“Big life transitions can be scary, and they can also be catalysts for new adventures and learning,” says Rachel Vesta of The Group Real Estate, “A major life change including relocation and divorce led me to a career in real estate and while it was difficult, I’m grateful for all I’ve learned from the experiences because it informs how and why I do what I do in real estate.” 

The first 15 years of Rachel’s career were in education and educational leadership, where she became founder, director, and teacher of Verona Schoolhouse, a private education program, as well as nonprofit co-founder and Board Chair of Kairos Academy in Austin, Texas. I have always been the primary caregiver for my children and was doing big things in education,” she recalls, “but it was time to start something new.” Rachel has been in Fort Collins since 2017 when she and her children came out here on, what was intended to be a four-month sabbatical. The family ended up staying in Fort Collins for a year and that was when Rachel realized she wanted to relocate here permanently. 

“I’m a lifelong learner,” Rachel says. “When it was time for me to leave the field of education and pursue the next challenge, I didn’t yet know what the next career would be.” She initially looked at property management jobs and discovered she needed a real estate license. “I went down a rabbit hole as I explored the licensing requirements,” she laughs. “I imagined the real estate information I’d learn would be  good life knowledge  regardless but I quickly realized that what I’d been doing in education was transferable to a career as a residential real estate agent.” She explains that finding schools that fit kids and understanding their individual and family needs was much like finding houses for individuals and families and empowering them to make informed decisions. 

“I’m a connector of people,” Rachel says softly. “It’s always been part of who I am.” One of her gifts is connecting folks she meets with one another when their needs, goals, and dreams align. She can be counted on to have a trusted local service provider name at her fingertips and a growing nationwide referral network of agents ready to share. She also understands how different brains receive and process information, saying, “Everything I put out there is meant for people to absorb in different ways.” Knowledge is power and from an empowered position, Rachel believes that anything is possible.  

“I didn’t know what I didn’t know, but now I do,” she says, as she reflects on navigating her divorce without divorce-trained real estate professionals. “As a result, my desire is to share my own experience and offer my professional knowledge and support as a trained real estate specialist of divorce so that others are more equipped than I was in those months leading up to mediation.”

Rachel has a BA in Journalism Advertising and a minor in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and is fluent in Spanish. She earned a Texas Teaching Certificate for early childhood-sixth grade and acquired a Master’s in Education from Texas State University. While that’s an impressive resume, Rachel’s greatest accomplishment is raising her three children in a healthy, happy home. Emma (17), Joseph (15), and Olivia (13) are the center of her world. “Last year I bought a popup camper and learned how to tow and put it up and love to get out into nature with my kids,” she says. “We often camp close by while maintaining the ability to work”  She explains that the kids can still run into town for their various activities including, weekly participation at Hearts and Horses in Loveland. The family treasures their time volunteering to muck out stalls and barns on Sundays with their horse community, where they have met some of their dearest friends. 

Rachel says, “Providing education, connections, wraparound support, and individualized attention are the things that have transferred into my real estate career from before, and have been the foundational pieces of my success.” 

Connect with Rachel at rachel@rachelvesta.com or (970) 443-0561.