POINT OF VIEW: Editor's Note

The power of youth

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to meet with RE/MAX cofounder and chairman Dave Liniger, who was in Chicago for a broker meeting.

Liniger started his business in 1973 with little more than vision and chutzpah. His audacious plan: to build a national company by attracting associates who had the wherewithal to pay their own desk costs in return for higher earning potential. There were plenty of setbacks, but in the end RE/MAX triumphed. The company now has 100,000 sales associates in more than 50 countries.

Key to RE/MAX’s success, of course, was Liniger’s decision to position the company as the place for experienced associates. Rookies need not apply. But more than five years ago, RE/MAX expanded its recruitment strategy. The company founded on the idea of rewarding experience began actively recruiting inexperienced licensees. Why the change?

“Fifty percent of our experienced associates are going to retire in the next five years. Who’s going to replace them?” Liniger told me. “At the same time, we’ve had an influx of young people coming out of technology. They’re smart and hardworking, and many of them have parents who’ve worked in the business.”

I noticed the youth movement at RE/MAX earlier this year as I read through the more than 500 applications we received for this month’s cover feature, “30 under 30.” I was surprised by how many of the applicants had joined RE/MAX franchises at the start of their career.

Clearly, Liniger believes that the future of his business depends, in part, on RE/MAX’s ability to attract bright, new talent. And perhaps that’s a message that’s resonating in the industry as a whole: The median age of a REALTOR® rose steadily during the 1990s, reaching 52 by 2001. It remains at 52 in 2005, according to NAR data.

Each year at this time, REALTOR® Magazine celebrates the industry’s next generation of up-and-comers. We hope you’ll enjoy reading about the very promising group we spotlight in this year’s “30 under 30 ” feature (page 35). The future of the business is in their hands.

MORE ONLINE
Everybody Wins: The Story and Lessons Behind RE/MAX