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Show BUSINESS The Park Record. Editor: Bubba Brown business@parkrecord.com 435.649.9014 ex.118 CHAMBER/BUREAU TO DETAIL ONLINE IMPACT The Park City Chamber/Bureau is digging into the role its website, visitparkcity.com, plays in bringing visitors to Park City. According to a newsletter, the organization is scheduled to hold an event for members discussing that topic, as well website user data, visitor demographics and other information that could helpful for business looking to engage visitors. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, May 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Park City Peaks Hotel. The cost is $15 for lunch, and attendees are asked to RSVP online. UTAH GAS PRICES AMONG HIGHEST IN THE NATION Gas prices in Utah remain among the highest in the nation and have risen seven cents over the last month. According to a press release from AAA Utah, the average price for a gallon of gas at Utah is $2.46, 11th highest in the U.S. Rolayne Fairclough, AAA Utah spokeswoman, said increasing production in the U.S. could limit price increases, however. “(That) places considerable downward pressure on prices, especially when coupled with the supply glut and the lower than normal demand by the public,” she said. “But, this immediate downward trend may not be considered the norm for the upcoming summer driving season when forecasts indicate demand will increase.” WASATCH FRONT PRICE INDEX RISES IN APRIL The Zions Bank Wasatch Front Consumer Price Index rose 0.4 during April, a 2.8 percent increase from the previous year, as housing prices surged. According to a press release, the continued price increases for products in the state are indicative of a healthy economy. “Utah’s economy is gearing up for more growth,” said Scott Anderson, Zions Bank president and CEO, in the release. “Home values continue to increase as Utah becomes more and more attractive as a market for professionals and families looking for good jobs and a great place to live.” COMPANY AIMS TO SEND A MESSAGE, A-16 www.parkrecord.com A-15 FACES OF TRAVEL HIGHLIGHTED, A-17 SAT/SUN/MON/TUES, MAY 13-16, 2017 Longtime Parkite named Realtor of the Year Honoree Patti Wells has helped shape the town since the 1970s By BUBBA BROWN The Park Record When she first realized the honor was meant for her, Patti Wells could hardly believe it. Surely, she thought, there were dozens of people more deserving. Clearly, others disagree. Wells, a longtime Parkite, was recently named Realtor of the Year by the Park City Board of Realtors in the organization’s annual ceremony, held late last month. She was given the award for her role in shaping the area’s real estate industry, from being one of the board’s founding members to her work with several of the town’s nonprofit organizations. Wells, an associate broker with Summit Sotheby’s International Realty, expressed gratitude at receiving the recognition. “I was so surprised,” said Wells, who didn’t find out about the honor until the award presentation. “There are so many people that have done so much for the Realtor community here. I was surprised that I was chosen and really honored. It’s a great award, and the company I’m among is amazing.” To David Johnson, managing broker at Summit Sotheby’s and another wellknown Park City real estate figure, Wells is eminently deserving of the honor. In an email statement to The Park Record, he said nearly everyone who has worked with her, either as a colleague or client, lauds her professionalism and expertise of the area’s real estate scene. “Patti epitomizes professionalism in real estate sales brokerage,” he said. “She represents the very best our industry has to offer.” After stints working in marketing for Park City Mountain Resort -- then known as Park City Ski Area -- and property management, Wells began her real estate career in 1976, a time when there were only about 10 other agents in town, she said. There was no multiple listing service (MLS) available, so agents would BUBBA BROWN/PARK RECORD Patti Wells, an associate broker with Summit Sotheby’s International Realty, was recently named Realtor of the Year by the Park City Board of Realtors. Wells, who has been a real estate agent in town since 1976, says she is honored to receive the award. have to call one another regularly to see what properties were available. The friendships the agents formed morphed into the Board of Realtors later that decade, and Wells said that kind of camaraderie still infuses the local real estate industry. “I started at a time when there was so much camaraderie amongst the agents,” she said. “I grew up envisioning a real estate community. We’re competitive and our companies are competitive, but these are your friends and your neighbors and the people you play golf and go biking with. It was fun and it’s still fun today.” The relationships she’s formed with other agents and clients are what have kept Wells in the business for more than 40 years, but she is also passionate about selling real estate in Park City. She arrived in town before it had stoplights, and she recalls riding horses down Main Street and traffic regularly having to stop on S.R. 224 to let cows cross the road. In those days, Park City had barely begun its transformation into a world-class ski destination. In fact, Wells was one of the few who saw the town’s potential. She remembers how outsiders dismissed the city when she’d work ski shows on behalf of Park City Mountain Resort. “We were in our 20s and all excited about Park City,” she said. “And they’d say, ‘Where are you from?’ We’d say, ‘Park City, Utah,’ and they would all look at us and say, ‘Where? Do you even have any snow? All you have is that salty lake.’ We told them we had the best snow ever.” Decades later, Wells’ vision for the town has come true -- and in some ways exceeded even her expectations. She said watching the area change over the years has been fascinating, and she remains optimistic that Park City’s best days are still ahead. For her part, she intends to do all she can to make it so. She will continue her work with nonprofits, and she also plans to continue shaping the real estate industry. One way she can have an impact is showing new agents the ropes, in hopes they maintain the philosophies that have helped the industry flourish for decades. “Hopefully I can welcome them,” she said, “and give them some tidbits of what I’ve learned over the years and what will help make them successful.” POWER TOMORROW. SAVE TODAY. Discovering solar power is like taking work off to go skiing, you’ll be glad you did it. Save up to 40% on your electrical bill and make a positive impact on the environment. Get all the latest Park Record updates. SCHEDULE YOUR FREE SOLAR CONSULTATION TODAY. 435.731.8424 | ONTOPSE.COM |