Last Thursday, not only REMAX, but the real estate industry at large, lost a woman the company she co-founded once called a “Leader. Partner. Visionary. Businesswoman. Role Model. Inspiration.”
Gail Liniger joined REMAX as the company’s first employee, hired by Dave Liniger, the man who would, over a decade later, go on to become her partner in life as well business.
“I interviewed 27 women for administrative vice president. She was the 28th,” Dave Liniger said in a video tribute posted on social media by REMAX. “I was looking for somebody that could actually run the business. Within 5 years, she became president of REMAX. Within 10 years, she was CEO. She was the best partner I could ever get. Our skills were complimentary. We had mutual respect for each other’s skills. I tried to keep doing what I was doing and excelled at it. She did what she did and excelled at it.”
After joining as Dave Liniger’s first employee in 1971, the two would go on to found REMAX in 1973. She was soon promoted to vice president before rising to executive vice president in 1978 and president in 1979 before taking the helm as CEO in 1991, a position she would go on to hold for nearly 30 years, helping the company expand to include roughly 145,000 agents across more than 120 countries and territories.
The REMAX model
Together, the Linigers pioneered what they called the “maximum commission model,” allowing agents to take home the vast majority of their commission instead of splitting it more evenly with their broker. Many felt this model challenged the traditional brokerage norms by putting greater emphasis on high-producing agents, commission splits and entrepreneurial independence, paving the way for many of the brokerages that lead the industry today.
“Gail and Dave Liniger were pioneers in a lot of ways and while they were not the ones to come up with this commission split model, they were the first ones to actually build it out and create a successful [company] out of it,” Steve Murray, the co-founder of RealTrends Consulting, said.
Anthony Lamacchia, the broker-owner of Lamacchia Realty, began his real estate career as a REMAX agent in the early 2000s. To him, the Linigers are “some of the most impactful figures in the real estate brokerage business over the last 50 years.”
“I was saddened to hear the news of Gail’s passing, but she and her family should be so proud of the incredible life she lived. She was a pioneer in the industry alongside her husband Dave,” Lamacchia said, also offering condolences to the Liniger family.
He added that as a young agent he paid close attention to the articles in the monthly REMAX publication about Gail Liniger or written by her as they provided him with great insight and inspiration as he began to carve his own path in the industry.
Community and culture
REMAX broker-owners and agents also credit Gail Liniger with helping to foster the community culture many feel is synonymous with the REMAX brand.
“I still remember the first time I had the opportunity to meet her. The moment I shook her hand and saw her smile, you could immediately feel there was something special about her. You understood very quickly that Gail wasn’t simply part of REMAX — she was part of the heart and soul that built it,” Matthew Guzman, the broker-owner of REMAX Universal, wrote on LinkedIn. “What she and Dave created together became so much more than a real estate company. They built a network of people, entrepreneurs, families and communities around the world — and Gail genuinely loved the people who were part of it.
Many in the industry also attribute the rise of women in real estate and brokerage leadership positions to Gail Liniger.
“Her vision and leadership were key in building REMAX into what it is today. As a woman who created and shaped this company, she inspired countless others and left a lasting mark on the industry. Much of what defines REMAX carries her influence,” Mala Maharaj, the CEO of REMAX New Zealand, wrote in a post on LinkedIn. “A trailblazer for women in real estate, Gail was an inspiration to women all over the world.”
In 2023, Gail Liniger stepped down from her position on the REMAX Holdings board of directors and was named Vice Chair Emerita, but her legacy goes far beyond her contributions to the real estate industry.
A story of perseverance
In 1983, on her way to a real estate conference in Canada, Gail Liniger survived a seaplane crash, which left her with severe head injury and partial paralysis.
“At first, they didn’t think she would live and then they thought she wouldn’t be mobile or able to communicate and she defied all of those expectations,” Murray said.
Over the years, as a fellow Denver-area resident, Murray said he has had the opportunity to play several rounds of golf with the Linigers. Despite her inability to use her left arm due to the seaplane crash, Murray said, a little known fact about Gail Liniger is that she shot a hole in one solely using her right arm.
A legacy of philanthropy
Beyond her story of perseverance, Gail Liniger, alongside her husband, was also known for her philanthropic work. The couple built The Wildlife Experience, a 100,000 square foot conservation and education center in Denver, and they turned their own ranch into Sanctuary, an 18-hole golf club designed by Jim Engh, where they host several charity golf tournaments each year. In addition to this, the Liniger’s also championed REMAX’s partnership with Children’s Miracle Network, which began in 1992. They were awarded the Children’s Miracle Network Founder’s Award in 2011, “recognizing the remarkable impact of their leadership and generosity.”
“But Gail’s legacy extends far beyond any one recognition. It lives in the community she helped inspire, the commitment to giving back she championed and the countless kids and families who have been supported along the way,” Kristen Schavemaker, the chief partnerships officer atChildren’s Miracle Network, wrote in a post on LinkedIn. “I am incredibly grateful for all Gail gave to our mission and for the lasting impact she leaves across our network.”
The Linigers were also strong supporters of Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado, which is where Gail Liniger underwent rehabilitation treatmentrelated to her injuries from the 1983 seaplane crash. In 2015, the skybridge connecting the hospital’s East and West buildings, was renamed the Liniger Bridge to Independence in their honor.
“She was a terrific woman, incredibly bright and generous and an integral part of the success of REMAX,” Murray said.