Next Chapter Partners: Your Journey, Our Expertise

Welcome to Next Chapter Partners, where your real estate journey becomes part of a larger, meaningful story. You’re not a transaction or a task on a checklist - to us, you are FAMILY. As a couple fully committed to both each other and the real estate world, we understand the weight of life’s big milestones. Home is not simply a place; it is a foundation, a fresh start, and sometimes a life-long dream. Real estate is more than what we do, it is part of our identity.

Our Promise: Guiding Your Next Chapter

At Next Chapter Partners, we pride ourselves on being your trusted guides through life's most significant transitions. Whether you're celebrating a new chapter or navigating the challenges of change, we're here to provide the support and expertise that reflects the core values of our own journey - teamwork, dedication, and unwavering loyalty.

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Meet Your Team at Next Chapter Partners

Our Journey, Our Passion // Next Chapter Partners

Next Chapter Partners is the culmination of a personal and professional journey that began when Brad and Shanna met at an open house in 2017. Real estate has been at the core of their relationship from day one. Two beautiful children and four cherished furkids complete their family, bringing them immense joy beyond the realm of real estate. As a couple deeply committed to each other and the real estate industry, Brad and Shanna understand the profound impact of life's pivotal moments. They believe in the power of home and the significance of the journey that leads you there. For them, real estate isn't only a profession; it's a passion that weaves seamlessly into the fabric of their lives.

Our Promise // Guiding Your Next Chapter

At Next Chapter Partners, we pride ourselves on being your trusted guides through life's most significant transitions. Whether you're celebrating a new chapter or navigating the challenges of change, we're here to provide the support and expertise that reflects the core values of our own journey - teamwork, dedication, and unwavering loyalty.

Brad Colburn | Real Estate Visionary

With an extensive 23-year career as a Residential Realtor, Brad Colburn is the heartbeat of Next Chapter Partners. Born and raised in Colorado, Brad has a deep-rooted connection to the Centennial State. He briefly ventured to Nebraska for college, where his excellence on the football field earned him a well-deserved induction into the Nebraska College Football Hall of Fame. Football taught him discipline and teamwork, and he carries these values into his real estate career.

Shanna Schmidt | Business Strategist

Coming from the medical device industry with an MBA in her arsenal, Shanna Schmidt brings a fresh perspective to real estate. Her journey from a small-town Nebraska farm to the vibrant landscapes of Colorado speaks to her adaptability and determination. Shanna's nearly twenty years of experience in sales and marketing, coupled with her strategic thinking and unwavering commitment to excellence, position her as an indispensable member of our team.

Our Approach: Tailored & Expert

Tailored Solutions: Just as they've crafted their own story, Brad and Shanna are dedicated to crafting solutions that align with your vision, wherever your real estate journey takes you.

Expert Network: Their vast network of top-tier vendor partners ensures every facet of your transition receives the highest level of expert attention.

National Reach: As part of a vast network of realtors across the nation, they can connect you with trusted professionals, even if your journey takes you beyond the Denver-Metro area.

Our Mission, Vision, and Values

Mission:

At Next Chapter Partners, our mission is to be the unwavering guide for individuals and families navigating life's pivotal moments, offering personalized real estate solutions that make dreams come true. With empathy, expertise, and an unyielding commitment to partnership, we lead our clients on a journey to new chapters of success and fulfillment.

Vision:

Our vision at Next Chapter Partners is to redefine the real estate experience through steadfast dedication to personalization, collaboration, and exceptional service. We aspire to create lasting relationships that extend well beyond the transaction, becoming trusted partners for life's most significant transitions. By consistently delivering outstanding value and support, we aim to be the go-to destination for all real estate needs, setting a standard of excellence in our industry.

Values:

Partnership: We believe in the power of partnership. We forge deep connections with our clients and vendors, working collaboratively to achieve shared goals and aspirations.

Empathy: We understand real estate is more than transactions; it's about people and their stories. We approach every journey with empathy, adapting to individual needs.

Excellence: Excellence is our standard. We relentlessly pursue the highest levels of professionalism, expertise, and service quality to exceed expectations.

Personalization: We recognize that every real estate journey is unique. We tailor our solutions to fit each client's distinct vision and circumstances.

