RE/MAX Brand History
It all began as a dream and a plan on a pad of paper. Dave Liniger had a controversial idea to build a real estate powerhouse where experienced, productive agents would keep more of their commissions and enjoy the freedom to run their business as they saw fit. Liniger had experienced the maximum-commission model and realized it would appeal to full-time, serious professionals who would rather contribute collectively to office expenses than settle for a traditional commission split. Combining the model with robust marketing and other agent services for the first time was revolutionary genius, and it absolutely changed the real estate landscape forever.
The Beginning
Along with Gail Main (who later became Gail Liniger), Dave founded RE/MAX in Denver, Colo., in January 1973. Naysayers and critics were everywhere, but Dave, Gail and their core group – people like Bob Fisher and Daryl Jesperson – proved them all wrong. They built the foundation of the network on hard work, belief and resolve. And big things began to happen. In 1975, the network expanded outside Colorado, when Dennis Curtin purchased a franchise in Kansas City. Two years later, it went international, with the first Canadian brokerage in Calgary, Alberta. In 1978, the
RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon made its maiden flight at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, in a promotion conceived by the Regional Director in New Mexico. A year later, the balloon became the network’s official logo; a global brand was born.
Steady Growth
Throughout the 1980s and ’90s, the RE/MAX agent count grew literally every single month, as it had since 1973. Agent count hit vital milestones along the way: the 5,000 mark in 1984, the 10,000 mark in 1986, the 25,000 mark in 1989 and the 50,000 mark in 1998. Market share grew as well, and
RE/MAX became No. 1 in many major markets across North America. In Canada, RE/MAX became No. 1 nationally in 1987, a position it has held ever since. In the U.S., RE/MAX closed more than 1 million transaction sides in 1997, becoming the first real estate brand ever to reach that level of annual production. The accomplishment cemented the slogan that “Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX.”