By Danny Skelly | Orson Hill Realty | eXp Realty | dans.realestate
Danny Skelly — Licensed Real Estate Broker in Colorado and Southwest Florida
Finding a real estate broker who genuinely knows two completely different markets — not just on paper, but from years of actually working in them — is harder than it sounds. Danny Skelly is one of the rare exceptions. He holds active broker licenses in both Colorado and Florida, owns Orson Hill Realty under the eXp Realty platform, and has personally navigated hundreds of transactions across the Colorado Foothills and Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast. If you’re buying, selling, or investing in either market, he’s worth a conversation.

This guide covers who Danny is, how eXp Realty works, and what makes each of the markets he serves worth paying attention to — from the mountain communities west of Denver to the canal-laced waterways of Cape Coral and the sun-drenched barrier islands of the Florida Keys.
Who Is Danny Skelly? Background, Credentials, and What Sets Him Apart
Danny Skelly isn’t a career switcher who got a real estate license after a corporate layoff. He’s a serial entrepreneur who has built and operated businesses across multiple industries — a print shop, a children’s entertainment center, a waterfront inn and charter operation — and brought those hard-earned business instincts directly into real estate. That background matters more than most clients realize.
When you’ve run a business with employees, inventory, cash flow pressures, and real stakes, you approach a real estate transaction differently. You understand exit strategy. You’ve thought about risk. You know what it costs to make a bad decision and move fast when a good opportunity appears.
As the owner of Orson Hill Realty, Danny built his brokerage around two core geographic markets: the Colorado Foothills — covering Evergreen, Conifer, Golden, and Jefferson County — and Southwest Florida, including Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples, Marco Island, and the broader Lee and Collier County region. His brokerage operates under eXp Realty, which gives clients access to a national platform while keeping the personalized service of a boutique owner-operator.
Danny is also the founder of AgentsGather.com, a professional networking platform built specifically for real estate agents, brokers, investors, and industry vendors. It functions as a hybrid between LinkedIn, Zillow, and a real estate-focused learning hub — and it was built by someone who actually works in the industry, not a tech company guessing at what agents need.
His contact lines are simple: Colorado clients reach him at 303-503-8793, and Florida clients at 239-933-1766. His primary web presence is at dans.realestate.
What Is eXp Realty and Why Do Serious Agents Choose It?
eXp Realty launched in 2009 as a cloud-based brokerage and has since grown into one of the largest and fastest-expanding real estate companies in the world. It now spans tens of thousands of agents across the U.S., Canada, and multiple international markets. The model is fundamentally different from a traditional franchise brokerage — and that difference shows up in tangible ways for both agents and clients.
The eXp Advantage Over Traditional Brokerages
Traditional brokerages carry heavy overhead — physical offices, desk fees, franchise fees, and rigid commission structures that prioritize the brand over the agent. eXp Realty flipped that model by going fully cloud-based and reinvesting the savings into agent compensation, training, and technology. Key advantages include:
- Agent equity — agents can own stock in the company, not just earn commissions
- Revenue sharing — agents who help grow the network earn recurring income from their sponsored agents
- Industry-leading commission splits that scale with production
- A robust virtual training platform with live instruction and on-demand resources
- National and international referral infrastructure
- Cutting-edge marketing, CRM, and transaction management tools
For clients, this means working with agents who have real skin in the game. Danny Skelly isn’t just earning a commission — he’s invested in the eXp platform, which creates an alignment of incentives that matters when a deal gets complicated.
eXp Realty in Cape Coral, Florida — Canals, Cash Flow, and Coastal Opportunity
Cape Coral is one of those markets that surprises people the first time they truly look at it. With more than 400 miles of navigable canals — more than any other city on earth — it offers a waterfront lifestyle at price points that would be laughable compared to equivalent properties in Naples or Miami. That gap is narrowing, but it hasn’t closed yet.
Danny works throughout Cape Coral, from the direct-access Gulf sailboat lots in the southern sections to the freshwater canal homes in the northwest quadrant that attract buyers who want the water views without the saltwater maintenance. The city’s diverse inventory — starter homes, mid-range pool homes, luxury waterfront estates — means he works with buyers across a wide range of budgets and goals.
