Meet Soley Maria

Today we’d like to introduce you to Soley Maria.

Hi Soley, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I moved to Colorado from Iceland in 2017 to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder with the intention of getting my degree and going back home, but 15 years later I’m still here! I graduated with dual bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration – Finance, and Economics and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do for work but leaned towards finance and entrepreneurship and I definitely knew that I wanted something where I can create my own success and no day is the same. I ended up getting the opportunity of an internship with a realtor and realized how much I liked it and decided to get my real estate license. After that, I was hired as a licensed real estate assistant to one of the top producing realtors in Denver, which was an amazing opportunity for mentorship and learning the business. Four years after that I decided to go out on my own and was grateful to be able to do that with Kentwood Real Estate, where I had my internship and real estate assistance positions, so I have been there my entire real estate career. Two years ago I decided to add the mountain market of Summit County to my service areas as I had been living there part-time. After years of living in Denver with part-time residences in the mountains, in 2022 I bought houses in Boulder and Breckenridge which I divide my time between, as well as Denver.

In 2019 I started to think about wanting to do more but wasn’t sure what that was at the time but I started looking into grad school. I ended up applying for the Master of Public Administration program at the University of Colorado, Denver, which I got accepted to and will complete in Spring 2023. What lead me to this choice is years of experience in real estate and seeing the affordability crisis, unhoused crisis, land use and zoning issues, and so much more, and I knew that while I want to continue my real estate business I want to have an impact on better and more inclusive housing policies.

Since a full-time job and grad school isn’t enough, I also partnered up with a friend and business partner to launch a flooring and countertop business – SM Interiors, which should be launching around mid-July! I’ve also been a board member for the young professionals associate board of the Colorado Symphony for the past five years, being its chair in the 2021-2022 season.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nope – is there even such a thing as a smooth road? Lack of time is always my biggest struggle but I also prefer to be busy so I do these things to myself, like remodeling three houses last year on top of work and school. There are days where I want to just give up on the mess and as fulfilling as real estate is there are also lots of uncertainties in this business, which can be anxiety-inducing and I’m sure most agents can relate to that statement! I’ve never been someone that strives for work-life balance as my personal belief is that it’s all intertwined and I love the work that I do, but I regret when I let myself and my health come last. COVID-19, political unrest, and now an attack on women’s rights have felt like a challenge for many of us as well in the past 2-3 years.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
In real estate, I work for Kentwood Real Estate, which I love to be a part of, but as independent contractors, we are all like small business owners. I take great pride in putting my customer’s need’s first always. If that means they should wait to buy or sell, move to a lower price point, or live in a different area, I will always give my true opinion. I’ve been lucky to do a broad spectrum of transactions; from multiple first-time buyers to luxury properties, and a wide geographical range that includes second homes and investment properties. With an education in finance and economics, I’m very data-driven when it comes to real estate and look for trends in the data and data-based forecasting. My personal experience buying and selling homes, in interior decorating for clients, and multiple remodels also help me to help clients visualize possibilities and be there as a resource long after closing.

SM Interiors is my flooring and countertop business that me and my business partner hope to launch mid-July. My business partner has years of experience in the flooring business and brings with him top-notch reliable crews, industry relationships and project management expertise, and I have all my real estate connections with people looking for a trusted source for flooring and countertops, as well as years of sales and marketing experience, so it feels like a great fit, and we are so excited to get started.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
Denver: I love that Denver keeps growing and involving and is becoming a big hub for both tourism and companies relocating here. We have world-class restaurants, museums, galleries and sports teams and one of the best climates I’ve experienced. My dislikes are hopefully just growing pains, but we need more affordable housing, and it feels like crime is ever increasing.

Boulder: Often nicknamed the Republic of Boulder, it truly is a place where I feel at home. As much as I spend time in Denver, I appreciate that there’s rarely a “need” to go out of Boulder for anything as it has shopping, dining, and entertainment that are world-class. My absolute favorite thing is being surrounded by beautiful nature and having trails and outdoor activities basically out my back door. The biggest problem here is also the lack of affordable housing and that it takes an extra 30 min to get to the ski resorts 🙂

Contact Info:

• Website: www.soleymaria.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soleym
• Facebook: facebook.com/soleymariarealestate 

Image Credits
Chelsea Chorpenning for two of them