CRESTED BUTTE, CO – LIV Sotheby’s International Realty (LIV SIR) is proud to announce that Ralph O. Walton III has been appointed as the vice president and managing broker for the firm’s Crested Butte office.
Walton is well known around Crested Butte by his nickname “Scout” since he first moved to the area in 1970, when his family purchased the ski area from seven Kansas banks. In 1993, he moved back to work for Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR), where he served as CFO, SVP of resort operations and president of CBMR Real Estate. In his return to Crested Butte, Walton complements his local knowledge and ski industry experience with a 25-year background in mountain town real estate in brokerage, development and project management.
“We feel very fortunate to have someone of Ralph Walton’s background experience and caliber dedicated to succeeding Cathy Benson in continuing our leadership presence in the market. Ralph will be a great mentor to, and supporter of, our valued brokers,” said Scott Webber, president, LIV SIR.
LIV SIR welcomed Crested Butte SIR to the firm earlier this year and long-time real estate professional and prior owner of Crested Butte SIR, Cathy Benson, will remain on the LIV team as a key agent in the Crested Butte office.
“Everyone that knows me is aware of my deep commitment to excellence and having the most knowledgeable, professional and honorable team members in the valley. Although my plan is to remain an integral part of the LIV Sotheby’s team in Crested Butte, as a broker associate, it’s time for some fresh ideas and even stronger leadership for our market. Personally, I believe Scout is the person to do that and we couldn’t be more excited to have him take on this role. He is a leader in every way, someone with great commitment to our company and a true love of this community,” said Benson.
Walton began his career as a CPA in New York City and then a strategy consultant in Paris, France. He jumped into the resort industry at CBMR then was recruited by two ground-up developments in Montana. In 2009, he co-founded Cedar House Partners which provides brokerage, investment and advisory services for owners of resort-based real estate. Walton’s project experience includes three large scale master planned communities: Prospect at Mt. Crested Butte, the Club at Spanish Peaks and Saddlehorn. Walton currently resides in Steamboat Springs, where he operates as a broker with local SIR affiliate, Steamboat Sotheby’s International Realty and serves as the project manager for the Steamboat Springs Redevelopment Authority.
“I am very excited about joining the LIV team to lead this market-leading office,” commented Walton. “More than a homecoming, this role represents a significant opportunity to leverage the LIV culture and SIR brand in a very special place close to my heart.”
From his roots growing up on a Georgia sod farm, Walton became an accomplished junior ski racer winning the state championship in 1976. After completing his undergraduate studies at Duke University and earning his MBA from New York University and the Stockholm School of Economics, Walton married Martina, a former member of the Czech national ski team and they moved to Crested Butte to start their family. The Waltons have two kids, Veronica (24) and Brittain (21) and a rescue lab, Layla.
To learn more, contact Scout Walton at 970.349.6653. For more information or to service all of your real estate needs, visit Resorts.LIVSothebysRealty.com.