RE/MAX Company History

Upset with the bad name that poorly trained novices and casual part-timers were giving the real estate profession, Dave Liniger in 1973 started a real estate company in Denver that would limit itself to hiring only full-time, experienced professionals.

He wanted a company where home buyers and sellers could walk into any office in any market, confident they would receive the level of professional service that a transaction of such magnitude demands.

RE/MAX agents most productive
That basic concept enabled RE/MAX (Real Estate Maximums) to grow into the most productive organization the industry has seen. RE/MAX agents on average have more experience and sell more homes than other agents in the industry.

A former top agent himself, Liniger set up RE/MAX offices so that agents would equally share expenses of the operation. That meant each agent had to be skilled enough to generate the income needed to pay a set fee every month. Traditionally, office owners required agents to pay the office half their earnings to cover operating expenses.

The traditional structure was a great deal for beginners, part-timers and marginal producers. They could go months without selling a house and not be out any of their own dollars. For these agents, the thought of facing a monthly bill for office expenses was terrifying. Only the most experienced, competent and successful agents saw benefits to the RE/MAX system.

Success breeds success
And interestingly enough, once true professionals started working together in the same office, their skills improved even more. It was a classic case of improving your golf game by playing with better golfers.

The RE/MAX approach had a profound impact on the industry, and today there are many imitators. But none has yet been able to match the level of professionalism held by RE/MAX agents. Indeed, both consumers and others in the industry continue to perceive RE/MAX as the ultimate organization with which top real estate professionals affiliate.

RE/MAX agents average 12 years of experience, far exceeding the industry average. They also surpass their peers in professional designations - a sign of advanced education in real estate sales and marketing.

Continuous growth
Although RE/MAX growth in the early years wasn't exactly stellar, the company has grown every month since its founding. The concept that seemed so logical and powerful to Dave Liniger, was extremely threatening to the industry status quo. Concerted efforts were made to impede the company's growth. At the close of 1973, there were just 21 agents and eight offices.

By 1976 there were 100 agents and by 1977, with 480 agents in the system, RE/MAX gained No. 1 market share in its headquarters city of Denver. That same year, the company expanded into Canada.

In 1978, RE/MAX added its 100th office and 1,000th agent - and the hot air balloon became the company's official corporate logo. By 1980, the organization had 3,000 agents.

No. 1 in Canada
By 1984, there were 5,000 agents. In the following year, nearly 3,000 agents joined the system. By 1986, RE/MAX was at 1,000 offices and 10,000 agents. By 1987, there was just one larger real estate company in the United States. In 1988, RE/MAX became the largest real estate company in Canada; and there were 20,000 RE/MAX agents across North America.

In 1990, RE/MAX agents closed 636,366 transactions, representing $63.96 billion in sales. The following year, RE/MAX expanded into the Caribbean, where today it's the region's largest real estate operation. In 1992, RE/MAX expanded into Mexico.

In 1994, the RE/MAX Satellite Network was launched, broadcasting continuing education programming six hours a day to RE/MAX offices across North America. No other real estate company operates an equivalent system of advanced training.

Pioneering buyer representation
Also in 1994, RE/MAX endorsed the Accredited Buyer Representative professional designation, conferred by the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council. The designation confirms an agent's expertise in the emerging field of buyer representation - yet another radical change to the status quo championed by RE/MAX. Today, out of the 3,510 agents with ABR designations, 1,983 are RE/MAX Associates.

RE/MAX agents also dominate the ranks of Certified Relocation Professionals. That designation, conferred by the Employee Relocation Council, is considered one of the toughest designations to earn in residential real estate. It confirms an agent's experience and expertise in working with relocating corporate employees. Nearly 70 percent of all Certified Relocation Professionals are with RE/MAX.

International expansion
In 1995, RE/MAX expanded into Southern Africa, Spain, Israel, Italy, Greece and Germany. This Web site was established, with a link to RE/MAX property listings and agent profiles from across North America. And the 40,000-agent milestone was passed.

In 1996, RE/MAX International was recipient of Income Opportunities magazine's first Franchise Relations Award, based on superior support, training, and communications services provided to franchisees. Expansion continued with offices opening in Central America and Australia - and by the end of the year RE/MAX had offices in 20 countries and spanned five continents. In February 1997, the network passed the 45,000-agent mark.