The long-term members of the PHOCUS Real Estate Team have all taken the thorough negotiations training course provided by the Real Estate Negotiation Institute (RENI) and have their Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE) designation. Only 3% of agents have this designation across the real estate industry. Since negotiating isn’t a skill required/taught through the licensing process but is one of the top skills required to succeed, we feel it’s important to have thorough negotiation training so we can best help our buyers and sellers with their real estate needs.
The CEO of the Real Estate Negotiation Institute stated the following:
[email protected] 505-550-0899
John Woods is a native New Mexican who has lived in the Albuquerque area for 38 years including a decade in the east mountains. He attended Manzano High School and then received a computer business degree from the University of New Mexico. He and his wife met at UNM and have been happily married since 2002 and have 4 children. John worked in the IT department at Intel Corporation for 14 years. He loved working for a well-run International company that provided opportunities to learn project and program management. He learned invaluable communication and customer service skills while serving the manufacturing technicians and engineers that ran factories around the world. John had experience running a successful network marketing business in college where he developed sales and leadership experience.
He started pursuing real estate investing courses and opportunities in 2014 and then decided to get his Associate Broker license in 2015. John has been working as a full-time REALTOR® since October of 2015, and he has had the pleasure of helping his clients close on over 290 properties since then. He founded the PHOCUS Real Estate team in February 2018 and joined EXP Realty in March 2020. Based on extensive training and experience, he has earned the following designations: e-PRO, MCNE (Master Certified Negotiation Expert), and CRS (Certified Residential Specialist). He has experience with bank-owned properties (REOs), short sales, condos, homes with land leases, vacant land, 3 to 12 unit multi-family properties, commercial leases, and property management. He has helped home buyers and sellers as far south as Los Lunas, north to Rio Rancho and Cochiti Lake, and in multiple communities in the east mountains where he grew up. John has also helped multiple investors flip properties and has connections with a variety of vendors and contractors with whom he regularly partners.
John absolutely loves the people, culture, and languages in and around Albuquerque. He has been an active leader within his church, Believers Center, for most of his adult life. John is a passionate Christ-follower who seeks to love, serve, and encourage the people he interacts with and put his faith to work in practical ways on a daily basis. He would love to assist you with any 505 real estate-related questions you might have!
Christy Burton, REALTOR®, Transaction Coordinator, CNE[email protected] 505-307-4058
Born and raised in Albuquerque, Christy has lived here for practically her whole life! She has been a member of the PHOCUS Team since its formation in the spring of 2018, first as a Real Estate Assistant, and now as an Associate Broker and Licensed Transaction Coordinator. Her nearly three years as an assistant on the team prepared and inspired her to take on a more robust role in supporting the other agents, and also to spread her wings to become a licensed broker.
Before her career in real estate, Christy earned degrees in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University and the University of New Mexico. After several years working as an engineer in government and private industry, she took time off from employment to be home with her two children. Now that they are older and take less of her time (right?!), she is loving the fulfillment that comes with helping others achieve their goal of home ownership.
Christy enjoys providing support to the brokers on the PHOCUS Team and putting to good use the skills learned through her life’s opportunities. By being involved in the many details of hundreds of transactions with the PHOCUS Team brokers, she’s learned the ins and outs of both selling and buying a home and all that is required in these undertakings. Christy regularly represents her own clients as well, and she would be happy to help YOU to facilitate a smooth real estate process from start to finish.
[email protected] 505-440-2840
As the firstborn to a family that migrated into the United States, Cindy knows the importance of having a place to call home. She worked for the City of Albuquerque for over 25 years in various departments and is familiar with different aspects of home ownership. Cindy worked in Park Management, Housing, Section 8, Solid Waste, and the Treasury division, where she processed payments for all Planning and Zoning Department’s building permits as well as for the Water Department. This quarter-century of experience gave her incredible insight into how city government interacts with citizens and the resources that are available to help homeowners and other residents. She enjoys bringing that experience and relationships into her real estate business.
