Being a real estate agent is definitely a full-time job, and while many find they have little time for anything else, Gary Sandler devotes well more than the traditional 40 hours a week to his job and the community.

While his full-time job is president of Gary Sandler Inc. Realtors®, he also is publisher of the monthly Real Estate Connections newsletter, author of the Real Estate Connections weekly newspaper column and host of the weekly Real Estate Connections radio show.

But he doesn’t stop there. He has recently stepped out of his boundaries as Realtor® and has given more of his already-limited time to the Board of Directors of Las Cruces Downtown.

"I really enjoy doing this. I suppose a juggler enjoys what he or she does," Sandler joked. "I really enjoy the fast pace, the deadlines and making it all work."

With as many irons as Sandler has in the fire, it would be difficult to excel at just one task, but Sandler has the plaques on his wall to prove he can do all he has undertaken extremely well.

While a Realtor® in Carlsbad, Calif., Sandler was the No. 1 Coldwell Banker agent. When he moved to Las Cruces in 1993, he continued as a top-selling agent while working for RE/MAX and was named the No. 1 agent in New Mexico and West Texas by the Electronic Realty Association.

He also was named the 2007 Talk Show Host of the Year by the New Mexico Broadcasters Association for his radio show that airs from 4 to 6 p.m. every Monday on KSNM-AM 570. He beat out other hosts in Las Cruces, Santa Fe, Roswell and Farmington.

Local listeners enjoy the 2007 Talk Show Host of the Year, according to an Arbitron survey conducted last fall that revealed Sandler's radio show has the most loyal listeners during his time block. He beat out 25 other radio stations in Las Cruces and El Paso, as listeners reported keeping their tuners locked on Sandler's show for six of eight quarter-hours.

His first love, however, is real estate, and Sandler has been a Realtor® for 33 years, the last 15 of which have been spent in Las Cruces.

After high school, Sandler joined the U.S. Air Force. After four years, he entered law enforcement, but soon followed in his father's and grandfather's footsteps.

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"They were retailers before malls became big, and then they switched over to real estate," Sandler said. "They’ve been doing it for over 50 years."

Since Sandler became an agent, he's seen many changes.

"It's just amazing," he said. "In California, I started selling entry-level houses for $39,000, which are now $300,000."

He moved to Las Cruces in 1993 for a change of pace, and he found the market was similar, just moving at a slower rate.

"I moved looking for higher quality of life and a slower pace," he said. "In 1993, homes were selling at $39,000 and now are $150,000. And it’s just going to continue on."

Sandler started his own company – Gary Sandler Inc. Realtors® – in 2004.

"I wanted more say in how customer service was provided," he said. Shortly after he started his own business, Sandler started the newsletter, column and radio show. Each medium of communication provides people in the area with information on what's going on in the local real estate market, including interest rate and credit information. In his newsletter, readers also may find a recipe or two. "There's no single source in the area for that type of information," Sandler said. "I found myself filling a need. People want to know." Despite recent reports of a national slowdown in homebuilding and the real estate market, Sandler said his business is still succeeding in selling commercial, residential and investment properties as well as land.

"Businesses have to adapt to whatever the market conditions require," he said. "After this long (in the real estate business), I should have figured out how to adapt."

After making Las Cruces his home, Sandler started to get involved in the community. He began by serving on the Board of Directors for The Whole Enchilada Fiesta and has also volunteered to be one of the 10 Most Wanted, a fundraiser for the March of Dimes. He served on the board for the local chapter of the American Red Cross before joining Las Cruces Downtown as a board member.

"I wanted to be part of the revitalization and to be able to help build something for the community," Sandler said.

While his office is located on South Telshor Boulevard, moving his home and his business Downtown is something Sandler said he would love to do.

"I would love to be able to wake up, walk downstairs, get a cup of coffee and a croissant and go to the office, all the while with my car kept in the garage," he said.

He owns the building where his office is located, so that makes it difficult to move his business to the "heart of the city," but living Downtown is "high on my priority list," Sandler said.

Though his career and civic duties take up a lot of time, Sandler still is able to pursue other hobbies.

He plays the piano and has had gigs around time, including the Azul lounge at the Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces and the re-opened Meson de Mesilla. On the weekends, Sandler said he likes to travel as much as he can.

After his position as B-52 crew chief in the Air Force, aircraft remains on Sandler's list of hobbies. While he has five skydiving jumps under his belt, presidential aircraft especially interests Sandler, and he recently returned from a trip to Seattle's air museum, which showcases the plane Vice President Lyndon Johnson took to Dallas after President Kennedy was assassinated.

No matter how far his travels may take him, Sandler will return to his home of Las Cruces.

"This is my absolute home," he said.

"The real estate market is as bright and sunny as the area. It's very positive based on job growth, migration and the military presence. As soon as the lull is over, we're going to pick up where we left off and regain our momentum.