Editor’s Note: Sponsored content brought to you by Rimkus Real Estate
When the coronavirus pandemic struck the real estate industry, Dyna Mei Rimkus had already been thinking outside the box about ways to service her wide variety of clients throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.
Rimkus, a licensed real estate broker and owner of Rimkus Real Estate, works with English- and Spanish- speaking clients from Aspen to Parachute, spanning all demographics and income levels. She wanted to find a way to conveniently deliver her services to such a large geographic region and that’s when the light bulb went on.
“No one really goes into a real estate office that often,” Rimkus said. “I started looking for other options and found this Mercedes-Benz Airstream touring van and now it’s my mobile office.”
Support Local Journalism
From showings to closings to video conferencing, the 9-passenger van is equipped with a full kitchen and bathroom and can handle just about anything — including social distancing.
“It’s so spacious. I took an elderly friend to Costco recently and she felt safe and comfortable because she was in the back with plenty of space between us,” Rimkus said. “It was a great option for her.”
Serving the community
The mobile Rimkus Real Estate office, officially launching in June, is meant to provide convenience for working families who juggle many responsibilities. Rimkus said she plans to announce the mobile office’s traveling locations and hours each week when she knows where she’ll be parked.
“I think this will be a way to better service clients all over the valley, especially those who work long hours and don’t always have time to go to the actual office,” she said.
Serving the community has always been a priority for Rimkus. Rimkus Real Estate started offering free home buyer seminars in 2019 at local libraries. The goal was to teach community members about the advantages and responsibilities that go along with home ownership, including information about building equity for retirement.
Rimkus Real Estate’s next big decision as it expanded its offerings in the valley was its office location.
“The main goal in determining a new office location was, ‘how can we be most approachable and accessible to anyone thinking about home ownership —and how can we continue to reach out to anyone who might not yet have started thinking about all the benefits of owning versus paying rent or leasing land,” Rimkus wrote in a recent email to clients.
Rimkus will offer coffee and tea, and she’ll be baking her mom’s secret scone recipe to make the experience as welcoming as possible. She hopes the casual environment will encourage people to ask questions and share their real estate needs and wants.
Concierge-style showings
In-person real estate showings were on hold until Gov. Jared Polis announced they could resume beginning April 27. Rimkus intends to use her mobile office as a concierge-type shuttle service for clients.
“For my clients in Aspen, I can pick them up from the airport and take them to luxury homes, park outside and make a nice picnic for them,” she said. “The 25-foot Sprinter van is equipped with comfortable seating for up to nine passengers — when we get to the stage of looking at properties with the whole family — and has two wide screen TVs to look at the listing details while driving to the next location, plus a few other conveniences.”
Using the van to help others
During the pandemic, Rimkus is also utilizing the van to support her philanthropic efforts. From driving seniors to pick up groceries to packing the van with bags full of supplies for underserved children, the mobile office sprinter van is helping Rimkus do more for the community.
On April 23, she used the van to deliver 600 bags of items, mostly toys, for underprivileged children from El Jebel to Glenwood Springs. And whenever she learns of someone who needs help shopping, she’s happy to use the van to pick up the items and deliver them.
“With this pandemic, the van has been a great tool for us to be able to help and serve the community however we can,” Rimkus said.