“The culture and traditions of Santa Fe are what really capture my heart”
Santa Fe has always been Carmela Niño’s home, and likely to always be. “Aside from the obvious — the gorgeous landscape and unique architecture — it’s the culture of Santa Fe that I love most. There is such diversity! The world-renowned art we have access to on a daily basis is astounding, and now I am loving all the films that are being created in our town.”
Carmela enjoyed an idyllic Santa Fe childhood in a big family, with frequent explorations into Hyde Park, riding bikes downtown, and walking each day from Carlos Gilbert Elementary to St. Catherine’s Indian School, where both of her parents were employed. “So much has changed in Santa Fe since my childhood and yet so much remains the same,” she says with affection. “The biggest change is obviously the growth, which is exciting and continues to bring more opportunity to our area, but the culture and traditions of Santa Fe remain the same and that is what really captures my heart.”
Her position with an investment banking firm prepared her for a career in real estate. “It was like real estate in the sense that we found venture capital for start-up companies, and then found buyers for these companies once they were ready to sell.”
She was drawn into a career as a real estate broker out of her desire to offer services to people of all income levels. “From starter homes to multi-million dollar estates, I treat everyone with the same respect and level of service,” Carmela says emphatically. “When I am in a position to truly help someone in a tough situation, it’s a great feeling! Very rewarding and often leads to lifelong friendships.”
“We have many advantages at Barker Realty that allows us to serve our clients at an extremely high level. The company provides its associate brokers a staff-to-broker ratio higher than any of our competitors, enabling us to focus on our clients’ needs and complete transactions as seamlessly as possible. The support team is extraordinary and it has made a big difference in my career. We have access to the best training and continuing education on market trends, business models and marketing. And then there’s our staff on the front line — Charmaine and Jennifer. Our customers, and we, absolutely adore them!”
Carmela’s love for Santa Fe drives her to give back to the community that has given so much to her. Recently, she and her family started preparing and serving meals to the homeless at Pete’s Pets Shelter. “This experience has given me a deeper understanding of ‘unity’. There is so much hard work and coordination that takes place to keep an organization like this running on a daily basis. I am overjoyed to see this level of unity from many volunteers with one goal in common — caring for our homeless.” She is also a member of the Women’s Council of Realtors, an organization of professionals who are committed to doing positive things in the community.
