To celebrate 25 years of serving Canada’s real estate community, REM asked a small group of real estate leaders this question:
“Who had the biggest impact – good or bad – on Canadian real estate in the last 25 years?
This is not a popularity contest or a marketing exercise. We want to know who you think had the biggest impact on the industry in the last 25 years – even if it was, in your opinion, a negative impact. Your choices could include Realtors, company executives, association executive officers, regulators, service company executives….even politicians! Who has had the most impact during the last 25 years in making the industry what it is today?”
REM took those consensus picks and added our own and the results will be revealed on REM online every day until the end of June. Take a look and see if you agree with these choices, and then let us know who we missed. Add your comments below or drop an email to [email protected].
Don Lawby
Don Lawby retired early this year after serving as Century 21’s president and CEO for more than three decades.
“Don Lawby as the face and mind of Century 21 Canada developed an enduring place as the voice of reason on behalf of franchisor and franchisees,” says CREB CEO Alan Tennant. “His thoughtful and well-timed critique of the issues of the day vexing organized real estate rarely missed the mark but if they did, he woke the right people up.”
Lawby was never shy about going on the record to address controversial issues in the real estate industry. He was critical of organized real estate when he thought the boards and associations were overstepping their mandate and competing with their own members and providing services to consumers.
“Don Lawby solidified his presence in the industry over almost 40 years,” says Martin Charlwood, CEO of Century 21. “He made major advances for organized real estate as a founding member of the Industry Leaders’ Group, bringing the major brands together to reduce real estate board costs and increase efficiencies. I admire his leadership that bridged brands to benefit the industry itself.”
In an interview in REM in July 2010, REM asked Lawby why he continually toured the country to visit the franchise’s 378 offices.
“I like to do things that I don’t think some of my competitors would do. I go places that I’m not sure all my competitors will go to. I want to make sure I touch people who don’t come to company events. They’re my customers – they have a right to ask things that they want to know and to get the straight goods. I think that’s why we have a very good renewal rate and what I think is an excellent relationship with our franchisees.”
