the area offers, but she really fell in love

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to how to become an impactful member of the community.

The Groems say, “Real estate is all about community and life.” They take a holistic approach to real estate. Instead of just selling people houses, they really help their clients plant roots in their new community by connecting their clients with each other as well as with job opportunities, investors, sustainable home builders, insurance agents, school consultants, lenders, financial advisors, hairstylists, and contractors (just to name a few). Sara and Svein have built a reputation as connectors. They love helping people achieve goals outside of real estate, like building their careers.

with the people of Boulder. Here, friends are family, a sentiment she carries into her approach to real estate.

Svein began his real estate journey with investment properties, which he flipped or rented, and still enjoys the long-term financial and wealth-building side of the industry. “There are not many other places you can invest and see the returns similar to the Boulder market,” says Svein. He also dabbled in real estate software development. Both really got him interested in residential real estate, so he obtained his real estate license. When he began seeing success and needing help, Sara got her real estate license as well. She enjoyed how real estate made her feel like she was participating in her community and creating wealth for her clients. Sara left corporate America and joined Svein after it was clear that their business needed her full-time assistance.

She was able to jump in quickly and made immediate improvements that allowed them to service their clients more effectively. She has also taken an active role in really

getting to know the schools available in Boulder County, which has been helpful for families moving to the area. Now Sara and Svein co-own Open Real Estate, a boutique brokerage serving the Boulder and Denver areas. They have a team of more than a dozen self-sufficient real estate agents, many of whom have investment backgrounds. While Open Real Estate has grown organically without much recruitment, Svein and Sara look for like-minded real estate agents. With agents in Boulder, Denver, and even Salida, Open Real Estate specializes in residential real estate with a community-focused approach. Sara loves participating in the weekly meetings with the team, where they chat about the local market and different ways to support clients. Svein enjoys the coaching aspects, focusing on training as a managing broker. His trainings cover everything from how to price certain neighborhoods

When asked about trends they are seeing in the Boulder market, Svein said, “We are seeing a more balanced market. Boulder isn’t as affected by increased interest rates because demand is still outpacing supply, it has a strong technology and entrepreneurial community, it’s a college town, and it has an excellent quality of life.” Sara said, “A lot of clients want net zero and sustainable homes. As people become more environmentally conscious, the demand for green homes will increase with the benefits ranging from reducing our carbon footprint to energy savings to the end consumer.”

Another way Svein and Sara get to

REAL ESTATE IS ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY & LIFE.

build and participate in the Boulder County community is through their charitable work. They take an active part in promoting CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) to help minors in the court system. They have also supported There with Care for many years, a charity close to their heart. In addition, they focus their efforts on assisting local schools such as Whittier Elementary and Mackintosh Academy and have been a lead Boulder Garden Tour sponsor for several years. Svein is also on the board for Mackintosh Academy, where he uses his real estate knowledge to help with development and expansion. Sara and Svein have also gotten involved with their daughter’s preschool, Snow Lion, by hosting parent events, volunteering, and donating. They both have a lot of respect and love for teachers and the excellent school systems that they support.

In the process of building a custom home, Svein and Sara are putting their money where their mouth is. They are investing in the Boulder market. They are building relationships with good contractors that they can recommend to their clients in addition to gaining the expertise required to build a sustainable home. They are most excited about creating a well-designed home that features Geothermal heat, solar panels, and unobstructed views of the Flatirons just steps from downtown Boulder. Sara and Svein know Boulder building can be expensive and complicated and are thrilled to gain personal experience building and designing a home in the city of Boulder, so they can better advise their current and future clients. Their house should be completed this

summer and while it’s going to be spectacular, they insist that it won’t be available for sale.

When not working on their new home or real estate, Sara and Svein enjoy spending time with friends and being parents. Their daughter loves playing at the park, gymnastics, and soccer.

Sara works out at Kondition (a locally owned gym), enjoys being outside with family and friends, and trying new recipes. Svein prefers to hike, swim, and golf as well as entertain guests. The Groems have a mutual love of travel. They often travel with their daughter and Au Pairs to visit family in Michigan, Norway, and Italy. In addition, they prefer beach vacations to places like Florida, Mexico, and Hawaii where they spend a lot of time building sandcastles and looking for turtles, crabs, and seashells with their daughter. As much as they love the beach, Sara and Svein are never sad to return home because Boulder County is such a beautiful place.

& Svein Groem Open Real Estate

Sara