About Amy Garris
Owner / Managing Broker
Amy Garris was born in Boulder, CO and grew up on the grounds of the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park. She began working full time at the camp as a member of the summer staff at age 12, and by 18, she became the youngest member in the camp's 100 year history to receive a 7 year employment pin. She attended her freshman year of college at Texas A&M University, and graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 1995 with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Theater. She spent 10 years as a professional singer touring the country with several rock & roll, blues, bluegrass, and swing bands before she moved to Steamboat Springs in 2000.
Amy spent 7 years in Steamboat as a Hotel GM and another 5 years as the President of a Commercial Property Management Company identifying, restoring, remodeling, leasing and managing several large downtown commercial buildings for a single owner. She coordinated construction projects that included numerous tenant finishes, large scale structural repairs, environmental remediations, and a 7 million dollar refit of a book store into a night club and music venue. Her vast experience in evaluating investment property, identifying capital improvements and overseeing construction projects has given her a unique perspective in the commercial real estate industry.
After moving to Denver in 2012, Amy spearheaded the formation of a commercial brokerage division at the Keller Williams downtown office, which had previously held only residential agents. Two years later, She joined Jamis Companies, a Boutique Commercial Firm in Ballpark where she executed deals in Neighborhood Retail Centers, Off Market transactions , Big Box Retail to Industrial Conversions, and brokered a land deal in the Ballpark neighborhood that, at the time, was the highest price per square foot sale in the downtown area in early 2019, now home to the 22 story X2 Denver luxury apartment building. She currently represents Landlords, Buyers, Sellers and Several local tenant groups expanding restaurant, bar, salon, and adaptive re-use portfolios.
While at Jamis Companies, Amy served as a co-founder and CEO of a Tech Company, The Commercial Co-Op. This unique startup offers a wide range of tech tools for brokers in an industry that has become fractured and expensive. The product is available online and in App Stores. Once the development of the product was complete, she decided to venture out on her own and expand her services to include mountain investment purchase and sales. Partnering with long time friends and owners of Copper Rental Properties, opening Garris Commercial & Investment Real Estate was the next natural step in providing a full service investment process for mountain enthusiasts, while continuing to engage commercial clients in the city. She is a member of both DMCAR (Denver Metro Commercial Association of Realtors) and The Summit Association of Realtors MLS. What separates Amy from other brokers is her extensive experience in investment real estate. Typically, brokers assisting buyers and sellers of residential or investment homes and condos specialize in only residential real estate, however, purchasing an investment property should reflect a business minded approach. This approach focuses on everything from marketability & management to price negotiation, financing, and yes, commissions. Creativity in negotiation is a hallmark of investment deal-making and while residential agents are late to the game, Amy has been entrenched in that practice her whole career.
As a Commercial Broker, commissions have always been negotiated, never assumed, and Amy understands the importance of transparency and flexibility in gaining the best possible deal for her clients.
Amy is an avid sports fanatic and an obsessive skier and golfer. She is a Denver Sports team super fan and spends much of her free time playing or watching sports. You can still catch her singing with her band, Corduroy Tiger at neighborhood bars in Park Hill. She lives with her Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Mack, in downtown Denver amidst the Union Station redevelopment.
Investment Services