Vail Valley President
“Our personal passions bring us to the mountains. But they can also bring us great career opportunities.”
For Matt Fitzgerald, all roads lead to cycling — and to Colorado. Matt originally moved to Colorado from Maine, where he was an avid mountain biker. Matt worked in commercial real estate, but he had an interest in resort real estate — wanting to combine his passions for both cycling and real estate.
Matt’s personal passions brought him to the mountains, but they also brought him great career opportunities. He started going on weekly group rides. In these groups, he made new friends as well as new mentors. It was these contacts that helped him shift his Colorado real estate career into high gear.
Today, Matt serves as Market President of Vail Valley for Slifer Smith & Frampton.
Why is it important to you to work for a locally focused real estate company?
The longer you spend in an area, the more it becomes home. You raise your family there, and you become rooted in the community. Slifer Smith & Frampton roots me here in a way that a franchise company never could.
Working for an independent company makes me feel like I’m really a part of the community. Other real estate shops just don’t have that.
What’s your favorite Colorado spot?
The village-to-village mountain bike trail from Arrowhead to Beaver Creek. It’s a special spot for me and my wife. The trail’s a bit arduous, but you get an incredible view of the mountains from that elevation. And when the leaves turn gold in the fall, it’s pretty magical.
Is there a local cause that is important to you?
The Cycle Effect. It’s a four-year mountain biking program for young women that builds life skills as well as riding skills. The community provides these women with a bike, a helmet, and all the mentorship they need to succeed.
100% of the women who go through the program go on to secondary education at local schools like Colorado Community College, Colorado Mesa, and CU.
Matt's Colorado Calling
Growth
Humility
Connection
