By Shelley Widhalm

The Surveyor

Mother and son real estate team Marian and Gary Maggi launched their business 25 years ago out of Marian’s Berthoud home.

Photo by Shelley Widhalm – Berthoud residents Gary Maggi, broker and co-owner of Re/Max Town & Country, left, and his mother, Marian Maggi, broker associate and co-owner, stand in front of their business sign, Feb. 1, at their office, 340 Mountain Ave.

Two locations and another business name later, the Maggis have settled in downtown Berthoud at 340 Mountain Ave., and now are known as Re/Max Town & Country. They operate their real estate office with a staff of five and handle commercial and residential properties, focusing their efforts in Berthoud.

“All of us are Berthoud folks,” Gary said. “We live here. All of our agents are invested in the Berthoud community. We unabashedly know more about Berthoud than any other real estate company could. We’re proud of that, and we’re lucky we’ve been able to do that, have a successful business in a town we love.”

The Maggis purchased the Re/Max franchise in 2008, keeping their same real estate model, but under a more well-known name, Gary said. They wanted the brand recognition and the marketing and tools the franchise offers.

“As the town started to grow, they wouldn’t always know who the Maggis were, but Re/Max is a well-known brand,” Marian said.

The Maggis originally opened their business in 1993 as Maggi Town & Country Real Estate after Marian had been in the business for eight years.

“I just like being out among people and trying to help them make a change if they want it,” Marian said.

In 1985, Marian, who first worked as a management analyst trainee and advertising sales manager, sold real estate for another Berthoud real estate company. She convinced Gary, who had just graduated in 1992 with a degree in natural resource management from Colorado State University, to join her.

“He reluctantly decided to sell real estate at my urging,” Marian said.

The Maggis, who have lived in Berthoud since 1976, worked with another partner to start the company, operating out of Marian’s home in southwest Berthoud for five to six months. They purchased the building next door to their current location, which had housed the former “Berthoud Recorder,” that moved to another location in downtown Berthoud.

The Maggis operated out of the 800-square-foot building from 1993 until 1996, using a tin shed as Gary’s office and showroom. They soon needed additional space and built a 1,300-square-foot, two-story building directly attached to the original building. They used the new space for closings and other office functions.

“We promoted the whole idea at Berthoud Day,” Marian said. “Nobody had built anything in Berthoud, at least downtown.”

The Maggis put a banner on their float, stating, “Main Street’s a-changing. Watch for our new building.”

The Maggis originally used the first location as office space, but Kathleen Gruman, artist and broker associate at Re/Max Town & Country, wanted to have her office and a gallery there. She later decided to focus on real estate, and the space became Homestead Fine Art Gallery, 344 Mountain Ave.

Over the years the Maggis have had as many as 11 agents on staff and as few as two. Marian originally was the managing broker, the supervisory broker responsible for reviewing contracts and overseeing the other agents — each office has one managing broker licensed by the state of Colorado. Ten years ago Marian stepped down from the role to become a broker, and Gary became the managing broker.

“I was a broker for the first 15 years or so, and then we switched hats,” Gary said jokingly. “We’re about due to switch back.”

“I don’t think so,” Marian said with a laugh.

The Maggis’ first project was serving as the marketing agency for Berthoud West Heights, which has 92 homes. Over the years they served as the marketing agency for several other housing projects and subdivisions and worked on commercial and single-family home listings and land sales. Now they have a few new projects, including a custom-home development and an affordable-housing project, in the works.

“Real estate is a fun profession because it’s different every day. It has to do with the people you meet,” Gary said. “It’s fun when you find that house that somebody has been dying to buy, and that’s perfect.”

The Maggis plan to hold some kind of celebration marking their 25 years of business but have not made final plans. They plan to hold the celebration in the summer.

“There are a lot of people I helped buy houses for over the last 25 years who are still in their homes. I get the opportunity to help them make a change,” Marian said.