The post-Hurricane Ian recovery also created something unexpected: a class of move-in-ready, fully updated homes in established neighborhoods coming back to market at prices that still undercut new construction. Buyers willing to do their due diligence on flood zones, insurance costs, and rebuild quality are finding genuine value here. That’s exactly the kind of analysis Danny brings to the table.
Learn more about eXp Realty agents and opportunities in Cape Coral: eXp Realty Cape Coral Florida.
eXp Realty in Lehigh Acres, Florida — Affordable Entry Into a Growing Market
Lehigh Acres sits just east of Fort Myers in Lee County, and it represents something increasingly hard to find in Southwest Florida: genuine affordability. Median home prices consistently come in below the Cape Coral and Fort Myers averages, and the community is in the middle of a slow but unmistakable transformation driven by population pressure, infrastructure investment, and the continued migration of buyers from the Northeast and Midwest.
Danny pays attention to Lehigh Acres for a straightforward reason — the demographics of inbound Florida migration point directly at it. When buyers from Ohio, Michigan, or New York are relocating on a budget, Lee County is already on their radar, and Lehigh Acres is where that demand lands. Investors who build rental inventory here ahead of that wave are positioning themselves well.
The eXp platform is a natural fit for that kind of investment-oriented work — transaction coordination, client communication, and property marketing tools that scale whether you’re buying one home or ten.
Explore eXp Realty resources and real estate opportunities in Lehigh Acres: eXp Realty Lehigh Acres Florida.
eXp Realty in Fort Myers, Florida — The Engine of Southwest Florida Real Estate
Fort Myers is where Southwest Florida real estate comes alive. As the Lee County seat and anchor of a metro area approaching 800,000 residents, it offers a depth and variety of housing options that few other Florida markets can match. You can find a craftsman bungalow in the historic River District, a high-end home in a gated Gateway community, or a newer construction property in one of the master-planned developments stretching toward Estero — and Danny knows them all.
What Danny brings to Fort Myers goes beyond market statistics. He understands which neighborhoods are on the move and which have plateaued, where infrastructure dollars are flowing, which HOA structures work for investors and which don’t, and how the rhythms of snowbird season affect listing strategy and pricing. That granular local knowledge only comes from time in the market.
The post-Ian recovery has reshaped Fort Myers in ways that create real opportunity for attentive buyers. Properties that went through substantial post-storm renovation are now coming back to market as fully updated, code-compliant homes in established neighborhoods — often at prices that still undercut equivalent new construction in more outlying areas.
On the seller side, Danny’s marketing combines professional photography, drone coverage, digital advertising, and eXp Realty’s national network to make sure listings reach the out-of-state buyers — particularly from Ohio, Michigan, and the upper Midwest — who represent a significant share of Southwest Florida’s buyer pool.
Discover eXp Realty agent opportunities and Fort Myers listings: eXp Realty Fort Myers Florida.
eXp Realty in Key West, Florida — Scarcity, Lifestyle, and Short-Term Rental Value
There is genuinely nowhere else in the continental United States quite like Key West. Ninety miles from Cuba, tethered to the mainland by the Overseas Highway, sitting at the end of a chain of islands where land is finite and character is fiercely protected — it’s a real estate market that operates by its own logic and rewards buyers who understand it.
Key West’s Old Town is defined by the iconic conch houses — wood-frame Victorian homes painted in Caribbean pastels with wraparound porches — that command some of Florida’s highest per-square-foot prices. Historic preservation regulations limit what can be torn down or changed, which creates scarcity that only intensifies over time. Supply doesn’t grow here; demand does.
The TRVCP Opportunity: Short-Term Rental Licensing in Key West
One of the most important concepts any Key West buyer needs to understand is the Transient Rental by City Permit license — TRVCP. Properties that carry this license have access to Key West’s robust short-term vacation rental economy, where weekly rates in-season can equal or exceed a month’s rent in most other markets. Those licenses are capped and don’t transfer automatically, which is why properties that have them carry a meaningful premium at sale.
Navigating Key West also means working through Monroe County flood zone requirements, historic district overlays, island utility infrastructure, and a fast-moving market where hesitation is costly. Danny’s broader Florida Keys experience and eXp’s transaction support infrastructure give buyers the local depth and professional framework to move with confidence.
