Colorado native Cooper Thayer grew up watching his parents pursue their passion for real estate — sometimes from behind the controls of a drone. Now he’s joined the family business as an agent.
Thayer, 24, a Denver resident, works with his parents, Steve and Susan Thayer, at their agency, the Thayer Group, which is part of Keller Williams Action Realty in Castle Rock, Colorado. Together, Thayer and his parents work within the south Denver metropolitan area — primarily Douglas County — but they also serve other communities such as Boulder and Colorado Springs.
Thayer's parents started the agency in 2008. When he was 16, Thayer became a licensed drone photographer, which was his first job in real estate. He took photos of homes for listings and still performs that role today.
"You can take a beautiful home and take a beautiful picture of it and that's awesome — everybody's going to have fun with that," Thayer said. "But sometimes it's a challenge to take an average home and make it exceptional. I think the challenge of marketing our homes and our lifestyle that we have in the Denver metro area from an aerial view is really just an interesting and exciting outlet for me."
While growing up, he said he enjoyed several aspects of watching his parents work in real estate. One was how they set their own hours, allowing them to be present in his life.
Thayer said he was also inspired by his parents’ passion for their profession.
“They've never dreaded going to work as real estate agents,” Thayer said. “I feel the same way.”
Thayer said the Colorado market has remained a buyer’s market for the last few months and will likely continue to do so through the end of the year. In July, the median sales price of homes in the Denver metropolitan area fell 0.8% year over year to $585,000, while the national average rose 2.1%, according to Homes.com data.
Looking ahead, Thayer said he plans to continue working with his family and maybe someday have children of his own who will want to join the family business.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Is there any advice that you have learned from your parents that sticks with you?
Getting involved is definitely a huge lesson that has been instilled in me. I grew up with parents who were very involved in the local community — serving on school boards, town boards and all kinds of things. They've always been active in the Realtor community. Now, I’ve had the honor of serving in many different capacities, both locally and within the real estate community.
What are you binge-watching?
I have been binge-watching "ER." I have never had any interest in medicine or anything medical. I never saw myself going in that field, but I feel like I learned a lot watching ... I find them very interesting ... I could definitely see myself as a surgeon in another life.
What is the biggest mistake you’ve seen clients make?
One that came up recently is that sometimes we see homebuyers place a lot of trust in new construction and choose not to invest in an inspection. New construction homes can have just as many defects as existing homes. So definitely, the biggest mistake people can make is being too trusting. Always do your due diligence and look out for yourself. It will pay off down the road.
What do you love most about real estate?
Anytime we work with a distressed property or help an elderly person take care of their home or assist a single mother who needs time to care for her kids, those kinds of [experiences] are always very grounding.
