Dave Liniger is the 2013 recipient of the Invisible Disabilities Association Corporate Honors Award. Dave was chosen because through his leadership as Co-founder and Chairman of RE/MAX, he has created a corporate culture of giving back to the community through such organizations as the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Susan G Komen Race for the Cure.

Dave is the visionary leader of the Denver-based global real estate franchise he co-founded with his wife, Gail, in 1973. Dave is well respected internationally for his vast knowledge of the real estate industry and influence on housing policy. At the height of the recession, Dave pushed for governmental housing reform policies that would help speed the housing recovery; many of his recommendations were adopted. He is widely credited with improving conditions for real estate agents by creating a unique business model combining the maximum commission concept with a host of support services. Dave is a major advocate of advanced training and education – and, as a result, RE/MAX agents are the most productive in the industry.

Dave spent much of 2012 recovering from a life-threatening infection that surfaced in late January. After multiple surgeries, weeks in intensive care, and months in the hospital, he returned to RE/MAX World Headquarters in July. Though he has limited mobility, he continues to make progress through physical therapy and the strength of his mental attitude.

Forty years ago, Dave revolutionized the real estate industry when he created the RE/MAX business model, which combines a maximum commission concept with world-class support services. 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.

In 2011, Dave was named the Inman News “People’s Choice” Most Influential Real Estate Leader. In 2010, he was included in Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s profiles of the 50 Most Powerful People in Real Estate. Dave has been featured in Entrepreneur, Forbes, Fortune, Inc., Success and other leading publications and media outlets across the globe. He received the Warren Bennis Award for Leadership Excellence from the Global Institute for Leadership Development and has been inducted into the International Franchise Hall of Fame, the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers (CRB) Hall of Leaders, the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (ABR) Hall of Fame, and has earned the Council of Residential Specialists (CRS) Special Achievement Award.

Dave 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. RE/MAX has been a sponsor of Susan G. Komen for the Cure since 2002. In that same year, Dave 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. He and Gail also own the acclaimed Sanctuary Golf Course in Sedalia, Colo. Devoted primarily to charity golf tournaments, the private course has raised more than $60 million for hundreds of organizations since opening in 1997. In 2011, Dave and Gail accepted the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Founder’s Award on behalf of the RE/MAX network, which has raised more than $115 million for local children’s hospitals.

Dave was born and raised in the small town of Marion, Ind. Prior to starting his real estate career, Dave served in the Air Force and served in Vietnam. He first became interested in real estate after successfully buying and selling properties to supplement his income while stationed in Phoenix, Ariz. After working for both a 100-percent commission company and a traditional brokerage, he co-founded RE/MAX in 1973. Dave and Gail reside in Castle Pines, Colo., and love to visit Scottsdale, Ariz., as often as possible. They enjoy a number of outdoor activities, including golf and hunting. They also breed Arabian horses.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

RE/MAX founder Dave Liniger writes about recovery from serious illness. William Porter. The Denver Post. April 25, 2013.

RE/MAX’s Dave Liniger talks about real estate market issues. Dennis Huspeni. Denver Business Journal. October 2, 2013.