Cindy Vargas is a bilingual agent committed to listening to the needs of her clients so she can provide quality service, build and maintain relationships, and strive to ensure a successful transaction for every buyer and seller she works with.
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Siendo la hija mayor de una familia que emigró de Mexico, Cindy sabe lo importante que es un lugar al cual llamar hogar. Ella trabajó para el Gobierno de la Ciudad de Albuquerque por más de 25 años y esta experiencia la hace conocedora de los diferentes aspectos de ser un dueño de hogar. Cindy trabajó en los Departamentos de Parques y Recreación, Vivienda y Sección 8, Departamento de Basura y Reciclaje y la División de Tesorería en la cual procesaba pagos para todos los permisos de construcción para el Departamento de Planeamiento y Zonificación al igual que para el Departamento de el Agua. Estos años de experiencia le dieron una increíble percepción de cómo el gobierno de la ciudad interactúa con los ciudadanos y los recursos que están disponibles para ayudar a dueños de hogar y otros residentes. Cindy disfruta traer esta experiencia y relaciones a su negocio de bienes raíces.
Cindy Vargas es una agente bilingüe comprometida en escuchar las necesidades de sus clientes para poder proveer servicio de calidad y mantener una relación profesional enfocada en una transacción exitosa para todo aquel comprador y vendedor con el cual ella trabaje.
[email protected] 505-720-8420
Ted King is a born-and-raised Albuquerque native who brings decades of local insight and a genuine passion for helping people feel right at home in Central New Mexico. After a 25-year career in public safety with Albuquerque Fire Rescue, Ted has carried that commitment to service into real estate, where he built a reputation for honesty, clear communication, and a steady, client-first approach. With a lifetime of ABQ experiences, he understands the neighborhoods, the lifestyle, and the rhythms each community has to offer.
As a Realtor with eXp Realty, Ted brings a proactive mindset and a talent for simplifying the buying and selling process, guiding first-time buyers, luxury clients, and investors with the same care he gives his own family. Known for keeping clients informed, comfortable, and confident, he offers straightforward, no-pressure guidance rooted in lifelong local knowledge. Beyond the transaction, Ted is a trusted resource in the community—a familiar face committed to helping people make smart choices and find homes that truly fit their lifestyle. With deep roots, genuine integrity, and a heart for service, he remains a reliable advocate for anyone looking to call Albuquerque home.
[email protected] 505-506-7353
Jonathan was born and raised right here in Albuquerque and has loved calling the 505 home his whole life. Growing up in the Northeast Heights and spending plenty of time on the Westside gave him a strong sense of the community and the people who make this place special.
After graduating from Sandia High School in 2022 through the International Baccalaureate program, Jonathan studied business at UNM before working full time at Acton Academy Albuquerque as a guide. That experience taught him how to think deeply, communicate clearly, and approach problem-solving with patience and creativity—skills he carries into every real estate journey he walks through with his clients.
Jonathan earned his real estate license in 2025, just a couple of weeks after marrying his high-school sweetheart. The timing felt right, and watching his dad work in real estate over the years is a big part of what inspired him to step into the industry himself. Now, working alongside him on the PHOCUS Team is something Jonathan genuinely values.
His style as an agent is warm, positive, and very communication-forward. He’s a “glass-half-full” kind of person who simply enjoys serving people and helping them feel supported through what can sometimes be a stressful process. Jonathan also enjoys using AI tools to make the buying and selling experience smoother—but never at the cost of a personal, human touch.
Outside of real estate, Jonathan loves getting outdoors. Whether he’s climbing in the Sandia Foothills, hiking the Jemez, or exploring the Pecos, being out in nature is a big part of his life. He also serves as a team leader on the Creative Team at his church, Believers Center, overseeing photography and videography—something that keeps him connected to creativity, community, and his faith.
Jonathan would be honored to help you navigate your next step in the Albuquerque area, no matter where you are in your journey.