Trust: Trust is the foundation of our relationships. We uphold the highest ethical standards, ensuring transparency, reliability, and the utmost integrity in everything we do.

Community: We celebrate the sense of community, valuing our clients and vendor partners as cherished members of our extended family.

Adaptability: Just as life is continuously evolving, we are adaptable and agile, ready to pivot and find solutions in an ever-changing world.

National Reach: We take pride in our national reach, connecting clients with trusted professionals even when their journey extends beyond our local expertise.

Passion: Real estate our profession; more importantly, it is our passion. We approach each day with enthusiasm, driven by the joy of making dreams come true.

At Next Chapter Partners, these values guide us in every interaction and decision, embodying our commitment to transforming real estate experiences into continuing partnerships.

What Clients Are Saying

"Brad was amazing with both, selling and buying our homes. Brad showed us homes for about a year, I knew exactly what I wanted and wasn't going to sacrifice; he showed patience and was always available to us for showings. We did things a little backwards, Brad negotiated a contingent offer without our home yet on the market, all during a very competitive time. Once we were under contract, Brad was ready to get our home listed. We missed the peak of the market by a month and Brad was ready with the correct advice and pricing strategy, we made one price correction and got an offer, the rest of the sale went very smoothly and we closed on time. On the purchase, we ran into a few hiccups and Brad's experience allowed us all to have composure and move through them with ease. During a time where most buyers were paying the difference between appraisal and purchase price, Brad was able to negotiate a new purchase price at the appraised value. Brad is the best Realtor that we've worked with and highly recommend him to all of our friends and family."

Mike & Shannon A.

"Brad Colburn is the best real estate agent in Denver! He is a complete professional, knows the different neighborhood markets very well, understands how to market a home, has practical advice all day long, knows everyone you need for help getting your house ready for the market, gives rational, sound advice on pricing and how to respond to offers, and a fun person to be around as well! I have recommended him to friends several times, and they all think he's the best too!"

Jeff & Kathy K.

"We initially met Brad at an open house. We were casually looking at the time and we’re planning to use the Redfin agent who sold us our condo. We appreciated that Brad didn’t give us any kind of sales pitch, but rather had a casual conversation with us. He followed up with us four days later and we decided to move forward given a small dip in market. After the listing appointment, the very next day, Brad had a professional photographer out and then two days later, our condo was listed. It sold within four days over asking with multiple offers. When it came to buying our home, he was always super responsive and made sure we didn’t settle for something because of us selling our place and inventory being low. He had our back and best interest the entire time, we never had anything to worry about. We loved our experience with Brad and referred one of our friends! Don’t hesitate to work with him, you won’t regret it!"

Kyle & Kelci H.

Why Work with Us

Personalized Guidance

At Next Chapter Partners, we understand that every real estate journey is unique. We take the time to listen to your specific needs and goals, crafting tailored solutions that align with your vision. Our commitment to providing personalized guidance ensures that your real estate experience is as individual as you.

Family-Centric Approach

Beyond being your real estate advisors, we believe in building lasting relationships. Many of our clients become cherished friends and are considered part of our extended family. When you work with Next Chapter Partners, you're not a transaction we can check off our list; you're a valued member of our community, and we're committed to your long-term success and satisfaction.

Extensive Experience & Top-Tier Connections

With over two decades of experience in the real estate industry, Brad and Shanna have built a vast network of top-tier vendor partners. This ensures that every aspect of your transaction benefits from the expertise and connections that are the hallmark of Next Chapter Partners. Whether you're buying or selling, you can trust that your real estate journey will be supported by professionals who share our dedication to excellence. Plus, our national reach allows us to connect you with trusted experts, even if your path takes you beyond the Denver-Metro area.

Read Our Blog

NCP

2024: When the Math Stopped Mathing

January 06, 20254 min read

"Embrace uncertainty. Some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives won't have a title until much later." — Bob Goff

𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞

If 2024 taught us anything it's that we've entered the "up is down, left is right" era of economics. The math doesn't math anymore. For us, the biggest curveball wasn't even the market's unpredictability, but rather how all the usual tools we use to make sense of things stopped working. Trends, data, even those fancy charts and graphs economists love to discuss...they all seemed more like abstract art than useful guidance.

