The First Chair Company
The mountain has its own agenda.
OVERVIEW
The First Chair Company develops mountain and ski resort real estate, founded and led by Daniel Kaufman. Every community is sited against the terrain itself: grading, sun exposure, snow load, and lift-line access all shape the plan before a single lot line is drawn.
The firm partners directly with resort operators to set access agreements and employee housing commitments up front, then sequences construction around the mountain's own operating calendar rather than a standard build schedule.
- Focus
- Mountain & ski resort real estate
- Method
- Terrain-first siting & resort-operator partnerships
- Active Projects
- 3 communities in entitlement, construction & design
- Website
- thefirstchaircompany.com
WHY WORKFORCE HOUSING COMMITMENTS COME FIRST
Mountain resort communities are running out of homes for the people who keep them running, which is why The First Chair Company sets employee housing commitments before a single lot line is drawn.
Source: Colorado Association of Ski Towns & Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, 2023 Workforce Housing Report, via Park Record, Dec. 2024.
Source: Root Policy Research, 2023 Summit County Housing Needs Assessment, commissioned by Summit County, CO.
FROM TERRAIN TO TITLE
Terrain Survey
Elevation, sun exposure, and grading studied before a lot line is drawn.
Resort Partnership
Access agreements and employee housing set with the resort operator up front.
Entitlement
Zoning and conservation review run in parallel to protect timeline.
Season Delivery
Construction sequenced around the mountain's own calendar.
CURRENT PROJECTS
LEADERSHIP
Sets the vision for where The First Chair Company builds and personally underwrites new terrain acquisitions, alongside his work across Prophesy Capital and DK Homes.
Leads relationships with resort operators, negotiating lift access agreements, employee housing commitments, and terrain-use terms before a single lot line is drawn.