Page 34 - October 2020 proof - The Castle Pines Connection

34 CastlePinesConnection.com
A lifetime of living
Dave Liniger has had a storied life; a proclaimed adventurer in many respects, he has lived many lives. He works hard, he plays hard and he gives immeasurably. All this is done hand-in-hand with his wife Gail, his partner in both business and life. The couple co-founded RE/MAX, the Denver- based global real estate company.
Originally from Marion, Indiana, Dave brie y attended Indiana University before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force and serving four tours in Vietnam. “The service helped me mature and really taught me the value of discipline,” said Liniger. Once stateside, he was stationed in Phoenix where he started buying and ipping houses. Dave said he obtained his real estate license simply to avoid paying the commission on the sale
of the homes he xed up. While he was successful in his endeavors, he was not a fan of the desert.
Dreaming of cooler, greener landscapes, Dave and his then-wife and children headed to Colorado. He recalled, after an all-night haul on the road, coming up over Surrey Ridge, heading north to Denver. The sun was just rising, and all he felt was a sinking disappointment. He was in Colorado, and yet not in the mountains as he had envisioned. The family settled in Denver, but Dave continued to seek that ideal mountain home; one which he later discovered in The Village at Castle Pines.
According to Dave, Gail held down the fort and ran the company, and he went out and expanded it. Together, the two – who were married 11 years later – changed the norms of the industry. They created a company based on a franchise model that maximized the potentials of individual agents. Thus, RE/MAX – an abbreviation for “real estate maximums” was born. Agents retained 100% of their commissions, had a voice
in decision making and shared the costs of operations. In 2013, RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. went public and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
“Of all the qualities that we could share about Dave and Gail, courage would be the one word that describes what we admire most,” stated Selly – although their spirit
of generosity does not go unnoticed. “Over the years John and I have been privileged
to be part of the countless times Dave and Gail have opened up their home to numerous worthwhile charities. With a schedule that would render 20-year-old people exhausted, they have rallied at the end of a full and taxing day to open up their home for these events.”
While building their business, the Linigers managed to pack in plenty of adventures. From racing on the NASCAR circuit, breeding Arabian horses, ying planes and big-game hunting, one could argue there are not many dull moments for the couple.
In 1998, Dave attempted to set a world record and y a balloon the 22,800 miles around the globe at an altitude of 130,000 feet without stopping. “It was the greatest adventure and the greatest disappointment of my life,” said Dave, when recounting how the nal launch attempt had to be scrubbed due to “unprecedented” weather in Australia.
Dave Liniger gives a”thumbs up” at a press brie ng for his high altitude balloon launch.
Gail commented that her greatest adventures have always been with Dave. She described a big-game hunt in Africa where the group they were hunting with had come upon a baby elephant caught in a local hunter’s snare. After covering the elephant’s head, they were able to free his leg so he could return to his herd. Seeing the animal suffer had a profound impact on the couple, later in uencing their philanthropic enterprise.
By Carin R. Kirkegaard and Terri Wiebold; courtesy photos
The early days of RE/MAX: Gail and Dave were an unstoppable team from the beginning.
Dave started RE/MAX in 1973. He set
up his of ce in Denver and hired his rst employee, an ambitious graduate from
the University of Southern Illinois with
a degree in marketing, Gail Main. That same year, Gail was promoted to vice president, and ve years later she became the executive vice president and then president the following year. “Those rst few years were tough on everyone,” said Dave. “Long hours and extensive traveling ... every senior executive at the company was divorced.”
The Linigers on the oor of the New York Stock Exchange, taking RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. public.
“A big part of being a successful business leader is building others to become leaders – in business and society,” said Adam Contos, CEO of RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. “That’s what Dave did for me. From the time we met many years ago, he has been my mentor and my friend.” As for Gail, Contos said, “She cares about people very deeply; one of the most kind people you will ever meet. I have been all over the world with Dave and Gail, and they treat people with respect and love – no matter who you are. Their level of humanity and philanthropy is remarkable.”
Contos, a resident in The Village at Castle Pines, said he agrees with Dave that the neighborhood they both live in is “God’s country.”
The Linigers could live anywhere in the world – and they have seen much of it – but they choose to call the beautiful wooded landscape atop The Village at Castle Pines their home. “I nally
found the mountain
living I wanted right
here,” said Dave. The
Linigers rst moved to
The Village in 1986, the
sixth home built in the
vast gated community.
Neighbors John and Selly Sieber (owners of the rst home built in The Village) have been friends with the Linigers for more than 40 years and have a lifetime of personal experiences that speak to the couple’s warmth, generosity and bravery.
October 2020
Gail is all smiles with longtime neighbors and friends, Selly and John Sieber.