Personally, I blame an over-reliance on "cooked numbers." Politicians, economists, and media outlets bending status to prove whatever they want has left the rest of us trying to decode nonsense. The result is an economy teetering on confusion and a housing market stuck in 2009 vs. 2021 mode.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐖𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬

Faced with uncertainty, we tuned out the noise and trusted what we 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 experienced, first-hand. We stopped obsessing over what the market was "supposed" to be doing and started listening, really listening - to our clients, to the stories behind their decisions, and to the emotional undercurrents driving those decisions.

This shift, moving from being data-reliant to people-focused, gave us the clarity we desperately needed. Instead of blindly chasing trends, we leaned into what was real and actionable. It wasn't always easy...at all...but it worked!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐙𝐨𝐧𝐞

2024 was a bizarre year for real estate. Sellers clung to 2021 pricing dreams, while buyers wanted the discounts of 2009. We found ourselves not only negotiating deals but also managing expectations and navigating some truly wild dynamics.

One truth became blatantly obvious: having a great agent on the other side of the deal is absolutely PRICELESS! When both sides are competent and collaborative, even the toughest transactions can work. And here is a little secret - not all agents are competent and collaborative. As a matter of fact, there are an uncomfortable number of agents who are not. If we are not licensed in your area, we will still do the due diligence to find you an amazing agent who meets these criteria. Why? Because your success matters to us!!

𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

My biggest revelation in 2024 was that problem-solving is universal. Whether I was navigating FDA regulations in the medical device world or troubleshooting a tricky transaction in real estate, my skills translated and came through for me and my clients. Pairing my knack for seeing the big picture with Brad's deep real estate expertise has been a game-changer. Together, we've become an unstoppable dynamic duo and our clients' secret weapon in a turbulent market.

𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝

As we step into 2025, we are approaching everything with strategy and intention. We are committed to weekly check-ins, reviewing what is working, and making adjustments as needed. We aren't about to make sweeping changes every week, but are staying adaptable to long-term shifts.

We also see a lot of pent-up demand bubbling under the surface. Many sellers with low-rate mortgages (the infamous "golden handcuffs") are holding out, but once the buyer market heats up, the floodgates will open. It won't happen overnight...or maybe it will...but 2025 might just be the year it starts. Based on our open house traffic and conversations over the weekend, I think this very well could be the start.

𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡

If I had to sum up 2024, I would say it felt like going from a seedling to a mature tree in 12 months. The growth was rapid and intense, but it was also deeply rewarding. Of course, I'm still learning (and always will be), but I've advanced further in this field than I ever imagined possible in my first full calendar year.

My secret weapon has been being comfortable leaning into uncertainty. Uncertainty is where growth happens - it is where you learn what is possible and what you are capable of. Failure isn't something to fear, it is something to embrace!

Even legends like Kobe Bryant, Babe Ruth, and Tom Brady didn't get it right every time. Kobe might have won five championships, but he also holds the all-time record for missed shots. Babe Ruth struck out so often he led the league in strikeouts for five seasons. Tom Brady earned seven Super Bowl rings, but also the record for most interceptions in Super Bowl history.

My point? They weren't afraid to fail, and neither should we.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 (𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞, 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥...𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐌𝐘 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭)

As we gear up for the year ahead, my advice is simple: embrace uncertainty, lean into what is real, and surround yourself with people who elevate your game...and your mood. Be it finding the perfect agent, strategizing your next move, or simply staying grounded in the market that loves to throw curveballs, remember - there is ALWAYS a way forward.

If you're feeling stuck, reach out and let's navigate the chaos together.

Real Estate Market AnalysisHousing Market Trends 2024Navigating Economic UncertaintyReal Estate Strategies 2024Adapting to Market ChangesControlled ChaosOvercoming Real Estate ChallengesEmbracing Uncertainty in Real EstateReal Estate Market InsightsEconomic UnpredictabilityReal Estate Professional Advice
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Shanna Schmidt

Residential Realtor® in the Denver Metro Area

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Brad Colburn | Shanna Schmidt

Realtors®, Broker Associates

303.736.9217

Team@NextChapterPartners.com

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Greenwood Village, CO 80111

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