Learn about eXp Realty and real estate opportunities in Key West: eXp Realty Key West.
eXp Realty in Denver, Colorado — Mountain State Gateway and Front Range Powerhouse
Pivot to the other side of the country and you’re in an entirely different real estate universe. Denver anchors the Front Range urban corridor and serves as the entry point into some of the most compelling mountain real estate in North America. Danny’s Colorado roots are deep — his brokerage name, Orson Hill Realty, is a nod to the Foothills communities west of the city — but his reach extends across the full Denver metro.
Denver’s market has been shaped for more than a decade by a powerful combination: a growing economy anchored in technology, aerospace, healthcare, and energy; a relentless domestic migration from California, New York, and Illinois; and a quality-of-life proposition tied to outdoor recreation that no other major metro can fully replicate. The result is a market where supply chronically struggles to keep pace with demand.
Interest rate sensitivity has moderated things since the 2020-2022 surge, but the underlying fundamentals haven’t changed. Remote work has expanded viable home-buying geography — buyers who no longer need to commute five days a week can now seriously consider Evergreen or Conifer in ways that weren’t practical before. That’s reshaping the Foothills market in real time.
Find out more about eXp Realty agents and resources in Denver, Colorado: eXp Realty Denver Colorado.
The Colorado Foothills — Evergreen, Conifer, Golden, and Jefferson County Real Estate
If Denver is the engine of Colorado real estate, the Foothills are the soul. Communities like Evergreen — sitting at 7,000 feet, surrounded by Ponderosa pines, anchored by the stunning Evergreen Lake — offer a lifestyle that simply cannot be found at lower elevations. Buyers drawn here are typically trading urban density for space, quiet, wildlife, and a genuine connection to the outdoors.
Danny knows this buyer deeply because he lives in this world. Whether it’s a Denver professional looking for a weekend retreat that could eventually become a primary home, a California transplant chasing the Colorado lifestyle, or a family wanting top-rated Jefferson County schools with a mountain backdrop — he’s helped those buyers before and knows exactly what questions to ask.
Foothills properties come with real complexity that agents unfamiliar with the area routinely underestimate: well and septic systems, wildfire risk and defensible space regulations, mountain road access in winter, and specialized insurance requirements for high-altitude, heavily wooded terrain. Having a broker who has navigated these issues across hundreds of Foothills transactions isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s essential.
The Dual-Market Advantage — Colorado and Florida in the Same Portfolio
One of the most practical and underappreciated aspects of working with Danny is his ability to serve clients who operate — or are moving between — both markets. This scenario is far more common than people expect.
Colorado residents retiring or semi-retiring to Southwest Florida represent a consistent and significant buyer segment on the Gulf Coast. Many of them have deep ties to Colorado — family still in the mountains, property they plan to hold, or professional relationships that will bring them back periodically. Having a single broker who can coordinate the sale of a Colorado home and the purchase of a Florida property on overlapping timelines — and who understands both markets from the inside — is a genuine competitive advantage.
The same is true in reverse. Florida investors looking to diversify into Colorado mountain real estate find in Danny a broker who can translate Gulf Coast investment logic into Foothills market realities without losing anything in the conversion.
Tax Considerations: Colorado vs. Florida Real Estate Ownership
Florida has no state income tax, which continues to drive enormous migration from high-tax states and makes it a compelling base for retirees and high earners. Colorado has a state income tax, but its rates are moderate by national standards, and the quality-of-life and economic opportunity it offers have consistently justified the trade-off for millions of residents. Danny can have a substantive conversation about the real-world financial implications of property ownership in both states — including flood insurance costs in coastal Florida, defensible space requirements in the Colorado Foothills, and HOA dynamics that vary dramatically between markets.
Joining eXp Realty — Opportunities for Colorado and Florida Real Estate Agents
Danny’s work in the industry extends well beyond his own transactions. Through AgentsGather.com and his active participation in the eXp network, he is also a resource for real estate professionals who are considering making the switch to eXp.
The value proposition for agents is real: industry-leading commission splits, an equity program that converts agents into company shareholders, a revenue-sharing model that rewards building the network, and technology and training that consistently rank at the top of independent agent surveys. For agents frustrated by high desk fees, inadequate marketing support, or a brokerage culture that doesn’t invest in their development — eXp represents a genuine alternative built for how modern, mobile agents actually work.
Danny’s dual-state footprint and his platform at AgentsGather.com make him a well-positioned sponsor for agents in both the Colorado and Florida markets who want to build a serious business within the eXp framework.
