By Mike McKibbin
BASALT – Bronwyn Anglin always wanted to be in real estate. This spring, despite the down economy and lackluster home sales, she landed a job with Basalt Realty.
Anglin credits launching her long-sought-after career to Colorado Mountain College in Aspen, where she received the Helen K. and Arthur E. Johnson Foundation Scholarship. It paid for her tuition so she could take the required classes to become a certified associate broker.
“I’d wanted to be in real estate for a long time,” she said. “But as a single mom and teaching skiing each winter, I never seemed to find the time.”
While at Colorado Mountain College, Anglin made the president’s honors list with a 4.0 grade point average in the fall of 2008 and scored an impressive 97 percent on her national broker’s test. At least a 75 percent score is required. Anglin missed just two of 80 questions.
Still, it took her some time to find a real estate job due to the depressed market and economy. “The independent brokers I wanted to work for closed down,” she said. “When you get your license, you have to work at least the first two years with a professional broker before you can go out on your own.”
Darryl Grosjean, the managing broker and primary stockholder at Basalt Realty, said Anglin’s 97 percent exam score was the highest of anyone he has ever hired.
“That shows she really understands the legal requirements of being a broker and the state laws and was a quick study,” he said. “That means she needs a lot less training and can produce sooner than if she had struggled in class. Just a lot less hand holding.”
Basalt Realty is a good fit for Anglin, she said, since she wanted to work for a smaller company. She’s yet to make her first sale, but is optimistic area home sales will continue to pick up.
Anglin moved to the Aspen area from Australia in 1997, where she had worked as a computer programmer for real estate-related companies, she said. Now a Basalt resident, Anglin said she’s very happy.
“I know I wouldn’t have this job without the Colorado Mountain College classes and the scholarship,” she added.
The real estate certificate program at Colorado Mountain College helps those who wish to become associate brokers. The Colorado Real Estate Commission requires 168 hours of course work before someone can seek his or her license.
The college’s program includes the four required courses needed to take the associate broker Colorado Real Estate Licensing Examination. Students must also demonstrate college-level reading before they can enter the program.