What began as a simple house flip by a young airman trying to stretch his modest Air Force paycheck has grown into a global real estate empire.
Dave Liniger’s success as co-founder of RE/MAX and his transformative influence on the real estate industry have earned the Air Force Veteran an honored place in the Vetrepreneur® Hall of Fame. Liniger joins fellow Veteran business icons Conrad Hilton, Warren Avis and Gordon Logan in the Hall of Fame, which recognizes U.S. military Veterans who built highly successful, enduring businesses that made a lasting impact on their industries and society.
Now retired, the visionary Vetrepreneur® is a sought-after speaker, author, philanthropist, serial entrepreneur and avid sportsman. But his path to success was far from smooth.
Born and raised in the small town of Marion, Ind., Liniger served five years in the U.S. Air Force, with assignments in Vietnam, Thailand, Texas and Arizona. His final duty station was with the ROTC program at Arizona State University in Tempe. To make ends meet, Liniger juggled three side jobs—delivering newspapers, working at a gas station and taking shifts at a movie theater.
He saved enough money to buy a small, inexpensive home, which he spent six months repairing. When he sold it, he made a $5,000 profit.
Liniger was hooked. Over the next several years, he continued flipping homes and earned his real estate license to save on commissions.
After separating from the Air Force in 1971, he worked as a real estate agent for a year before moving to Denver. In 1973, he and his girlfriend, Gail, founded RE/MAX—a name that combined “Re” for real estate with “Max” for maximum commission. The couple later married and, within five years, had built RE/MAX into the largest real estate firm in Colorado.
RE/MAX was founded on a revolutionary model that allowed agents to keep the maximum commission from their sales while receiving top-tier support from the company—a concept that reshaped the industry.
In 1975, RE/MAX began franchising offices. Today, the company is valued at approximately $275 million, and has over 9,000 offices and more than 140,000 sales agents in 110 countries. Liniger retired as CEO in 2018 but continues to serve as chairman of RE/MAX Holdings.
He and his family now own Area15 Ventures, a Colorado-based private equity firm that invests in emerging franchisors and high-growth businesses. Liniger has spoken to more than 3 million people in over 30 countries, sharing his insights on leadership, perseverance and success.
We proudly welcome Dave Liniger into the Vetrepreneur® Hall of Fame—a true example of how military discipline, vision and determination can build something extraordinary.
Read this full article and more in the October 2025 Issue of G.I. Jobs magazine.
