GAIL LINIGER

Vice-Chair of the Board

Gail Liniger is the Co-Founder of RE/MAX, the Denver-based global real estate franchise that she co-founded with her husband Dave in 1973. RE/MAX is the leading franchisor of real estate offices throughout the world and has expanded to over 8,000 offices in over 100 countries, with 125,000+ sales agents. Mrs. Liniger retired from the day-to-day RE/MAX operations in 2018 and continues to serve as a member of the Board of Directors.

In 2017, Mrs. Liniger co-founded Motto Mortgage, a franchise organization focused on the mortgage industry. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of RE/MAX LLC, and in the first two years, Motto Mortgage has sold over 100 franchises.

In October 2013, RE/MAX did its initial public offering, listed on the New York Stock Exchange as RMAX. The Liniger Family continues to be, by far, the largest shareholder in the organization.

Career Highlights
Gail was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and she earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where she was inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame. She moved to Denver in 1973 and became the first RE/MAX employee. That same year she was promoted to Vice President, followed by Executive Vice President in 1978 and President in 1979. In 1991, she was name Chief Executive Officer and in 2002 became Vice Chair of the Board.

As a licensed Colorado real estate broker, Gail held several real estate designations. She was recognized as one of the top U.S. women for her outstanding achievement in business, the arts and public service. She was awarded “Entrepreneur of the Year” for the State of Colorado in the real estate and construction category by the international accounting firm Ernst & Young and Inc. Magazine.
Forty-five years ago, the real estate industry was revolutionized by the RE/MAX business model which combines a maximum commission concept with world-class support services for Realtors. The name RE/MAX was coined from the words “real estate” and “maximums.” The model continues to attract experienced, top-producing agents who lead the industry in individual sales and professional education. The RE/MAX balloon is one of the most recognized corporate images in the world and has become a symbol of the leading real estate network. RE/MAX started franchising real estate offices in 1975.

Awards
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Alumni Hall of Fame – 2011
International Franchise Association Hall of Fame – 2005
Honorary Doctorate of Real Estate and Construction Management, Daniels School of Business, University of Denver – 2005
Colorado Business Hall of Fame – 2006
Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters, Colorado State University – 2013
Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters, Colorado University – 2015

Other Businesses
Gail is a serial entrepreneur, having owned many businesses – travel agencies, home building, oil drilling/exploration, NASCAR race track owner, NASCAR race team owner, motorcycle and gun shops and Arabian Horse breeding.

Community Involvement
Gail has set a tone of philanthropy since the early days of RE/MAX. The culture of giving attracts professionals who care about making a difference in their communities. Since 1992, RE/MAX has been the official real estate sponsor of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. In 2002, Gail co-founded a Denver-area conservation center, The Wildlife Experience, dedicated to fostering appreciation and understanding of wildlife, its conservation and the many forms of wildlife art. She and her husband Dave also own the acclaimed Sanctuary Golf Course in Sedalia, Colorado. Devoted primarily to charity golf tournaments, the private course has raised more than $100 million for hundreds of organizations since opening in 1997. In 2011, Gail and Dave accepted the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Founder’s Award on behalf of the RE/MAX network, which has now raised more than $156 million for local children’s hospitals.

Gail has also served on the Board of Directors of The Wildlife Experience.

Personal
Gail enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, especially golf. Her crowning achievement in golf came in 2003, when she hit her first hole-in-one at Sanctuary.

After being injured in a small-plane crash in 1983, Gail overcame incredible odds to reclaim her leadership role at RE/MAX and help turn RE/MAX into the number one real estate franchisor. Her courageous recovery is an inspiration to those both inside and outside the RE/MAX organization.