RISMedia’s Real Estate Newsmakers recognition celebrates industry professionals who are making strides in the real estate space through their positive contributions. In addition, each year, RISMedia honors a select group of Newsmakers by inducting them into the Newsmakers Hall of Fame, celebrating distinguished icons in the industry for their long-standing service.
Join us in recognizing this week’s featured 2020 Hall of Fame inductee:
Dave and Gail Liniger
Co-Founders, Vice Chairs of the Board,
RE/MAX Holdings, Inc.
Iconic real estate couple Dave and Gail Liniger co-founded RE/MAX in 1973. Starting with a single office in Denver, the Linigers changed the industry and built a global powerhouse that now has more than 125,000 agents spanning 110 countries and territories.
From the beginnings of RE/MAX to his commitment to education to his leadership during the housing crisis of 2007 – 2012—where he pushed for education and housing policies that helped agents provide solutions to distressed homeowners—Dave has always worked hard to elevate the industry and the people it serves.
Dave revolutionized the real estate industry when he developed the RE/MAX business model that allowed agents to keep the maximum amount of their commissions in exchange for sharing in office overhead and paying a management fee. “RE/MAX,” shorthand for “real estate maximums,” was designed to attract experienced, high-producing agents.
Dave spent much of 2012 recovering from a life-threatening infection. He chronicled his ordeal and recovery in the New York Times Best Seller, “My Next Step: An Extraordinary Journey of Healing and Hope.” Always committed to philanthropy, RE/MAX has been the official real estate sponsor of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals since 1992.
Gail was the first employee to join the original RE/MAX office in Denver, and played a major role in keeping the company afloat in its formative years. Together, Dave and Gail worked tirelessly to expand the RE/MAX footprint and attract like-minded entrepreneurs.
In 1983, Gail was injured in the near-fatal crash of a small private airplane. Her recovery and ongoing resilience have inspired those within RE/MAX and well beyond. In 1991, she became RE/MAX CEO, and during her tenure, the network began its dramatic expansion outside North America.
Although away from day-to-day operations since 2018, Gail has had a constant voice in RE/MAX leadership and still serves as vice chair of the Board. Fifty years into his real estate career, Dave remains widely respected. As a visionary and senior statesman, he has been credited with advancing the real estate industry as much as anyone during the past 45 years.
For more from the 2020 Real Estate Newsmakers, go to RISMedia.com/2020-Newsmakers or RISMedia’s Real Estate magazine. For consideration for the 2021 Real Estate Newsmakers, please email nominations to maria@rismedia.com.
