David Dorius  
DD

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David Dorius on a golf course Park City is not the typical inter-mountain city for selling real estate. As such, it requires more than a typical real estate agent. David Dorius is exactly that kind of agent. "In real estate, you have to be able to meet people and be- come genuinely interested in their business and them as well- not make a facade just to get a sale," begins David, explaining his sales philosophy. "That's particularly important in Park City because most of the people here have come to relax, not to be pressured into buying real estate.

"I was at a meeting in Salt Lake. I had an appointment back in Park City and didn't have time to change out of my suit and tie. While driving my clients around, one of them asked, 'Would you mind taking your tie off? I'm supposed to be on vacation!"' David continues jokingly, "It's different here than in Salt Lake. In Park City, if you see a guy with a tie on you ask, 'Oh, you must have a meeting in Sale Lake today?' Ninety percent of the time, that's the case. "

Having worked 16 years in Park City for Jess Reid Real Estate, David is intimately familiar with the territory. "Most people here are not initially buying real estate property as a primary residence, but as a vacation home. In most cases, our local residents started as vacationers, owning second homes first. Skiers and summer tourists are, therefore, our initial and primary target market."

Park City is an intensely competitive market for real estate professionals. "There are over 450 real estate agents in the Park City area, an area of approximately 15,000 to 20,000 property owners. At Jess Reid Real Estate, goals are a very important component of our company philosophy. We operate a little different than most real estate companies here." Jess Reid Real Estate maintains a sales staff of between 25 to 30 sales agents. Twice a year, all agents are required to set sales volume, financial and personal goals. More often than not, David reaches his goals.

Jess Reid, active owner and founder of Jess Reid Real Estate, is David's closest co-worker and mentor. When Jess began his own real estate firm in 1983, he needed an on-site sales manager for a large-scale condominium project. He wanted someone with the potential to succeed and the capacity to take on this type of commitment. He offered the job to David, who was then single and a one-year real estate veteran.

David Dorius and his family When David started at Jess Reid Real Estate, he had zero financial resources. He didn't even own a car. For transportation, David used the free Park City bus system. "During winter season, those buses are full of skiers, and there I was in business clothes and a briefcase." People would ask him what he was doing. Hiding a smile, David would explain he was in real estate. "It was a great source of clients. Skiers (I met on the bus) would come into the office and ask to be shown around. If they wanted to see additional properties, I'd call our main office and borrow someone's car. They never knew the difference."

During his novice years with Jess Reid (1983 to 1987), he saw limited success. "I was the young, single, unambitious agent who got a commission check on Friday and blew it by Monday." In 1987, he took a hiatus from real estate and moved back to Phoenix, becoming a customer service representative for America West Airlines, where he re-learned much-needed business disciplines. "That's where I met my wife, Allison," he grins.

They moved back to Park City and married in January 1989. "Allison's support and our desire to start a family helped my career take hold." With humility and affection, David attributes "an enormous amount of my success to my best friend and wife, Allison. She's an integral part of my real estate career. She's got great business sense and excellent organizational skills." Allison has had a lead role with the Salt Lake City Junior League organization for nearly seven years."Some of her skills have fortunately rubbed off on me," David admits. David and Allison have two children, Brittany (10) andNicholas (7), with whom he enjoys skiing and outdoor activities.

David's sport of passion is golf. He is a charter member of the Park Meadows Country Club. This has helped not only his game, but his career as well. "The great thing about the sport of golf is that it offers several components for success in a field like real estate. You develop personal and business friendships while enjoying the great outdoors, which is one of the least imposing ways to sell our real product which is lifestyle." Golf was actually the catalyst for the "Cinderella story" and turning point in David's career.

"It was on a Sunday afternoon in the summer, 1991. Back then, from April to June, Park City was a ghost town. On my way to the Park City golf course, I noticed a van parked in front of our office and a couple looking through the windows. But I was going golfing, so I continued on. As I parked at the golf course, something told me I should go back and help them. I got back just as they were about to drive away. I knocked on their door, they rolled down their window, and I introduced myself and offered any assistance.

"The couple explained they were from Chicago visiting friends in Park City. They had seen our sign on a vacant lot in a new subdivision. They were interested and asked if I would show it to them. So instead of golfing, I showed them the lot. We closed the deal three days later. Three months later they bought a second property.

"Six months later, they called again with a referral. Another friend wanted to sell his vacation house and move to Deer Valley. Through me, they bought three single-family lots and a beautiful new home in Deer Valley, sold their existing vacation home plus two newly developed spec homes. They then formed a development partnership, and I became their exclusive listing agent. The rest is history."

Since 1994, David has marketed and sold new projects in Deer Valley and was the listing agent for three of Deer Valley's newest and most successful luxury condominium projects, Deer Lake Village (51 Units), The Lodges at Deer Valley (125 Units), and The Chateaux at Silver Lake (78 Units). In all, that's about $60 million in retail sales over the past six years just with these developers and just over $100 million since 1989. "Just think, it all started with my turning around at the golf course."

As a result of the project's success, the situation evolved into a corporately structured type business. "I was managing 16 agents, working with attorneys, accountants, architects and project managers. I was very fortunate to work with these developers and their projects, but things evolved beyond the scope of my personal goals as a REALTOR®." David has returned to working with individual buyers and sellers, but with a huge referral base and wealth of knowledge he didn't have 10 years ago. Removing himself from the corporate structure freed him from many undesired burdens. "I've got more quality time for my family and friends, and yet I'm achieving all of my new goals, both personal and business. It feels great!"

David Dorius in his office David's new marketing plan now focuses primarily on the Deer Valley market. "It's smart business to take advantage of my success in Deer Valley." To benefit his career even more, David is taking advantage of Internet resources. "More and more, we find that the high-end customer profiles use the Internet to acquaint themselves with what and whom our market has to offer. I want to be the who when they call for the what." David has developed a sleek, professional Web site (www.ddresortproperties.com) for high-end buying and selling.

Jess Reid Real Estate is thrilled to see David receive this type of recognition. "He has been a great contributor over the years, not only to our company, but to the Park City community and the local board of REALTORS®. Not only is David a top producer, but his team spirit and positive attitude make him the type of agent that any broker would want to have in his office," says Reid. David was the Park City Board of REALTORS®' 1996 Salesperson of the Year and the Jess Reid Real Estate Salesperson of the Year four out of the last five years. He's a life time member of the Park City Board of REALTORS®' Professional Achievement Masters Club, National Association of REALTORS® and served for four years on the Utah Association of REALTORS®' Regional Professional Standards and Grievance Committee. David holds an associate broker's license, a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Designation and a Graduate REALTORS® Institute (GRI) Designation.

Community service is important to him as well. He has coached Park City Little League baseball and served on the Park City Recycle Utah board of directors, a non-profit organization. He's also an active member of the Alumni Chapter for the Kappa Sigma Fraternity at the University of Utah. With his redefined business strategy now in place, he plans to utilize more time with volunteer work.

One thing for sure though, he doesn't plan to wear a tie.

by Jared Whitley
photography by Greg Terry
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