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, the association announced. He will assume the role on December 1, 2026, with Brian Anzur of South Metro Denver serving 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 rather than a traditional platform. He sent handwritten notes to all 120 voters and attended regional summits to engage with members from diverse districts. “I always think of a campaign as a conversation, not as a sales pitch,” Gordon said. “A conversation involves listening and talking, listening first and responding and engaging with people.” This approach mirrors his tenure on the Vail Town Council from 2005 to 2009, where he prioritized constituent engagement.
Gordon’s election comes during a turbulent period for the industry, marked by the National Association of Realtors settlement affecting MLS structures, the rise of artificial intelligence, brokerage consolidation, and an ongoing housing affordability crisis. “Things are definitely in a transition and sometimes you feel like you might be standing on quicksand,” Gordon said, explaining his motivation to lead during uncertain times. He emphasized that organized real estate is one of the few forces capable of addressing these challenges, citing CAR’s successful effort to defeat a proposed vacancy tax at the state legislature earlier this year. “Advocacy works. Realtors working together along with other organizations really can make a huge difference for homeownership and the American dream,” he said.
Gordon’s experience in Vail’s unique market—cash-driven, tied to the Dow Jones, and constrained by national forest boundaries—provides a distinct perspective. “The Vail market is the slowest into corrections and the first to recover,” he noted. He chairs CAR’s Insight Advisory Committee, a think tank producing white papers on emerging industry issues, and serves as a director with the National Association of Realtors, representing Colorado’s small and medium boards.
Gordon has been outspoken on AI’s role in real estate, arguing that agents who replace human connection with AI will lose ground. “If every company uses AI without humans, they’re all going to be the same. 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 said, referencing a conversation with an AI futurist. He also highlighted insurance availability as a critical, underreported challenge, raising the issue with Colorado’s U.S. senators during a Washington D.C. trip.
As President-Elect, Gordon will prepare to lead an organization representing thousands of Colorado real estate professionals. His path from Vail Town Council to state leadership reflects a career focused on showing up where decisions are made. Gordon continues his work at Christiania Realty, helping buyers and sellers navigate Vail’s resilient luxury market.
