If you’re searching for the best real estate agent in Fort Collins or trying to navigate the process of relocating to Northern Colorado, you’ve landed on the most comprehensive guide available. At Soukup Real Estate Services, we’ve been helping families and individuals relocate to Fort Collins and the surrounding communities for years—and we’ve built a reputation as the go-to real estate brokerage for relocation.
Whether you’re moving from Denver, Colorado Springs, or across the country—from states like California, Texas, Illinois, or Florida—this guide was made for you.
🔑 Why Soukup Real Estate Services?
Since 2020 (founded in 2016), Soukup Real Estate Services has specialized in helping relocation clients find their place in Northern Colorado. As a locally owned boutique brokerage, our focus is on people—not transactions.
Founded by Patrick Soukup, who got his start managing 400 residential units and 100,000 sq ft of commercial space, we’ve built vendor relationships, city knowledge, and process systems that no other brokerage in the area can match. We’re plugged in. Since 2023, we’ve been watching every Fort Collins City Council meeting, giving us unparalleled insights into:
- Upcoming development projects
- School boundary changes
- Annexation proposals
- Market trends and zoning policies
This isn’t just real estate—it’s strategic relocation guidance.
👥 Meet Your Fort Collins Relocation Dream Team
We’re not a one-agent show. Our expert team is what sets us apart:
- Izzy – Specializes in helping renters and investors find the right fit before buying.
- Zach – Your go-to guide for both listings and purchases across Fort Collins and Northern Colorado.
- Connor – Deeply experienced in buyer-side representation.
- Caleb – Local expert for Northern Colorado’s emerging areas, especially Johnstown, Windsor, and Berthoud.
✈️ The Holy Grail Steps to Relocating to Fort Collins
Our relocation system is designed for efficiency, clarity, and comfort. Whether you’re a couple, family, or individual, this is your blueprint:
1. 🎯 Choice vs. Job Transfer
Is this a lifestyle upgrade or a career move? We help you break it down like an NCAA bracket: What matters more—walkability, schools, nature, affordability, proximity to DIA?
2. 📞 Intro Zoom Call
We start with a 30-minute Zoom call to understand your needs, budget, timeline, and ideal lifestyle. This also gives you a no-pressure chance to meet us and see if we’re the right fit.
3. 📍 Visit the Area with Purpose
Stay in an Airbnb or hotel, and give yourself the lens of someone who will live here, not just visit. Watch our YouTube videos on Fort Collins neighborhoods and join us for a custom city tour based on your needs.
4. 🚙 Guided City & Area Tour
We’ve done hundreds of curated driving tours around Fort Collins, Timnath, Wellington, Windsor, Loveland, Berthoud, Severance, and Johnstown. We talk schools, shops, trails, HOAs, traffic, and noise levels.
5. 👨👩👧 Family Buy-In
We help clients work through the emotional piece—especially for families. Moving can be stressful for kids and spouses. We’ve helped clients of all ages find their tribe.
🏠 Renting vs. Buying in Northern Colorado
We’ve worked with every type of scenario:
🏡 1. Buy Before You Move
- 🔍 Virtual Tours & Local Inspections: We conduct detailed video walkthroughs and evaluate critical factors—neighborhood feel, odors, noise, nearby construction, yard slope, HOA restrictions, etc.
- 💼 Trusted Eyes on the Ground: We act as your advocate during every showing and inspection, ensuring you’re not blindsided post-closing.
🧳 2. Short-Term Rental First, Then Buy
- 🏠 Gives you 1–3 months of buffer to explore neighborhoods in-person.
- 🧰 We help secure furnished STRs, handle the buy-side search while you’re here, and coordinate timing with your lease.
📆 3. Long-Term Rental Before Buying
- 🕵️♂️ Ideal for those wanting to “test-drive” Fort Collins or Northern Colorado over a year or more.
- 🗺️ Great for those unsure about schools, commute, or lifestyle fit.
- 💬 We stay in touch, schedule periodic tours, and keep you updated on market shifts.
🚙 4. Marathon Weekend Home Tours (Drive-In Clients)
- 🔁 Perfect for those coming from Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, or nearby.
- 🏃♂️ We plan 6–12 home showings in one intense day or weekend.
- 🧭 We optimize routes, preview homes, neighborhood stops, and quick lender conversations if relevant.
👀 5. Sight-Unseen Buyers
- 🧠 This is high-trust, high-detail. We double down on:
- Floor plan flow
- Sunlight
- Smells and sounds
- Street and neighbors
- 🧾 We walk through the entire house as if we were buying it ourselves.
