Elko real estate broker goes independent route

Real estate veteran Kimberly Owen has established a real presence in the northeast Nevada market since establishing NAI Alliance’s Elko division in 2011.

But now Owen is leaving the NAI brand behind to start an independent venture, Strata Realty Group. She will work in the same office on Silver Street in Elko that she managed while at NAI.

Owen had a one-person operation as NAI’s Elko branch manager and broker, where she built a large clientele in the area. In 2014, she generated $7 million from leasing and sales transactions in Elko County alone, while representing a diverse client base including Denny’s, Nevada State Bank, Boart Longyear and the City of Elko.

However, while affiliated with NAI, the real estate firm was limited in the services it could provide clients, such as property management.

That compelled Owen to go it alone and start the Strata brand so she expanded her range of services including commercial and residential brokerage, property management and assistance in development of raw land or renovating an existing property.

“I have a lot of loyal clients, some of them absentee owners, and it was difficult to have to go to different avenues for the services,” she said. “Sometimes it’s hard for them to find people they can trust. Now they can just come through me.”

Owen also mentioned that in a smaller community like Elko, deals are done much more deliberately than they would in bigger metropolitan areas, so it was easier to have one person who could do it all.

Owen picked the name Strata with respect to the area’s strong ties to the mining industry. Strata is a geological term that refers to the layers of rock or soil in the ground. She says it also represents the layers of service the company now offers.

Owen still confers with her colleagues at NAI.

I still work with NAI, mostly on networking and consulting,” she said. “There’s still a real synergy between Elko and Reno.”

Owen is still working at the same office she had while still affiliated with NAI Alliance, but is negotiating a deal to move to another office in town.

She also may also look to add staff to Strata in the future. Owen said the office she is looking to move to could eventually house about a dozen staff members. She is already considering taking on at least one more person to double her one-person enterprise.

Owen has developed a real fondness for the Elko area and is comfortable serving the community and outlying areas. And she says the feeling is reciprocal among her clients.

“I think that’s why I am successful, because I’m able to provide them with that personal touch.”