Last month, Mark Seltenrich handed over the role of Park City Area Board of Realtors President to Patrick Giblin.
Giblin is a Prudential Realtor who has lived in the area for over 15 years. Originally from Newport Beach, California, he moved to Park City after graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
His wife is a teacher in the Park City School District and the two have three small children.
When Seltenrich took the helm last year, he said advocacy was a major goal of the board. Several proposals from private and government entities were threatening the quality of life in Summit County, he said, and Realtors wanted to weigh in on some of the debates.
Giblin said his list of priorities is a little different.
Feedback from members revealed that many Realtors count on the board to keep them informed. Realtors are unofficial ambassadors of the Wasatch Back as they reach out to people from around the world to talk about the area and hopefully give them tours. Being up to date on all current issues affecting the county is important, he said.
“After polling our membership, we decided we shouldn’t necessarily take stances on these developments, but we should inform,” he said. “We’re a close-knit community that cares about this little town.”
Realtors are advocates for trails, open space, clean air and an enjoyable lifestyle because they live here. And, because their clients care about these things, he said, adding that they look to their Realtor for expertise.
Another goal of the board is to create a sense of urgency about the current market. Sales dollar volume is up 16 percent over last year, the number of units sold is up 20 percent. Prices are at the bottom and interest rates are still low, he said. People who were waiting for the market’s low point to buy need to act now, he said.
Lastly, Giblin said he wanted to emphasize that the Realtor community wants what’s best for Park City. He chose this as the place to raise his family, and two previous board presidents have been born and raised here, he said.