Mark Gordon, partner and broker at Christiania Realty in Vail, Colorado, has been elected President-Elect of the Colorado Association of Realtors (CAR) for 2027-2028. He will assume the role on December 1, 2026, alongside Brian Anzur of South Metro Denver as President and Janet Marlow as Treasurer. The election was decided by CAR's Board of Directors, approximately 120 members representing real estate associations across the state.
Gordon's campaign focused on one-on-one conversations with board members rather than traditional political promises. He sent handwritten snail mail cards to all 120 voters at the start of the campaign, drawing more responses than expected. He attended regional summits and conferences to engage with members from districts far removed from his mountain community. Gordon previously served on the Vail Town Council from 2005 to 2009 and applied the same approach of spending time with constituents.
Gordon has been candid about his reasons for stepping into state leadership during a period he describes as unsettled. "Things are definitely in a transition and sometimes you feel like you might be standing on quicksand," he said, referring to shifts from the National Association of Realtors settlement, the rise of AI, brokerage consolidation, and the ongoing affordability crisis. He sees organized real estate as a force capable of pushing back effectively. Earlier this year, Gordon was part of the CAR-led effort to defeat a proposed vacancy tax at the Colorado state legislature, which the association lobbied against alongside home builders and municipalities. The bill was killed in committee. "Advocacy works," he said. "Realtors working together along with other organizations really can make a huge difference for homeownership and the American dream."
Gordon's base in Vail, a market that has historically moved differently from the rest of Colorado, has given him a unique vantage point. The Vail market is cash-driven, tracks closer to the Dow Jones than to interest rates, and is constrained by national forest boundaries. It tends to be, in Gordon's words, "the slowest into corrections and the first to recover." He currently chairs CAR's Insight Advisory Committee, a think tank identifying future industry issues, and holds a directorship with the National Association of Realtors, representing Colorado's small and medium boards as an at-large director.
Gordon has spoken openly about the role of artificial intelligence in real estate, arguing that agents who use AI as a replacement for human connection will lose ground. "If every company uses AI without humans, they're all going to be the same," he said. "It is only through the combination of AI and humans and the creativity that humans bring that you can differentiate your company or your real estate services from others." He is equally focused on insurance availability, which he has described as one of the most pressing challenges facing Colorado homeowners today. He raised the issue directly with both of Colorado's U.S. senators during a Washington D.C. trip with fellow realtors.
As President-Elect, Gordon will spend the coming year preparing to lead an organization representing thousands of Colorado real estate professionals. His path reflects a career defined by showing up where decisions get made. Gordon's work in the Vail luxury market continues through Christiania Realty, where he has spent almost two decades helping buyers and sellers navigate one of Colorado's most distinctive property markets. Learn more at vailcoluxuryhomes.com.