✈️ 6. Fly-In, Find-a-Home Trips
- ✈️ You fly in for 3–5 days specifically to find a home.
- 🧩 We coordinate showings, lender meetings, inspections. This is alos a great time for school visits, and potential job interviews in one intensive trip.
- 📋 Pre-trip prep is key: We narrow to 5–10 viable homes before you land.
⏳ 7. Sell First in Home State, Then Buy with Cash
- 💰 This is a popular route for empty nesters and investors.
- 📦 Once your out-of-state home closes, we help you buy strategically with fewer contingencies and faster timelines.
🛫 8. Pioneer Strategy (One Spouse Moves First)
- 👨👩👧 Spouse or partner moves out first to:
- Secure housing
- Register kids for school
- Prep the new home
- ✈️ Partner #2 follows after wrapping up sale, job, or family obligations.
💼 9. Corporate Relocation with Housing Budget or Timeline Constraints
- 🏢 We’ve worked with companies offering relocation assistance and tight timelines.
- ⏱️ We help navigate relocation packages, per diem housing, and deadlines to ensure zero stress.
🧒 10. Relocations Involving School Enrollment Deadlines
- 📚 Many clients move just before the start of a school year.
- 🕐 We work backwards from school registration cutoffs to lock in housing in the right district.
- ✍️ We also guide School of Choice and private school timelines.
🌄 11. Lifestyle-Driven Moves (Retirement, Outdoor Living, Family Closeness)
- 🧘♀️ “We want trails, breweries, low crime, and a strong sense of community.”
- 🎯 We focus on the the right neighborhood, not just the right house.
- 🏔️ Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, and Berthoud all offer different flavors.
📉 12. Market-Timing Movers
- 💹 Clients who want to “wait for rates to drop” or time their move with real estate trends.
- 📊 We provide ongoing data, price trend alerts, and market analysis while you wait.
🧑🎓 13. College-Related Moves
- 🏫 CSU parents buying for their students instead of renting.
- 🧩 Strategy includes proximity to campus, safety, resale value, and roommate setup.
🏘️ 14. Multi-Generational Moves
- 👵👶 Two or three generations moving together or in close proximity.
- 🔍 We explore homes with ADUs, finished basements, or side-by-side homes in the same community.
🏗️ 15. New Construction Buyers
- 🏡 We guide you through building from the ground up, even if you’re not in town.
- 📆 Weekly check-ins, builder liaison work, design center advice, and pre-drywall inspections.
If you can imagine it, we’ve probably done it.
🧭 Mapping Your Timeline
Here’s our rough guideline for how long a relocation takes:
- 🔍 Renting? Give yourself 2–8 weeks. Inventory is tight.
- 🛍️ Buying? Plan for 60–120 days total. Most contracts close in 30–45 days, but post-occupancy can extend the timeline.
- 🔑 Need help lining up utilities, walk-throughs, or key exchanges? We handle that.
🧳 The Move Itself: Logistics Simplified
We walk you through every move style:
- Full-service movers (like Move Caddies—we recommend getting 3 quotes)
- DIY with truck rental
- PODS or UBox for hybrid moves
- Pioneer Strategy: One partner moves first to get settled and prepped
🧠 Your Mindset Matters
We’ve helped hundreds of people relocate successfully—and the #1 indicator of success is mindset. Optimistic, flexible clients tend to love Northern Colorado. There will be hiccups. But the sunsets, trails, breweries, and community make it worth it.
🧰 Pro Tips & Hacks
- Label boxes with color-coded dots per room
- Schedule “decompression days” before and after the move
- Give your kids wrapped gifts to open at major milestones during the road trip
- Grocery delivery and meal prep on Day 1
- Fort Collins Connexion internet? Schedule it 3 weeks ahead
🎯 Why We’re the Best Real Estate Brokerage in Fort Collins
Let’s keep it real. We’re not a national brand. We’re local, strategic, and trusted. Our YouTube channel brings in relocation clients every week. Our systems are refined. Our clients turn into friends, and we treat every buyer as if they’re joining our neighborhood.
We bring:
- Local expertise since 2013
- Vendor connections you can’t find on Yelp
- Insight from city meetings that most agents ignore
- Custom strategies tailored to YOUR situation
- Relentless communication and market knowledge
📞 Ready to Make the Move?
We work with clients relocating in 2 weeks or 2 years. Start with a simple call.
👉 Schedule your intro Zoom call today HERE.
Or browse more resources on our site, including:
- 📽️ Our YouTube relocation videos
- 📝 Our updated relocation packet
- 🗺️ Neighborhood deep-dives
We don’t just sell homes. We help people build better lives in Northern Colorado.
Let’s start yours today.