PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF RE/MAXA FEW YEARSinto his career
selling Seattle real estate,
Matt van Winkle reached
a crossroads: He could
continue as an independent
agent or build a bigger office
where he could mentor
other agents. “In our market,
there’s an assumption that if
you’re independent, you’re a
discount agent,” he says.
“I wanted a lot of support
and technology, and I wanted
a brand everyone knew but
was underrepresented in
this area.”
He found both of those
qualifications in RE/MAX,
the 45-year-old franchise,
whose hot-air balloon is an
instantly recognizable cor-
porate symbol. Van Winkle
opened his office six and
a half years ago, and now,
at age 34, he’s Washington
state’s highest-grossing
RE/MAX broker, with an
impressive 235 agents work-
ing out of his firm.
These are the success sto-
ries RE/MAX loves to tout,
as it transforms the careers
of brokers nationwide. RE/
MAX opened 59 new U.S.
franchises in the first quarter
of 2017, and it promotes
growth by supporting bro-
kers like Van Winkle with
website design templates, a
mobile app, and that price-
less brand recognition—and
in turn, brokers bring in and
mentor new talent. “It’s a
winning model that offers
outstanding customer service
and a strong global brand
that has led the industry for
more than 40 years,” says
RE/MAX
Founded/ 19 73, Denver
Worldwide locations/ 4 5 07,
U.S. locations/ 3, 700
Cost to open a unit/ $37,500 to $225,000