Colorado Landmark Realtors was founded by Joel Ripmaster in 1977
Acquisition brings together two legacy brands, expands Slifer’s Front Range presence to Boulder Valley
BOULDER (Aug. 10) – Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate (SSF) – the leading independent brokerage firm in Colorado serving resort communities throughout the mountains for six decades – announced today the acquisition of Colorado Landmark Realtors, a pioneer in the Boulder Valley Real Estate market that has been operating for 45 years. The acquisition brings together two local Colorado legacy brands and allows SSF to expand their Front Range presence to the Boulder Valley. In addition, Colorado Landmark’s founder, Joel Ripmaster, will become a strategic advisor to the SSF Board of Directors, and its President, Orly Ripmaster, will become SSF’s new Front Range Market President.
“Slifer Smith & Frampton has had a strong interest in the Boulder Valley since we began expanding our Front Range operations in 2021,” said Jason Cole, Chief Executive Officer of Slifer Smith & Frampton. “We weren’t actively looking to acquire, but in the end, it came down to Colorado Landmark’s agents and our collective commitment to being stewards of our communities. This partnership truly unites our mountain and city communities and positions us to continue being the No. 1 Independent Colorado Real Estate brokerage for years to come.”
Colorado Landmark Realtors was founded by Joel Ripmaster in 1977. Since then, the company has grown to 55+ Brokers, $1Billion in sales for 2020-2021 and three offices located in Downtown Boulder, Louisville and Niwot.
“After 45 years at the helm of Colorado Landmark, this decision was an organic and natural one,” said Joel Ripmaster. “Slifer Smith & Frampton has set the gold standard for real estate in Colorado, but more importantly there is complete alignment in our values: a focus on our people and our communities. This relationship enables our brokers to do business as they always have – as independent brokers – and with a locally owned and operated powerhouse network behind them.”
Joel Ripmaster’s daughter, Orly, joined Colorado Landmark as president in 2021 after a 10+ year career with KSL Capital Partners. The Colorado Landmark team – which will rebrand as the Colorado Landmark Team at Slifer Smith & Frampton – will join an established team of brokers in SSF’s two Denver offices located at The Coloradan and Riverfront Park in order to focus on the entire Front Range market. Orly Ripmaster will lead the team as the new Front Range Market President while Joel Ripmaster will be the Managing Broker in the Boulder Valley and Vivian Murciano will be the Managing Broker for Denver.
“When I joined my dad at Colorado Landmark last year, my goal was to allow his legacy to stay grounded while also ensuring the business could evolve to address the changing market and industry. We weren’t for sale, but we both recognized the value of the Slifer Smith & Frampton partnership,” said Orly Ripmaster. “Having a world class network behind our independent agents will be critically important as we forge into the next phase of the real estate market, but there was also a visionary element of this that appealed to us… the leadership of both Colorado Landmark and Slifer Smith & Frampton are the original ‘market makers’ and have grown with the Colorado real estate market over the decades. That local kinship and legacy means something to us.”
With the acquisition of Colorado Landmark Realtors, SSF now boasts more than $4 Billion in 2021 sales volume, $15 Million in average broker production in 2021 and more than 320 brokers in 34 sales locations from Aspen to the Front Range.
“As we celebrate our 60th anniversary this month, it is thrilling to welcome Colorado Landmark’s team to the Slifer family and we look forward to the next 60 years of continuing our commitment to exceptional integrity and service to our communities,” said Mark Smith, Managing Partner of Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate.
For more information on Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate, visit slifersmithandframpton.com.
