People often ask what we do at cityhomeCOLLECTIVE (like, really often). And that’s okay. I like that, because that means we do a lot. And we do. cityhomeCOLLECTIVE is a gang of realtors, yes, but we're also brokers, designers, writers, editors, photographers, creative directors, print-makers, movers, and shakers (currently working on "candlestick makers"). We are yours, but we are also you. As most of you that have perused the pages of our site know, yes, we love being fancy, but yes, most often we have to do it on a budget. Yes, we're obsessed with and inspired by great design and amazing architecture, and yes we're striving to be able to afford the beautiful homes we sell, just like many of you. We're a COLLECTIVE of gays that love straights and straights that love gays. We're made up of young folks that are inspired by days passed, and we're made up of an older generation that's inspired by the now.

But what you may not know is this: we need you. We recently had a client mention (in the spirit of kindness, to be clear) that his patronage didn't matter to us because we're doing so well. Screech, what the, record stop, personal foul. We come to work every day, we do what we do (which we love), and we're hoping, praying, pleading that the people that love what we do, too, will call to enlist our services. Without the good people calling us to help them buy, sell, and design their spaces, we couldn’t keep the doors open or bring you this cool shit. All of you that have used us to find your space in some way, big or small, you are the lifeblood of this company. Every condo, casa, townhome, apartment, and mansion. And for that, I'd like to extend a humble thanks.

I am humbly grateful to every individual who believes in us to help them through what is ultimately a crazy-ass, scary transition. Also, I'd like to offer the sincerest thank you to all our COLLECTIVE employees, interns, and contributors--all those beautiful, amazing, inspiring, deliberate, creative people that grace the building at 645 E South Temple early in the morning and leave well after dark (and not just during daylight saving, mind you). I would also like to give thanks to mentors; to everyone that got us here, colleagues and clients. To everybody that helped, specifically, shape my real estate brain. I'd like to thank my mentor Tamra Rieper (and the other good folks at Keller Williams, like Boyd Brown and Nina McGee), to Megan Sillito (who's been around as a business coach for the last decade) and Suzanne Stauffer, for keeping me sane, to Dave Fredrickson (my former broker, and president of the Board of Realtors, who's always been ready to lend a helping hand). To Cathy Fotheringham (my first ever paying design client that hired me when I was 21), and to Neal Thomas (my good friend and one of my interior design mentors from New York who helped me paint the walls of that very house for free). My mission with creating this company was to reinvent the real estate industry. I wanted to recreate the real-estate professional reputation as honest, ethical, community driven, interesting, creative, passionate individuals. This was not the case when I started, but change is actually happening. We’re doing a good job (such a good job, in fact, that sometimes I have to take a deep breath and let it go when I see copycats). But we know that our dream is sanctified. Unshakeable. Enlightened.

"My gratitude is running deep."

There are a lot of people who have helped get us here--to this spot between helping luxury, high-end home buyers and be-budgeted first timers. And we'd like to keep expanding in both directions--I truly believe that's what growth, maturity, expansion, and understanding are. I want to continue to be more comfortable with luxury and be more comfortable in modest-sized homes, because we are all of that. We are Dom Pérignon and PBR. The whole point of cityhomeCOLLECTIVE was to be understanding with first timers, because at the time, it was my first time, and we were going through our first times together. But even though I've bought and sold a handful of homes since then, I’ve got that first time homebuyer and first time seller in me. We will hold your hand and walk with you--not just because we empathize, but because that’s who we are. But the jet-setting, luxury inspired, that’s who we are too. So we'll keep doing what we're doing, expanding in both directions. This company is my family and commitment, and we commit to you. This season (and forever) let's be kind, supportive, gentle, and sweet. Let's lead and be strong, be diligent and purposeful. My gratitude is running deep.

Thank you. Whoever you are, and however you've helped this little COLLECTIVE that could get to where we are today: namaste, god be with you, peace and prayers, tears of joy, hallelujah, danke. We’re gonna take a nap. See you next year.
And in the immortal words of Dolly Parton, I will always love you.

Cheers, mates.

Cody Derrick