Ginger Matney
The ringer leader of our circus is a professional cat herder, and self proclaimed firefighter. Ginger is our employing broker and the owner of Elevate Real Estate. She was initially licensed in 2003 after buying several investment properties during college.
Happily married to her engineer husband Brad Grissom, they have three daughters. This alone equips her to deal with EVERY personality type out there and makes her an expert in dealing with conflict. Seriously though, Ginger is a trained mediator, in addition to having a Law Degree and BS in Finance. Conflict is not frowned upon but welcomed in order to obtain the best win-win outcome possible.
Passionate about chasing cows in her free time, she often works from horseback while riding with her girls. The Matney-Grissom family lives on five acres in Golden with their dog, cat, chickens, goats and too many horses to count (#PalominoPosse). At this point we aren’t sure if she has more rental properties or horses, but it’s neck ‘n neigh! Ginger prides herself on being a ‘straight shooter’ and having an unwavering personal code of ethics in real estate and in life. Her motto that she preaches and lives by is ‘Invest In Real Estate Today’!
Little known fact: Ginger LOVES to go to the movies (usually by herself) in the event you join her, do not try to reach into her bucket of popcorn.
See more information on Ginger’s Resume.
Pamela McNicholas
The first thing you may think when you meet Pamela is, “Do I know you?”. You may be right, contrary to popular belief she is not from Texas! A Colorado Native, from a very large family (her mom was one of 18!) means everyone is her cousin. Once you actually get to know her, you will learn she is our ‘Steady Eddy’ and does not sweat the small stuff. Her calm demeanor helps nervous buyers through the daunting process. Pamela has a 20+ year background in business having owned her own floral shop for many years and helping her husband Marty (McNicholas Construction) with his window and siding business. All of this experience lends well to her overall knowledge in the real estate industry. Licensed in 2006, she joined Ginger to help out with showings and now we won’t let her retire! Her pride and joy are her two granddaughters, just ask to see a picture!
Little known fact: She graduated from North High School and married her high school sweetheart.
Melani Hensley
From the Midwest (originally Indiana) Melani is down to earth and comfortable to be around; she’s lived in beautiful Colorado since 2009 and has never met a stranger. She is a caretaker by nature, watch out when she comes in for a hug, because she will! Melani’s background in social services lends to her passion of serving others. She will not quit you and will see you through the peaks and valleys of your real estate journey. This same background makes her the glue that holds our team together. Her focus on organization and team building is essential and she helps manage our chaos with a smile! Melani and her husband Anthony (GM of Simms Steakhouse) are almost empty nesters with their son away at college and daughter finishing up high school. Melani prides herself in having an eye for staging and enjoys attending our professional listing photo shoots for our sellers, as well as, advising them on how to create the best experience for buyers viewing their home. Veterans hold a special place in her heart and she is a Certified Military Relocation Professional to better serve those who have served us. In everything, she will strive to ‘Elevate Your Experience’!
Little known fact: She’s a Hilltopper (Western Kentucky University) and served a year as VP Standards for her Kappa Delta chapter.
Penni Smith
As our property manager, Penni is our ‘go too’ for all things complicated. Her high standards are perfect in a difficult industry and her loyalty to clients and her team is unmatched. Her dry wit and sarcasm keeps us on our toes and makes us laugh daily. While you may pick up on some Southern charm, she is another Colorado Native! Through her husband Mark (President of Ace Handyman Services) she is well aware of the cost of home repairs and managing investment properties. As an investment property owner, she can navigate you through the process of finding a tenant and signing a lease or full management services that leave you worry free! Penni is passionate about building trust through collaboration and results, her number one goal is to make your investment a success. She has tailored several packages to meet the needs of our new and seasoned investors. When she’s not making and saving you money, you will find her with Mark and their two sons camping, dirt biking, and enjoying all things outdoors.
Little known fact: Penni is an avid reader and she LOVES Reader’s Digest!
Kara Harel
Our newest addition to the team, originally from New York, Kara moved to Colorado in 2010 and has made it her home in every way. Kara is our team foodie and culinary master. She always brings the best desserts and dishes to our events, often using ingredients from her very own garden! Kara also has a background as a professional counselor meeting the social and emotional needs of others. She is empathetic and a seasoned listener for us as a team and for clients navigating their way through the real estate process. Additionally, Kara has experience with building a house from the ground up and major renovations. She currently resides in Golden with her husband and son and can often be found at Live music concerts in the summer or on the ski slopes in the winter when she isn’t pounding the pavement with buyers or working with her sellers.
Little known fact: Kara has a B.S. in Psychology, an M.S. in Counseling and a Ed.S. in School Psychology, and is licensed as an LPC in addition to being a REALTOR. In short she loves education and is a great test taker!
Amber Robertson
Master of all things paper and email, Amber is by far the most organized and efficient transaction coordinator in the world. Yes, we said WORLD! Our point person for the paperwork behind every deal is one of the most important pieces of how we can help so many clients without sacrificing our top notch service. Always kind and patient, she juggles more in a day than most others do in a year. Personally she is the edgiest member on our team and makes the rest of us feel ‘hip’! She has worked in law enforcement and was a frac hand in the oil fields in past lives; this serves her now in real estate as she can handle anything that comes her (our) way! Aside from business, Amber is a single mom of her adorable daughter Zoey, a volunteer for Safehouse Denver and an avid motorcycle enthusiast! Did we mention that she is effortlessly cool as a person and under pressure?
Little known fact: She has scary (but collectible) gremlins in her basement!
