ABOUT RE/MAX HOLDINGS
Although RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. was established in the summer of 2013, its story truly begins on October 2,
2013, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, where Dave and Gail Liniger, the co-founding mavericks
behind one of the premier brands in real estate,celebrated the initial public offering of their company.
That day, as RE/MAX® became the NYSE-listed RMAX, marked the start of something new and very special – connecting
40 years of franchising success to a bright future filled with vast possibilities for growth and expansion.
Over the next several years, that future expanded to include a second disruptive franchise brand (Motto® Mortgage, launched in 2016),
two bolt-on acquisitions that strengthen the company’s technology core (booj®, acquired in 2018, and First® acquired in 2019), and two
additional firms that fortify RMAX operations while continuing to serve customers in their respective areas: tech-based mortgage processing
startup wemlo℠ (acquired in 2020) and real estate data innovator Gadberry Group℠ (acquired in 2020).
All the while, RE/MAX, LLC, the flagship brand that started it all in 1973, keeps growing and breaking new ground.
What had been a network of almost 93,000 agents on the day of the IPO has evolved into a global force of more than 140,000 productive real estate professionals and a presence in over 110 countries and territories.
And what was true in 2013 remains so today: Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX, as measured by residential transaction sides.
Growth From Within
The years following the IPO represent an active period of acquisition for RE/MAX Holdings, with most of it occurring within the RE/MAX network.
Decades earlier, following a path taken by many franchisors, the Linigers had sold exclusive regional franchising rights to like-minded entrepreneurs interested in selling franchises and growing the network in their markets.
That strategy, which resulted in a mix of company-owned regions and independently owned regions, helped expand the brand into communities across the U.S. and Canada – and, eventually, around the globe.
Acquiring these regions when the owners decide to sell has been an important part of the RE/MAX growth strategy. These acquisitions continue following the IPO.
The reacquisitions provide an exit strategy for the independent region owners and, by eliminating a level of ownership, result in greater annual revenue for RE/MAX Holdings.
Beyond the U.S. and Canada, the RE/MAX global network has grown in annual agent count since the 2013 IPO. In October 2020, in fact, global agent count topped 50,000 for the first time ever – further strengthening the brand’s position as a worldwide leader in real estate.
Launching a Startup
In October 2016, RE/MAX Holdings took a bold step forward by launching an innovative second brand, Motto Mortgage, the first national mortgage brokerage franchise offering in the U.S. The concept, which centers on real estate
brokers expanding their business opportunities by owning a mortgage brokerage as well, has been a winner from the start. In its first five years, the Motto network grew to more than 200 open offices across almost 40 states.
And several months after turning 5, Motto was closing in on its 300th franchise sale.
Overall, Motto averaged one franchise sale per week from the October 2016 launch through the end of 2021, putting it in the top 5% of all emerging franchises, according to Franchise Grade based on a yearly analysis of over 2,800 franchise systems during the 36-month period ended December 31, 2018
Focused on Technology
In early 2018, RE/MAX made the first in a series of strategic acquisitions designed to transform the technology provided to RE/MAX brokerages and agents. The acquisition of booj, an award-winning, Denver-based tech development
company founded in 2005, was made to drive a comprehensive transformation of RE/MAX technology. The booj team of more than 70 technology developers and specialists unveiled a new platform – built with and for RE/MAX affiliates –
that now serves as the central hub in an ecosystem of technology products.
One product within that ecosystem arrived with the December 2019 acquisition of First, a 4-year-old technology startup based in North Carolina. Its game-changing app – now a RE/MAX exclusive – leverages data science, machine learning and human interaction to help real estate professionals fully leverage the value of their personal networks.
The aggressive M&A strategy continued in 2020, with the acquisitions of wemlo and Gadberry Group – two companies that continue to serve customers outside the RE/MAX and Motto networks.
Wemlo, a Florida-based startup launched in early 2019, is reshaping mortgage loan processing in the mortgage broker channel. It developed the first “Service Cloud” for mortgage brokers, combining third-party loan processing with an all-in-one digital platform. Gadberry Group, founded in 2000, is a location intelligence data company whose products have been instrumental in the success of the remax.com consumer website.