Steve Danyliw

Focused on a future

Steve Danyliw would love to be on the golf course today, or waterskiing next week, or planning a ski trip for this winter.

But there's not much playtime for the new-ish REALTOR with a focus on the future. He is consumed with the creation of a new business concept, along with serving on the JCAR Board of Directors to which he was elected in September.

You may know the Danyliw name. John Danyliw -- Steve's father -- is a local icon. A Realtor for nearly 40 years, he is currently a NAR director, a CAR director, and past president of the JCAR Board of Directors. It is perhaps this legacy that left the younger Danyliw daunted to follow his father's path and determined to create his own.

"Real estate was always an option," explains Steve, "but because my father was in it, I didn't want to do it."

Danyliw made his own way. Managing the engineering department of a large-scale lumberyard supplier, he enjoyed financial and professional success. But life as a mid-level manager, he admits, "weighs on you. I wanted more. It was a good job but I didn't have the personal freedom I wanted."

Five years ago, under the tutelage of his father, Danyliw earned his real estate license.

"Working with him accelerated the learning curve," he explains. "I've been exposed to more situations and transactions than I would have otherwise."

That acceleration picked up even more speed earlier this year when he, his father, and three partners formed Ease Realty, a real estate company with a national franchise strategy. Since April, the company has opened three metro-area offices and sold franchise development rights to 14 states (most of the western U.S.).

"The concept focuses on small, independent companies working as a network under one brand," Danyliw explains from his southwest Denver office. "If you look at how the market is changing and progressing, competition is fierce. A lot of the current companies are top heavy and fees and costs are high. Ease Realty was created as a way for brokers to maximize income and minimize expense."

While he's not about to stop selling homes, he is optimistic about the new venture. He points to industry giants like Re/Max, which took root on home soil. "Denver, historically, has been the birthplace of new concepts," he says.

In the meantime, he continues the family tradition of service. A JCAR member from the start of his career, he also served on the Government Affairs Committee, and sits on a panel that interviews political candidates running for office.

The industry is facing "significant changes in the next few years," he says. As examples, he names the potential consolidation of local real estate boards, possible changes to the MLS service, and state-level efforts to reduce real estate-related regulations.

With business as the top priority, real estate is Danyliw's biggest game, which doesn't leave much room for golf.

"I've been out maybe three times this year. The willing is there," he says with a sigh, "but I haven't had the time."

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