AgentsGather.com — Why It Matters for the eXp Realty Ecosystem
AgentsGather.com is more than a content platform — it’s a growing community and resource hub built for real estate professionals. The site publishes market analysis, agent career resources, investment analysis tools, and eXp Realty recruitment content that helps agents in any market do their due diligence before making a move.
For professionals considering eXp Realty in any of the markets Danny serves — Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, Fort Myers, Key West, Denver, or the Colorado Foothills — AgentsGather.com is a solid starting point for research, context, and connecting with agents who have already made the transition and can speak honestly about the experience.
Why Work with Danny Skelly? The Short Version
There are nearly two million licensed real estate agents in the United States. A lot of them are competent. Far fewer have the combination of attributes that Danny brings together:
- Active broker licenses in both Colorado and Florida — not just credentials, but real transactional experience in both markets
- Owner/broker accountability — his brokerage reputation rides on every deal he touches
- Entrepreneurial perspective on investment real estate — he understands cash flow, operational risk, market cycles, and exit strategy at a level most transactional agents don’t
- Technology-forward operation — multiple web properties, AgentsGather.com, and an actively developed real estate investment analysis platform
- Genuine local knowledge — he’s not reading about Evergreen or Fort Myers, he’s working in them
- Client-first philosophy — his background across multiple businesses has made him serious about outcomes that matter to clients long after closing
Colorado and Southwest Florida Real Estate Outlook
Colorado Market Outlook: Foothills and Denver Metro
Colorado’s long-term real estate fundamentals remain intact despite rate-driven turbulence. The state keeps growing, driven by net domestic in-migration from high-cost coastal states. The technology and aerospace sectors anchored in Denver and Boulder remain healthy. And the remote work shift has permanently expanded the geographic range of who can seriously consider mountain communities like Evergreen and Conifer — which historically were constrained by daily commute realities.
Near term, the market is navigating a well-documented lock-in effect: sellers who accumulated equity during 2020-2022 are reluctant to trade sub-3% mortgage rates for current financing. That’s suppressing resale inventory and keeping prices supported even as buyer demand has moderated. Well-prepared buyers with strong pre-approvals who can move quickly when the right property appears are the ones getting deals done.
Southwest Florida Market Outlook: Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Beyond
Southwest Florida is in an interesting transitional phase — post-disaster recovery running parallel with long-term demographic tailwinds. The fundamentals of the region haven’t changed: Florida’s tax advantages, retirement migration, and the enduring appeal of Gulf Coast living continue to drive demand. What has changed is the complexity of doing a deal here. Insurance costs are up significantly. Flood zone maps have been redrawn. Buyers and sellers are navigating a landscape that requires more due diligence than it did five years ago.
For sophisticated buyers and investors working with an experienced local broker, that complexity is actually useful — it filters out less committed competition and creates better entry points for buyers who do their homework. Danny’s market knowledge, investment analysis tools, and professional network across Lee and Collier Counties give his clients a meaningful edge in that environment.
Ready to Get Started? Contact Danny Skelly
Whether you’re actively searching, still in the early research phase, or a real estate professional curious about what eXp Realty looks like from the inside — Danny welcomes the conversation. There’s no pressure and no script. Just a straightforward discussion about what your goals are and whether he’s the right fit to help you get there.
- Colorado: 303-503-8793
- Florida: 239-933-1766
- Website: dans.realestate
- Brokerage: Orson Hill Realty | eXp Realty
- Agent Networking: AgentsGather.com
For eXp Realty resources in specific markets, visit the following pages on AgentsGather.com:
- eXp Realty Cape Coral Florida
- eXp Realty Lehigh Acres Florida
- eXp Realty Fort Myers Florida
- eXp Realty Key West
- eXp Realty Denver Colorado
Two States. One Broker Who Actually Knows Both.
Real estate will always be local. The best outcomes come from working with someone who knows a market from the inside — the neighborhoods, the nuances, the timing, and the traps that statistics alone won’t reveal. Danny Skelly has built that depth in two markets, on two coasts, across two very different landscapes.
Whether you’re watching the sun set over Evergreen Lake or across the Gulf of Mexico, Danny Skelly can help you find your place in it.
Danny Skelly | Orson Hill Realty | eXp Realty | Colorado: 303-503-8793 | Florida: 239-933-1766 | dans.realestate | AgentsGather.com




