Professional Agents
Rob Van Gorder
Broker Associate, Realtor®
Residential Leasing Specialist
Life began for me in Bradenton, FL, when I was born into a family with two older brothers. My mom and dad were close to their families, who for the majority, also lived in Florida. We had a good childhood, filled with family connection. I believe family is a crucial part of early development in one's life. Most importantly, family is what drew me to real estate.
We lived in Florida until I was about seven years old, at which point my parents made a decision that would change our lives forever. That decision was for us to move away from everything we ever knew. At the time, it was heartbreaking and very confusing for us as kids. However, it would become a part of our lives that would shape us as individuals and as a family.
Having first moved to Salida, my love for Colorado and the mountains grew quickly.
I knew Colorado was where I was supposed to be. After spending a few years in Salida, we pivoted further east to Colorado Springs. My mom always dreamed of having land and so my parents did exactly that; they bought land. My parents bought a 40-acre plot in Ellicott and placed a house on it. This became our family home as we knew it and will always be. My parents later moved to Colorado Springs after we all finished school.
Real estate [for me] isn't just trying to make a dollar selling homes for people. For me it's the American dream. I never understood what that meant until I went through the home buying process myself. As a homeowner, I get to invest in my future, while living in a place I get to call my own. Having that opportunity is like getting your first car at 16, only exponentially greater. You take pride in having made that next step in life and nothing feels more accomplished than owning a home.
I started out my undergrad at Western University as both student and athlete. I played football from an early age which led me to a scholarship to play for Western as a defensive end. Unfortunately, life had other plans and an injury removed me from football. I transferred to the University of Northern Colorado, where I graduated with a bachelor in economics. While at UNC, my drive to be competitive led me into bodybuilding. Plus, having been an athlete my whole life, that drive to be involved in sports, still thrived in me. I competed twice in college, then five more times following my graduation, up until 30. I recently decided to make a comeback, after having spent 10 years away from it. In July of 2025, I placed second at the Colorado State in the super heavyweight division.
My professional career has been a mix of sales and management, with a touch of healthcare.
I’ve been a manager for Enterprise, medical device sales and technician, Oil and gas operations manager, Sales and project management for commercial electrical, and on and on. My reason for giving you that last run-on sentence was to show you why I’ve chosen real estate. I spent a good part of my life trying to find my passion and what I wanted to do “when I grow up”, or where I fit. Which is almost comical, at the tender age of 40.
“In a home, whether rented or owned, is where family grows closer.”
I want to be the person that can help people live out their dreams as well.
I stated at the beginning that family is my draw to real estate and that’s because in a home, whether rented or owned, is where family grows closer. Be it, where you have your first Christmas as newly-weds, celebrate your daughter's sixth birthday or simply throwing a dinner party. That's where memories are made. After all, those memories are that we hold onto and are priceless.
Contact Rob
Need more information on my real estate services? Have a question about a listing or seeing some homes in the area? Whatever you need, I’m here to help! Reach out below.